Rosita Ventura-Gomez shares how she remains determined to speak out against the deportation of undocumented people.
When I’m sitting in class, my mind is somewhere else. I check my phone constantly, waiting for the notification that my dad has made it home. Only then can I breathe. Until then, my mind never stops playing games—what if today is the day he doesn’t come back?
This is the reality for thousands of mixed-status families like mine. In the Central Valley, where undocumented workers like my parent are the backbone of our economy, fear lingers in every home. ICE raids in places like Kern and Fresno counties have torn families apart — but we refuse to be silent.
As a student reporter and a regular attendee of anti-ICE protests, I’ve witnessed my peers constantly checks on their parents as well. But instead of staying silent, they fight back. One student I know helped organize a school walkout and handed out hundreds of red cards — small but powerful tools that educate undocumented people on their rights when confronted by ICE.
I’ve also heard students make comments like “They should get out of here,” referring to undocumented people, without repercussions from teachers.