Celebrating Nashville's DACA recipients
By Güzin Karagöz, Intern
Last Friday, August 23rd, we partnered with Conexión Américas to host Home is Here! Celebrating 12 Years of DACA, bringing together DACA recipients and allies for an evening of storytelling, art, and community. As attendees connected over authentic Colombian food provided by Delicias Colombianas RR, we created multimedia artwork celebrating the countless ways DACA recipients strengthen our community every day. In addition to providing a safe and welcoming space, we distributed educational resources for undocumented college students and information on how to schedule a consultation at TNJFON.
TNJFON Board Member Alvaro Manrique Barrenechea spoke at the event about his work experience representing DACA recipients.
DACA recipients and their loved ones added to our Wall of Dreams, sharing not only the dreams DACA had helped them to achieve but also the dreams they have for a life unconstrained by the program’s instability.
Artists of all ages painted a multicolored Nashville skyline underlined by the words “Home is Here! ¡Este es nuestro hogar!” as a visual affirmation that each and every DACA recipient in our community is a part of building the city and that everyone has a place here. Every piece of the painting is different, and every piece is essential– just like the members of our community.
Other participants made tissue paper butterflies for a garland to be draped over the painting. Monarch butterflies have long been a symbol of immigration justice, especially for Dreamers, because of their annual migration across North America. We are working towards a world where humans can have that same freedom of movement.
Members of the TNJFON community came together to create a vibrant painting of the Nashville skyline.
Speakers explained what DACA is and shared personal experiences with the program. Alvaro Manrique Barrenechea highlighted DACA’s history and future, followed by personal accounts from Cesar Virto, a DACA recipient. In addition to celebrating DACA recipients, we also highlighted the urgent need to legislate paths to citizenship for them and other Dreamers.
As TNJFON Executive Director Tessa Lemos Del Pino pointed out in her remarks, “This 12th anniversary is a reminder of this hard-earned victory made possible by immigrant youth and allies who fought to win DACA in 2012.”
“Unfortunately, the fight still continues,” said TNJFON Board Member Alvaro Manrique Barrenechea. “We’ve seen attempts to end DACA that have resulted in litigation and in the ending of new applications being accepted…[DACA] recipients are some of the bravest clients that I have for multiple reasons. For everything they’ve gone through but also for the things that they have to dare to do even though they don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“I want to speak up because someone spoke up for me,” said DACA recipient Cesar Virto. “The reason I have DACA today is because someone had to advocate for me. How can I say I want citizenship if I’m not advocating for the people that are left behind?”
We’re honored to have had the opportunity to learn about the experiences and aspirations of Nashville’s DACA recipients, and immensely grateful to United We Dream for funding this event through the Home is Here project.