Thumbs up: A local Dreamer’s inspiring story

Ariana Aparacio is one of the young Dreamers working to stay in their adopted homeland. Ricardo Ibarra told her story in the most recent edition of our sister publication La Prensa Sonoma.|
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Thumbs up to Ariana Aparacio, who reminds us how much young immigrants have brought to this country. Aparacio, 29, is one of the young Dreamers working to stay in their adopted homeland. Ricardo Ibarra told her story in the most recent edition of our sister publication La Prensa Sonoma.

Aparacio, who was brought to the North Bay from Mexico at age 4, is enrolling in a master's program at Harvard this fall after working in the counseling center for undocumented students at Sonoma State University. She also graduated from Sonoma State, but without DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, she wouldn't have been eligible to attend graduate school or even to continue working legally in the U.S., her home for 25 years.

Aparacio's dreams include a doctorate and eventual citizenship. “What we want, and I speak for myself, is our citizenship,” she told Ibarra. “We have been here most of our lives. We identify ourselves as Americans.” So do we.

You can send a letter to the editor atletters@pressdemocrat.com

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor