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Marchers Flood Mall With Passion, Pride
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"It's her third march of the year," Albanna said. "She's got to learn to stand up for stuff, you know? As Arab Americans, our community has been demonized since the terrorist attacks," she said.
"The Latino struggle is similar to ours. We need to stick together, support each other."
Laura Castro said she has begun to think that way, too.
An 18-year-old in stylish sunglasses, she wandered away from the stage, her sign held high above her head. Castro's reasons to be proud were listed on her homemade sign: "Current HS GPA: 4.13, Class Rank: 14 out of 386, Pres. of Spanish Club . . . National Honor Society . . . Am I a criminal?"
Castro is in the United States illegally. Having come from Colombia six years ago to live with her mother in Chesterfield, Va., she overstayed her visa and never returned home. That means she has no valid Virginia driver's license. She will start at Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall, studying toward her goal of becoming a doctor. She will pay out-of-state tuition, and she will not receive any scholarships or grants.
"Because of my status," she said.
But Castro also has had a realization: The issue of immigration has inspired her to speak out and unite her Latino friends, too.
"It used to be like, 'I'm Colombian' or 'I'm from Mexico,' " she said. "Now, it's like, 'I'm Hispanic, I'm Hispanic.' "
