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My story is America’s story.

One of a father born and raised in a small pueblo in Chihuahua, Mexico who grew up poor, yet extremely content with the love that he received from his family.

A story where his father, my grandfather, immigrated to California during a time where the U.S. Government actively sought out people like my abuelo who were willing to break their backs in the fields of America.

But my grandfather, like so many before and after him, had larger dreams for his family.

Dreams of providing an education and opportunities for his two sons and daughter.

Dreams that one day his children would be able to own a home and raise a family in a magical place known as America.

Years later, my father met my mother who was born in northern California, the daughter of a fellow farm worker who also struggled in the fields while being a single mother raising nine children all by herself.

A humble woman whose middle name was sacrifice and who gave every ounce of her being to make sure that every one of her children was raised with love and affection.

And it is that story of hard work and perseverance that motivates me to continue in spite of any obstacles that may come my way.

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It is that story that inspires me to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform because I am the embodiment of the American story.

The product of immigrants who dedicated their lives to ensuring that I had access to opportunities that they once thought were unimaginable.

As I listen to all the conversations surrounding immigration reform, the one thing that always seems to get lost is America’s story.

The story of hard working families who overcame insurmountable obstacles and continue to positively contribute to America’s economy.

The story of two people who fell in love and raised two beautiful baby boys in a small one-bedroom house in Oxnard, California.

You see, this is not just my story, this is our story.

A story of how all our families arrived on the same shores and borders of America in search of something that we all know is possible –

The possibility of building a better world together and in the process ensuring that all of us are safe and afforded the opportunity to reach our dreams.

Every single day, families across America are being torn apart as mothers and fathers are being deported