CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An undocumented immigrant with a permit to work and stay in the U.S. asks for compassion when people hear stories like hers.
What You Need To Know
Lily is an undocumented immigrant with a temporary permit to work and stay in the U.S.
Lily, who works at Red Ventures, graduated from college, thanks to a program called Golden Door Scholars
Lily invites people to get to know her instead of solely focusing on her legal status
Lily invites people to get to know her instead of solely focusing on her legal status.
The 23-year-old moved to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 4. Her mom brought her to North Carolina, but she doesn’t remember much of that journey.
“I remember just being really attached to my mom,” Lily said.
If you get to know her, Lily may share she’s an undocumented immigrant. Lily doesn’t mind that term, but one little thing that bothers her is when people use the term "illegal."
“It’s very hurtful and very confusing because I just don’t understand how you can refer to a human being as illegal,” Lily said. “All I’ve seen is my mom working very hard to give us a good life. Me, studying putting myself through college.”
Lily is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, which gives her temporary permission to work in the U.S. and temporary relief from deportation.
However, her legal status didn’t allow her to receive most college scholarships.
“I remember having so much pressure and opportunities to be able to go to college,” Lily said.
A scholarship program for undocumented immigrants, called Golden Door Scholars, helped her achieve her goal of going to college.
“It also provided me with a community of people who understand what I went through,” Lily said.
Golden Door Scholars also have access to mentors, internships and job search support.
Lily graduated from Wingate University last year. Currently, she works for Red Ventures, a portfolio of influential brands, digital platforms and strategic partnerships working to connect people with expert advice.
“I have my own apartment. Very soon I want to look into becoming a homeowner,” Lily said.
Lily has a lot of goals, and she said one little thing you may find out is they’re not different than yours.
“All I’m asking is people to be compassionate. I’m a person. I have dreams. I love my family,” Lily said.
Lily said she honors where she came from and is proud of where she’s establishing her life now.