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My life as a migrant advocate began in the fall of 2006, when Hurricane Stan hit my home of 18 years, Guatemala. I took time off of Harvard to help with the relief efforts and my life has never been the same. While I was down in Guatemala I decided it would be a good idea to retrace the route of a migrant and bring myself closer to understanding what it means to be an average Guatemalan. After my trip from Guatemala into the United States I was reborn as a journalist and a migrant advocate. Since then, I have been flown out to New York, Washington D.C., and San Diego to discuss new media strategy with migrant advocacy organizations. I have given advice, worked with, and consulted for organizations like the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the National Council of La Raza, the National Immigration Forum, America's Voice, the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, the National Immigration Law Center, the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. My writing, photos, and videos have appeared in media outlets like The Harvard Crimson, The Bay State Banner, New America Media, Alternet, MTV, the Boston Herald, and Prensa Libre and El Periodico of Guatemala. I've spoken at Harvard University, Boston College, Georgetown University, and Brown University. You can find me on Twitter, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit, Mixx, and on the blogs The Sanctuary, Blue Mass. Group, and Daily Kos. 
My blogging began as a way to document the lives of the undocumented, in the belief that if others could know them the way I was getting to know them, they would be valued as contributing members of our society, as people to be welcomed and loved rather than feared and vilified. It is my intent to present their lives, the good as well as the bad moments, to show the universality in their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. My profession is Archaeology, but my passion is advocacy for a small group of Guatemalan migrants in my community. It is that passion, along with doing my best to raise my daughter to share my values, that gives my life meaning. As a part of Citizen Orange, I seek to promote the compassionate understanding of migrants, especially through the use of music, art, and film, through which we may reach the hearts of those who most need to learn compassion for the migrants among us. 
I am an immigration attorney at a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia. In law school, I studied international law, trade, and human rights. I spent time in school studying and working in Latin America. I also blog about migrant rights at change.org. (I blogged here previously under the pseudonym "yave begnet.") The way citizens treat migrants provides insight into the way we view our position in our communities, both local and global. If once, all politics was local, now all politics is global. Goods, capital, and ideas travel freely and speedily around the world—then why not the people who make those products, earn that capital, and create those ideas? By recognizing that each of us may one day be a migrant, we can recognize that our common humanity transcends arbitrary accidents of geography. This realization can lead us toward policies that benefit migrants and citizens alike in the best tradition of this migrant nation. 
I started blogging for migrant rights (and common decency towards all human beings) in response to the hate speech, propaganda, and fear tactics being used by the anti-"illegal” immigrant groups at rallies in the New Jersey area to vilify Hispanics as “invaders” amongst other terrible and bogus claims. I am also an animal rights advocate and spend time working with animal rescue groups in New Jersey. My goal is to promote a world where all life is considered precious and everyone practices compassion and understanding toward each another. After all, I believe we all want the same thing - a wonderful and meaningful life. 
Just as a disclaimer, The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of any of the organizations the bloggers work with or the publications we write for. Each blogger retains complete editorial control over his or her posts at Citizen Orange and our writing here is only a reflection of each blogger's own personal views.
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