Latino VoicesVideoundocumented immigrantsspoken word poetry

Latina Redefines What It Means To Be Undocumented In Powerful Video

"Borders only exist because we create them."
Open Image Modal
By 

Reporter, HuffPost

Brenzy Solorzano is here to redefine what it means to be undocumented.

In fact, in a video posted on Monday by mitú, the Los Angeles-based Latina makes a case for why she is in fact actually “documented.” She also wants to let people know that she’s certainly not in the United States looking for a hand out either. 

And to the critics who think otherwise, she says: 

I just wanna let you know that I am not freeloading off your f***king government because as far as I’m concerned, if I’m going to school and I’ve never gone to bed without a meal in my stomach and I keep a roof over my head, that’s because I’ve earned it all by myself. 

Solorzano also explains in the video why she’s never liked being referred to as a “dreamer” by politicians when she actually considers herself a “do-er.” At the end of the video, she urges viewers to recognize why immigrants like her cannot be undocumented. 

“So maybe if you took a look beyond what’s in front of your eyes, you’d understand that there’s no such thing as being undocumented, that borders only exist because we create them,” she said. “To be documented is to choose to live, to dream, to exist, to fight, and aspire with no barriers. That’s why I am here. I am DOCUMENTED, and no one― no one― can take that from me.”

Watch the full video above. 

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

11 Ways Immigration Reform Helps The Economy
Reform Would Help Curb The Deficit(01 of11)
Open Image Modal
Immigration reform would reduce the federal deficit by $2.5 trillion over 10 years, according to an analysis by the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank. (credit:Getty Images)
Expelling Immigrants Is Expensive(02 of11)
Open Image Modal
Expelling the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States would cost $2.6 trillion over 10 years, according to CNBC. That's because it costs the government more than $8,000 to deport each person. (credit:Getty Images)
Reform Would Help Fix The Social Security Problem(03 of11)
Open Image Modal
Immigration reform would help bolster Social Security because more legal workers would mean more people contributing payroll taxes to its trust fund, according to an analysis from the Social Security administration. Undocumented workers already contribute $15 billion per year to Social Security. (credit:AP)
Immigrants Start Successful Businesses(04 of11)
Open Image Modal
More than a quarter of technology and engineering firms started between 1995 and 2005 had a foreign-born owner, according to The Washington Post. One of the founders of Yahoo!, Jerry Yang, is an immigrant from Taiwan. (credit:AP)
Reform Would Save $410 Billion Over 10 Years(05 of11)
Open Image Modal
The immigration reform bill proposed by the "gang of eight" senators would save $410 billion over a decade, according to an analysis from Gordon Gray, the director of fiscal policy at the American Action Forum. The savings would come largely from a boost in GDP resulting from undocumented immigrants gaining citizenship and in turn likely making more money. (credit:AP)
High-Tech Companies Say Reform Would Boost Their Bottom Line(06 of11)
Open Image Modal
Companies like Microsoft and Google have said that immigration reform would help them by allowing for more H1B visas, a special kind of visa geared toward highly skilled immigrants. The tech giants say they can't find enough qualified people in the U.S. to fill their staffing needs. (credit:AP)
Reform Would Boost The Wages Of Native-Born Workers(07 of11)
Open Image Modal
U.S.-born workers see between a 0.1 and 0.6 percent boost in wages on average with an increase in immigration, according to a report from the Hamilton Project, an economic policy initiative of the nonpartisan Brookings Institution. That's because immigrant workers bring skills with them that complement those of native-born workers, leading to new jobs. (credit:AP)
Immigrants Are Entrepreneurial (08 of11)
Open Image Modal
Immigrants are more than twice as likely as native-born Americans to start new businesses, according to a White House report on immigration reform. (credit:AP)
Reform Would Boost GDP By More Than $1 Trillion Over 10 Years(09 of11)
Open Image Modal
Immigration reform would boost GDP by $1.5 trillion -- or about 1 percent -- over 10 years, according to an estimate from UCLA professor Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda cited by CNBC. (credit:AP)
Immigrants Create Jobs(10 of11)
Open Image Modal
Businesses owned by immigrants created 4.7 million jobs in the U.S. in 2007, according to a White House report on immigration reform. (credit:AP)
Reform Would Bring In More Money Than It Costs In Benefits(11 of11)
Open Image Modal
Though many critics of immigration reform argue against the cost of providing increased public benefits, analysts say higher spending is not a likely consequence. A Congressional Budget Analysis of George W. Bush's 2007 immigration reform proposal found that it would cost the government $23 billion in more public services, but bring in $48 billion in revenue, according to The Washington Post. (credit:Getty Images)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip