with her family. She didn’t know it then, but her parents’ decision to come to the United States would be the best thing to happen to her. Like many other immigrants, however, the challenges did not end when arriving in the United States in search of the “American Dream.”
Galindo and her family were forced to quickly adapt to the new culture and language, and jobs were still hard to find. Learning English was one of Dulce’s biggest challenges. Her inability to communicate with the other children made her an outcast, leaving her to fend for herself at school. Simple things that many take for granted, such as driving, getting a job, and attending college, were far-off dreams for Dulce.
Then, in June 2012, the Obama Adminis-tration initiated a new immigration policy called Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA allows immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and who meet certain other requirements to apply for two years’ protection from deportation as well a work permit.
As a result of the new policies, Dulce Galindo
no longer felt caged as an undocumented immigrant. She could now go to college, get a license, and get a job. Her parents’ friends doubted her and told her, “You’ll never be able to go to school,” due to her undocumented status.
Despite the many negative comments, she made it her mission to be the first one in her family to go to college. She would overcome the barriers and the stereotypes that Mexican women were not educated. As she spoke to her high school counselor about the college options she had, she visited Reinhardt University and instantly fell in love. Due to the cost, however, she had to attend a community college before being able to attend the small, quaint University in Waleska.
Her parents are her biggest inspirations. From a young age, they taught her the importance of hard work and that nothing
“Dulce no longer felt caged as an undocumented immigtant.”
The Galindo family on Dulce's graduation day.
Photograph provided By Dulce Galindo
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