Maria: The mental pressure of the “model immigrant”

Undocu-Life: No Longer Dreaming

How does the Spanish-to-English language barrier affect young immigrants in a public school system? University of the District of Columbia (UDC) undergraduate, Maria Nunez Pereira, was born in El Salvador, and immigrated to D.C. when she was five years old. Upon arriving in the United States and enrolling into public school, Maria recalls being denied the support she needed in her classes, while she was barely starting to learn English. In this episode of Undocu-Life, Maria opens up about her mental health journey, and the pride she now feels about being a young undocumented immigrant.
Episode Credits:
Host: Jose Luis Mendoza
Narrator: Maria Nunez Pereira
Episode Interviewer: Delia Beristain Noriega
Episode Scriptwriters/Organizer: Thomas Bravo, Jose Luis Mendoza, and Claudia Peralta Torres
Episode Editors: Norma Sorto and Claudia Peralta Torres
Podcast Director: Christine MacDonald

Music by Blue Dot Sessions:
Resolute - Morning Colorwheel
Sugartree - Cornicob
Follow along with the English and Spanish episode transcripts located on our podcast webpage.

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