About 50 people attended a “Coming Out of the Shadows Rally”
at the Vance Monument Friday afternoon to protest recent immigration
raids by federal agencies.
ASHEVILLE — Bruno Hinojosa has lived in the city more than half his life.
The 23-year-old grew up here, attending Claxton Elementary and then Asheville middle and high schools.
He played soccer, and as a teen he looked forward to getting his driver’s license.
But Hinojosa is in the U.S. illegally. He is undocumented, and he says that status has kept him from doing things other people his age have done — like getting a driver’s license or attending college.
citizen-times.com
Written by Julie Ball
Hinojosa was one of several people telling their stories at a rally Friday afternoon in downtown Asheville.
“It’s kind of a weight, a weight that I am trying to get off my chest,” Hinojosa said.
The event was put together by a new group of undocumented Western North Carolina residents who say they want to put a human face on the often-divisive immigration issue.
Another goal: “To get rid of the fear that keeps us silent and keeps us scared of highlighting abuses that are happening,” said Loida Ginocchio-Silva, one of the organizers of the event.
“We often live in fear, and that fear often keeps us in silence,” she said. “We think it’s important to come out and share our stories publicly because we need to emphasize the fact that we are human beings.”
Ginocchio-Silva came to the U.S. from Peru when she was 13. Like Hinojosa, she is undocumented and as a result couldn’t afford the out-of-state college tuition she is required to pay.
Hinojosa said the Asheville effort is similar to other movements taking place elsewhere in the U.S. “I’m gonna let my voice be heard as loud as I can,” he said.
Hinojosa said immigration raids like those that have taken place at some Asheville-area businesses don’t target those with criminal backgrounds, but instead “innocent people who work for a living, who go to school, who try to make a living.”
Despite a heavy rain, about 50 people turned out for the Friday afternoon rally.
One of them was 18-year-old Ilse Ramirez, a senior at Erwin High, who is also undocumented.
Ramirez came to the U.S. when she was just 3 years old. “I feel like this is my home,” she said.
She hopes to attend college, but she is struggling with the cost. She hopes a family friend will help.
And she’s applied for some scholarships, but others are off limits. “For other ones, I just can’t (apply) because in every application they ask for a Social Security (number), which I don’t have,” she said.
Asked if those speaking out are putting themselves at risk, Ginocchio-Silva responded in the affirmative.
“There’s always a risk when you are open about it, but I think that they all are aware of that risk, and they have decided that enough is enough,” she said. “They are willing to take that risk because they are tired of being silent, and the silence is no longer going to protect them.”
