D.C. Dreamers and Doers
An Oral History Project
In 2021, Hola Cultura interviewed five early childhood immigrants in D.C. about how coming to the U. S. affected their lives and those of their families. The narrators, all of whom still live in the D.C. area, shared memories of culture clashes upon first arrival and how their immigrant experience and legal status impacted their lives and views as they were growing up and continue to shape them today.
Though each one has a unique story, all express the same desire to be heard and make sure immigrant experiences like their own are included in the public record of our times.
“Every Voice a Life,” a short video from Hola Cultura’s Dreamer story team
Meet the Narrators
The five people who stepped up and shared their stories with us area a diverse group of local residents and community leaders. Read more about them.
Brenda Valeria Perez Amador
Brenda Valeria Perez Amador is a local D.C. community organizer and currently works as a Grants Manager at the Department of Energy and Environment in the Office of Urban Agriculture, where her efforts focus on finding new ways to make public funds more accessible to the community to reduce food insecurity and create more opportunities to grow food locally. Originally from Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico City, Mexico, she has been living in D.C. since 2006 and attended D.C. public schools, including the School Without Walls. Though she began to notice disparities early on as she navigated the public education system, her formal introduction to organizing spaces happened at Many Languages One Voice, where she met other students who were mobilizing to address issues that were affecting them. In high school, she began to organize around language access and language justice and the broader immigrant rights movement. She also works to address environmental issues and has previously worked with organizations like City Blossoms. She continues to organize and is currently working on the New Deal for Youth at The Center for Law and Social Policy to propose policy changes that provide more economic opportunities for youth. She recently graduated with a Masters in Water Resources from the University of the District of Columbia.
Read the Interview Transcript
ENGLISH, Part 1 | SPANISH, Part 1
ENGLISH, Part 2 | SPANISH, Part 2
Carla Nicole Gott Ramirez
Carla Nicole Gott Ramirez is a local middle school teacher, writer, and blogger who came to Washington, D.C. in 2001 at the age of 11. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in La Paz, Bolivia, Carla attended and graduated from Maryland public schools but always felt a deep connection to D.C., a place she often found herself exploring and where she saw herself and different cultures reflected in D.C. neighborhoods. She earned a Bachelor’s in Social Work and Sociology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. After returning to Bolivia, where she spent five years in La Paz, her experiences there allowed her to explore marketing and travel and eventually co-founded How to La Paz, a platform that aims to show a new side of Bolivia and provide a place where Bolivians can reconnect with their roots. Carla previously taught English as a Second Language in Thailand and Spain, and more recently taught at Perry Street Prep Charter School and went on to teach 7th and 8th grades, as well as Special Education and English Language Learners at Washington Latin Public Charter School. In May 2022, she received a master’s degree in Special Education from New York University.
Read the Interview Transcript
ENGLISH, Part 1 | SPANISH, Part 1
ENGLISH, Part 2 | SPANISH, Part 2
Gerson Quinteros
Originally from Usulután, El Salvador, Gerson Quinteros is a D.C. organizer who came to Washington, D.C., in 2005. After high school, he coached elementary aged school children through a program called D.C. SCORES, and addressed immigrant rights with Casa de Maryland. After graduating from the University of the District of Columbia with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Gerson has continued both as a mentor and an organizer with United We Dream and is committed to empowering undocumented students trying to navigate institutions of higher education.
Jacinto Maldonado Torres
The anonymous narrator using the pseudonym Jacinto Maldonado Torres is a local D.C. organizer who came to Washington, D.C. in 2010 at the age of 15. Originally from Mexico City, Mexico, he attended D.C. public schools and recently earned an associates degree in Early Childhood Education at UDC. His involvement in the community started early when he began organizing in high school after he started attending youth empowerment meetings at Many Languages One Voice where he became aware of his rights as a student and as an immigrant. He also learned about the disparities in the level of education and access to opportunities for himself, his peers, and other immigrants across the district. He wants to empower others to do the same, and as his roles expanded in a number of campaigns, including Cancel Rent and Excluded Workers, he has been using popular education as a primary tool for change.
Read the Interview Transcript
ENGLISH, Part 1 | SPANISH, Part 1
ENGLISH, Part 2 | SPANISH, Part 2
Maria Nunez Pereira
Maria Nunez Pereira is a Criminal Justice student at the University of the District of Columbia. Born in San Miguel, El Salvador, Maria arrived in the U.S. at the age of five in 2001 and grew up in the Brookland D.C. neighborhood. Though her education began informally at a young age back in El Salvador, she has officially attended D.C. schools all her life, including BASIS D.C. and Paul Public Charter School. She participated in S.Y.E.P. throughout her high school career and worked at organizations, such as Marie Reed Center, as a teacher’s assistant where she began to consider working with children in the future.
This project was made possible thanks to a grant from the DC Oral History Collaborative.
Do you have a story to share? Email us at contact@holacultura.com.