With "diversity" a buzzword at the University, it may seem that most students are well-versed on the different experiences of their peers. But fourth-year College student Claudia Aguilar, who immigrated to the United States from Bolivia, said she has seen that is not true.
Aguilar said she was deeply struck when, in her multicultural education class, "somebody made a comment that 'immigrants take all our jobs.'"
Other students in the Latino/Hispanic community had also "expressed there was an issue" with people not knowing much about immigrants, according to Aguilar.
Prompted by such sentiments, several student organizations recently sponsored a series of events called "Nuestra America/Our America: Stories and Perspectives on Immigration."
The final event, "I Crossed the Border: Immigration Stories," featured seven students telling their stories followed by an open-mic forum for audience members to react -- which they did.
"We're taking it upon ourselves to educate our peers," Aguilar said. "We want to spark powerful conversation. We hope people walk away learning from our experiences."
This week, the Cavalier Daily Life section continues to provide a forum for students' stories.
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