Idania Ramos

Mosaic Ambassador

I Rise for Those Who Are Too Scared to Speak Out

I’ve always known that I was different, my color, my culture, and my language didn’t follow the “American Norm.” My first language was Spanish and my parents were born in El Salvador. I experienced economic hardships at a young age and dealt with the constant fear of someone in my family being deported.

Growing up, my father was an undocumented immigrant so I was taught to keep quiet in fear of experiencing backlash towards my family. I was taught to stay silent and live life in the shadows.

As I got older, I found my voice, and felt more comfortable speaking out. I associated myself with people who were more vocal about social issues. When I started my sophomore year of highschool, I would fearlessly spoke up about Black Lives Matter and gender equality, but I still wouldn’t speak about immigrant rights. I felt obligated to protect my father at all costs; I didn’t want to lose him. One day he told me, “You’re Latina, you will face discrimination, encounter many trials, but you have a fighting spirit. Speak up and be my voice.” I felt comforted that I had my father’s blessing. I then started to be more vocal on immigrant issues and rights. I knew that I had to speak out and be his voice.

I rise when I see discrimination and inequality and I take a stand against any injustices. I rise for those who feel fear. I rise for those who don’t have a voice. I rise for those who live in the shadows. I rise for my father.