Undocumented Value

Every day I ask myself, why me? What makes me special? Why would anyone care about my story? How exactly am I like Jose Vargas, Julissa Arce, and the many other immigration writers I admire and aim to emulate? Before having books published, Jose Vargas found success as a journalist, and Julissa Arce reached success … More Undocumented Value

Decolonize Your Mind

You have probably heard the expression “decolonize your mind”, and in various contexts. The way I think about this concept changes from day to day. It can be applied to so many issues because it encompasses so many facets of our society. It affects different aspects of our lives. Internalized racism colonizes our mind. European … More Decolonize Your Mind

Paz Ellis on the plight of Citizen Children of Immigrants

When thinking about immigration, it’s easy to focus on the plight of undocumented and dacamented people, as if they were the only ones affected by America’s immigration policy and climate of hate towards immigrants. I am guilty of viewing the citizen children of immigrants as lucky and carefree Americans. That started to change the day … More Paz Ellis on the plight of Citizen Children of Immigrants

Candomblé (Part I)

One of the most memorable moments that I experienced during the trip to my homeland, Brazil earlier this year, was unexpectedly stumbling upon a ceremony known as Festival of Lemanja. It was at a locals’ beach adjacent to Pão de Açúcar  (Sugarloaf Mountain) that I saw a large group of mostly Afro-Brazilians gathered under a … More Candomblé (Part I)