Hi my name is Yovana Cortez. I am writing to you to ask for your support to help me study abroad. I am a DACA recipient. I moved to the United States from Mexico when I was 6 years old. I have not been able to travel to Mexico since then. Due to this I have missed out on the opportunity to connect with my homeland, family members and the richness of my Mexican heritage that can only be gained through visiting one’s own country. I have recently been accepted to the Summer 2022 California-Mexico Dreamers’ Study Abroad Program.

This program specifically helps DACA recipients travel abroad to Mexico through “Advance Parole”. “Advance Parole” is a process in U.S. immigration law that lets immigrants leave the U.S. and then re-enter lawfully. For DACA recipients, this can mean getting permission to travel to another country for a business conference, study-abroad program, or medical treatment. Advance Parole is more limited for DACA recipients than for other immigrants; the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) will not grant DACA recipients Advance Parole for vacations or leisure trips.

The California-Mexico’s Dreamer’s Study Abroad is a five 4-week session from June 5 to August 21, 2022, with each cohort composed of 30 DACA recipients. During each 4-week travel-study experience, the participating Dreamers will be immersed in a comprehensive language and cultural, educational program organized by the CMSC in collaboration with Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) and hosted by the Centro Internacional de Lenguas, Arte y Cultura Paulo Freire (CILAC Freire). The educational program will consist of historical, cultural, linguistic, and academic lectures (cátedras) on social movements, the Mexican educational, economic and political systems, various museum and archeological visits, with a leadership development focus. Program participants will also have a unique opportunity to conduct independent travel and ethnographic research on their family origins, which will allow them to visit their birthplace for 2-3 weeks. The cost of the program is $5,000. This includes everything from advance Parole application preparation, attorney consultation (as needed on a case by case basis), and filing assistance to housing, meals, transportation and psychological counseling.

It has been my dream to visit my home country again! Growing up being undocumented for the majority of my life I felt like I "Ni de aqui ni de aya" which means roughly translates to not from here or from there. I wasn’t considered “American” for lack of documentation and I wasn’t truly from Mexico because I grew up in the United States. As I have grown older, I still at times feel like I am not from here or from there, but mostly I feel like I belong to both places. This study abroad program provides the perfect format for getting to know my country and for once in 21 years to immerse myself fully in my Mexican culture. It would mean the world to me to be able to reconnect with my culture and most importantly to reconnect with family members that I have yet to get to know. Most important to me is to get to know my mother’s side of the family! If you can please support me, please consider contributing to my Go-Fund. Any little bit helps.

Thanks,

Yovana Cortez