Out of the shadows: Isabel Castillo, immigration activist
Isabel Castillo, 27, has been organizing in support of the Dream Act, legislation that would open a path to legal residency and eventual citizenship for immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 but failed to win passage in the Senate. Castillo organized a Dream Act chapter in her hometown, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and has argued the case with Virginia politicians. In recognition of her work, Atlantic magazine named her a "brave thinker" and the University of San Francisco awarded her an honorary doctorate.
Tell us about your background.
I am originally from the state of Michoacán in Mexico. When I was six years old, my parents brought my siblings and me directly to Harrisonburg, Virginia, where they had jobs in the poultry industry. I have been living here ever since. I started first grade in the public school system.
How did you make it to college?
The school guidance counselor had never worked with an undocumented student. He did not know how to help me. I graduated with a 4.0 GPA and I was involved in many clubs, but I couldn't apply for grants, loans or scholarships. I remember looking through the scholarship book in the counselor's office for one that didn't say, "Requirement: U.S. citizen or legal resident."
