Immigrant Personal Statement

As a child of working poor Salvadoran immigrant parents, I was exposed to the contradictions of the American social order. On the one hand, my parents were fortunate to have emigrated to the United States in an attempt for a better life; however, this was always complicated by the reality of rural poverty, racial discrimination, and xenophobia. From rarely seen my parents because they had to work two jobs from dawn to dusk, to being casually asked about my citizenship status, we faced an adverse reality in the land of opportunity. At a young age I was able to comprehend the contradictions of American society– where immigrants are welcome, only until they are not welcome. My personal and professional experiences led me to have a personal commitment

I have personal and professional commitment to advocate for improved policies that grant basic human and labor rights, such as just employment conditions and adequate standards of living. Many immigrants in the United States are part of the working class who venture their way through life, aspiring to fulfill the American Dream. My background as a Latina immigrant, along with my professional experiences, have shaped my interest in pursuing a Master’s of Public Affairs at Cornell University. In the context of today’s immigration dilemma, a Master’s in Public Affairs would provide me with the skills and expertise needed to contribute to policy solutions that address the needs of immigrant

I have broadened my theoretical and fieldwork knowledge on labor issues among immigrant communities. As a research assistant for the Cornell Farmworker Program (CFP), I work on projects that aim to improve the living and working conditions of farmworkers through research, extension, and education. I currently work in The Improving Workplace Relations Project, which uses a participatory research methodology. This is a bottom-up research approach that collaborates with farmers and farmworkers in New York State to examine workplace issues in order to find mechanisms to improve labor relations in farms. As part of this project, I have participated in farmworker focus groups and have analyzed qualitative data. Due to my experiences in the program, I am especially committed to addressing farmworker issues in no small part due to their historical exclusion from labor law protections, such as overtime pay and the right to organize. Despite running away from poverty in their home countries, farmworkers and many other immigrant workers encounter the same fate as an easily exploited labor force in the United States. The CFP allowed me to learn about the labor issues among farmworkers, some who have U.S. born children. My involvement with the CFP contextualize the reality lived by farmworkers in New York, which encouraged me to address the