Hello!

My partner and best friend of 8 years, Mizrain Acevedo, has lived here in the US since he was 5 years old. His core memories consist of riding his bike from K-town all the way to Malibu Beach to watch the sunset, night hiking in Griffith Park and fighting off a coyote from taking his jacket because he left jerky inside his pocket, and heading into class at Bravo Medical Magnet with a torta he bought made by his classmates mom. With every street nearly memorized, he's 100% an Angeleno and has become known as the dude to always suggest a bomb af place to eat at no matter the LA neighborhood.

Some of just a few of my favorite features of Rain is how much of a die hard loyal person he is - he's also a big Die Hard fan, his infectious laugh especially after one of his classic dad jokes, how excited he gets to rewatch a Tarantino film despite having watched them a million times already, a seriously nerve racking hard worker, and he ALWAYS will come to his family and friend's side when needed the most.

Although his memories, family, friends and life are all here in the US, one detail hasn't changed... he is not an American citizen only because he wasn't born here. Rain was born and lived in Oaxaca, Mexico only until the age of 5 when his family decided to move him to the US for a better chance of life for him. As a dreamer recipient, he's paid the cost as a migrant dreamer: unable to vote, unequal pay, higher taxes, and the requirement to renew his DACA every two years.

In recent years, Rain and I have been stressed that at any moment the government will eliminate the DACA program especially as the 2024 presidential election approaches, revoking the small umbrella of protection he's had in order to live and work in the US.

That's why last year, Rain and I began the long process of applying for his US residency. Now we are asking for help from our family, friends, peers, and kind colleagues. As much as we wish we weren't, we're broke af. Rain and I grew up in low-income household's and have worked very hard to support ourselves to get to where we are now. While we now can afford a comfortable life, we don't have the budget at the moment to afford the total costs for our immigration lawyer and application fees.

We are asking our family, friends, peers, and kind colleagues to help us raise the funds needed to cover these costs. We totally get this a lot to ask for since the economy sucks, cost of living is higher, buying a single avocado is bullshit, and most of us millennials/gen z will never own a home.

If you'd like to help, please donate whatever amount you feel comfortable offering or even sharing this post will mean everything to us.

Thank you for support and unbelievable kindness