DeepSummary
Brian de los Santos, a DACA recipient, receives approval for advance parole after 30 years of living in the US, allowing him to visit Mexico for the first time since leaving as a 2-year-old. He documents his emotional journey of reconnecting with family, culture, and a sense of identity in a limited podcast series.
Brian grapples with the juxtaposition of feeling at home in Mexico yet being viewed as an outsider due to his americanized mannerisms. He reflects on the privileges DACA has afforded him in the US while highlighting the limitations of not having permanent residency or citizenship.
Throughout his visit, Brian gains new perspectives on his identity, embracing the idea of being a 'pocho' - someone of mixed Mexican and American cultures. He returns to the US with a greater understanding of his complex belonging to both countries, yet still faces an uncertain future under DACA.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- DACA provides temporary relief but no permanent solution for undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children.
- Traveling back to one's birth country after decades can spark complex emotions and shifting perspectives around identity and belonging.
- Cultural reconnection is both joyful and disorienting for the DACA generation who straddle two nations and cultures.
- Despite legal barriers, undocumented immigrants maintain deep ties to their heritage and homelands.
- The DACA experience illuminates the nuances of the immigrant identity crisis - being 'ni de aquí ni de allá' (neither from here nor there).
- Advance parole allows temporary reprieve but highlights the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform.
- Intergenerational differences in legal status within undocumented families exacerbate feelings of displacement.
- Exploring one's roots can foster greater self-acceptance for the complexity of the immigrant experience.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “DACA has been life changing for hundreds of thousands of young people. Deportation relief, access to driver's license, work.“ by Roberto Gonzalez
- “DACA doesn't provide a pathway to legalization. Beneficiaries can still be deported, removed from this country.“ by Roberto Gonzalez
- “That means, for hundreds of thousands of people like me, even the country is not simple.“ by Brian de los Santos
- “It is surreal to be here because it smells like Mexico. It smells like what I grew up my mom, grandma smelling.“ by Brian de los Santos
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7/12/23
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