I was born in Quito, Ecuador in 1990. In 1998, due to the socioeconomic conditions in Ecuador, my father made the courageous decision to migrate to the United States in search of better opportunities for our family. A year later, my mother, my sister, and I followed, arriving in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in 1999. Ours was one of the few migrant families in a predominantly Italian-American neighborhood.

Six months after our arrival, our tourist visas expired, and we found ourselves undocumented. Growing up undocumented, from elementary school all the way to college, remains one of the most difficult and complex experiences of my life. It has influenced every decision I’ve ever made, including my identity as a teacher during my tenure in the classroom from 2015 to 2021.

The inception of UndocuTeacher traces back to my early experiences in an American classroom, where my teachers struggled to figure out how to support me. It took shape when my favorite high school teacher made me safe enough to say I was undocumented out loud. It blossomed when I pursued a career in teaching, despite DACA always feeling unstable. UndocuTeacher has been a constant companion throughout my 20-year journey of being undocumented.

My hope is to work to prepare the educators that trust in me to access new perspectives and new tools to support young immigrant kids like the one I was back then.