My name is Natalia Macias and I come from a Mexican immigrant household. I am a first-generation college student majoring in criminal justice. I am also a freshman in my second semester. The social issue I am trying to address is decriminalizing immigrants. Altering what the criminal justice system thinks and many others about families coming from Latin America perpetuating the belief that all immigrants are drug dealers or rapists. I want to address this issue because my dad especially gets mad that all these lies are being spread through certain politicians or even on the news at times. He gets upset because he came here to receive the American dream. On the other hand, the reason why my mom fled from Mexico was to receive the American dream and to also escape the femicide occurring. Ever since then, it has gotten worse and she fled for her safety. I am advocating for my parents and anyone else that have been wrongly judged for simply trying to make it. Everyone deserves safety and to be able to live comfortably without having to worry about losing their home for the reason that they are an immigrant. Another reason that I am fighting this social issue is because I have seen the anxiety that it causes my parents and not just because people are spreading lies but because it has bled into laws. Known as Senate Bill 4 where police are allowed to arrest suspecting immigrants simply based on their appearance and if they fit the stereotypical look of one. This makes no sense and is aggravating for several reasons because people are being detained simply for what they look like. I also do not like to witness my parents in fear of losing their livelihoods that they built in a new country just for them to possibly lose it all. In order to address this social problem I have to start by diminishing people’s original beliefs about classifying who is a criminal. Since people stereotype criminals to be people of color and believe they should be receiving a harsh prison sentence not considering the crime or no crime committed. By executing this I can start small by acknowledging behaviors within the criminal justice system on a public platform. Trying to get people within the system to realize how wrong it is to stereotype innocent people who are just trying to live without causing issues. Then again, have people share their stories with the police to those desensitized to these issues to cause a breakthrough. Furthermore, to promote the public platform even more to overshadow politicians that spread lies or news anchors and to instead educate the public as well on why it is so harmful to spread misinformation. Alternatively, to enhance police training I can use my public platform to talk to representatives of Texas to try to implement a policy that requires future police to take classes on racial bias just so that they do not arrest people solely based on appearance and instead arrest civilians for their actions. All in all, erasing misconceptions from people’s minds will improve the criminal justice system in many ways. There are more chances of catching the correct perpetrator. Also pushes the police to be better at their jobs when classifying criminals based on body language and actions. Moreover, lessens the resources and money wasted on those who are innocent. As well as the community growing closer together when they feel like they are being protected and safe instead of feeling like they are under constant suspicion just from the way that they look.

My name is Natalia Macias and I come from a Mexican immigrant household. I am a first-generation college student majoring in criminal justice. I am also a freshman in my second semester. The social issue I am trying to address is decriminalizing immigrants. Altering what the criminal justice system thinks and many others about families or individuals coming from Latin America perpetuating the belief that all immigrants are drug dealers or rapists. I want to address this issue because my dad especially gets mad that all these lies are being spread through certain politicians or even on the news at times. He gets upset because he came here to receive the American dream. On the other hand, the reason why my mom fled from Mexico was to receive the American dream and to also escape the femicide occurring. Ever since then, it has gotten worse and she fled for her safety. I am advocating for my parents and anyone else that have been wrongly judged for simply trying to make it. Everyone deserves safety and to be able to live comfortably without having to worry about losing their home for the reason that they are an immigrant. Another reason that I am fighting this social issue is that I have seen the anxiety that it causes my parents and not just because people are spreading lies but because it has bled into laws. Known as Senate Bill 4 where police are allowed to arrest suspecting immigrants simply based on their appearance and if they fit the stereotypical look of one. This makes no sense and is aggravating for several reasons because people are being detained simply for what they look like. I also do not like to witness my parents in fear of losing their livelihoods that they built in a new country just for them to possibly lose it all. In order to address this social problem I have to start by diminishing people’s original beliefs about classifying who is a criminal. Since people stereotype criminals to be people of color and believe they should be receiving a harsh prison sentence not considering the crime or no crime committed. By executing this I can start small by acknowledging behaviors within the criminal justice system on a public platform. Trying to get people within the system to realize how wrong it is to stereotype innocent people who are just trying to live without causing issues. Then again, have people share their stories with the police to those desensitized to these issues to cause a breakthrough. Furthermore, to promote the public platform even more to overshadow politicians that spread lies or news anchors and to instead educate the public as well on why it is so harmful to spread misinformation. Alternatively, to enhance police training I can use my public platform to talk to representatives of Texas to try to implement a policy that requires future police to take classes on racial bias just so that they do not arrest people solely based on appearance and instead arrest civilians for their actions. All in all, erasing misconceptions from people’s minds will improve the criminal justice system in many ways. There are more chances of catching the correct perpetrator. Also pushes the police to be better at their jobs when classifying criminals based on body language. Moreover, lessens the resources and money wasted on those who are innocent. As well as the community growing closer together when they feel like they are being protected and safe instead of feeling like they are under constant suspicion just from the way that they look.

I grew up in a one-bedroom apartment with my family consisting of my mom, dad, and little sister. Being the oldest from a Mexican low-income immigrant family with everyone sharing a bedroom was not so simple due to distractions in the household with my focus being on school. Growing up in a one-bedroom apartment with my family shaped who I am today by making me responsible, assertive, flexible, and a leader. Then again, my experience sharing a small apartment for my whole life has been a reminder for me that money is scarce. Since income was low my family relied heavily on paycheck to paycheck which meant they could not afford to take days off and would come home absolutely exhausted, so I would do as much as possible to take care of the house for them including my little sister. This undoubtedly molded me into a person who takes charge. Not only was it just this that had formed me as a leader, but having to translate documents and be a spokesperson for my parents from a young age has allowed me to come out of my shell. Thus this has shaped me to be bold when speaking to many. Furthermore, money was only spent on necessities based on insufficient amount of funds. For instance, witnessing my mom struggle with transportation every day since she did not have a car had to travel by Metro bus, and had to go to the washateria to even wash our clothes by the end of every week has created me to be more careful with making my clothes last longer. As a result of this, it has made me into an organized person with spending cash as well as how I present myself through my clothing because of having to be presentable. Additionally, there is a lot of pressure that comes with my position of having to overcome these hardships by adapting to changes quickly. In general, undergoing these misfortunes and observing my parents persevere through daily challenges have been my motivation to reach my goal of having stability to where I can ultimately provide for them. This eventually built me to be in control of situations, determined, and versatile. Consequently, I want to be able to aid my family in the near future and alleviate their stress by assisting the community around me as well as by going into this field to ensure welfare.