At a small booth, class of 2018 alumnus Alejandro Ortega stands up, scanning the growing crowd of immigrants spread out before him. As he carefully speaks in Spanish to explain their rights as an American citizen, heads bob with understanding. He continues to speaks with conviction, confident in his words and the message they convey.
As Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids spread throughout the country, immigrants, especially in Southern California, are left wondering if they will be affected. In response to this, organizations and individuals like Ortega rally to help immigrants understand how to handle ICE raids.
Although Ortega is of Mexican American heritage, his desire to help Latinx immigrants avoid deportation stems from his personal beliefs.
“There are a lot of statistics and facts that support that immigration is good for this country, both economically and culturally,” Ortega said. “I think a lot of things happen when people mix. That’s where a lot of culture happens.”
Ortega’s interest in helping immigrants first sparked when he was still a high school student in former German teacher Judy Graunke’s class. When he learned about the Nazi’s actions towards the Jews in the Holocaust, he saw similarities in the way ICE officials were treating the immigrants. The Nazis had first deported the Jews, before relocating them into concentration camps.
The conditions for detained American immigrants motivated Ortega to act, prompting him to participate in a “Know Your Rights” training session at the El Salvadoran Consulate in Los Angeles. There, he received the training needed to present for his own workshops. The Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, a multi-ethnic immigrant worker organization that Ortega volunteers for, hosted the session.
“When I heard about this opportunity, I thought ‘oh, there’s something I can do’,” Ortega said. “Every time I go and give these people this information, it makes me feel good, knowing I am doing something to help people.”
Ortega currently volunteers every Friday at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles from 9 a.m. to noon for KIWA. Every 30 minutes, he gives a five to 10 minute “Know Your Rights” workshop to ensure that immigrants know their rights and protections under U.S. law.
Currently, he is in his second year at Pasadena City College and is working towards a double major in comparative ethnic studies and Chinese. He plans to transfer into a four-year college after graduating. In the future, Ortega hopes to become a community organizer for KIWA to continue assisting immigrants in the LA area.
“I think the most important thing to do is to not be intimidated, because once we’re afraid, we forget the power that we do have,” Ortega said. “Just remember to do your research, and remember that as residents of the U.S. or whatever status you have, you have certain rights under the 4th and 5th amendment.”
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