Anonymous, 16

I am the eldest daughter of two immigrants parents, and sister of two autistic brothers. With everything going on in the world right now it’s hard to be a supporting pillar to both. My parents raised me to be prepared for anything to come my way. But how do you explain to an autistic 5 and 13 year old that our parents, their hero’s, are seen as villains? My parents are people of good, who did nothing wrong, but come into the Americas in hope of thriving not only for themselves but for their generations to come. It’s hard to picture a life without my parents. They are hardworking, loving, strong and caring people. They allowed for my siblings and I to grow up with the idea and the faith that God has a plan for everything, and I truly believe that. I don’t think I would be able to thrive without their constant support, positive energy and efforts for me to have a better life. Seeing my parents and everyone around us living in fear is heartbreaking. No family deserves to be separated. They deserve to live peaceful lives. My parents deserve to feel free, and accepted. Not unwanted. They are humans like every other. I’m proud to be their daughter. I am proud to come from immigrant roots. I hope someday people around us see the greatness in our parents, their hard work, their dedication to family and their resilience. I hope for them to be seen as people and not monsters.