At Alliance San Diego, a big part of our work focuses on immigrant integration.  We assist local immigrant communities through our numerous workshops on naturalization, DACA assistance, Know Your Rights events and more. These workshops would not be possible without the volunteers who are at every event. We spoke to one of our volunteers at a recent naturalization workshop, and she had a story that we needed to share. Below is her interview on why she wants to not only help others become a citizen, but why she wants to become a citizen herself.

Today, Alliance San Diego along with more than 250 national, state and local organizations sent a letter urging congressional leaders to enact permanent protections for Dreamers and reject the White House’s nativist wish list.

By Karen Bahena

Democratic leaders from the House and Senate welcomed the largest group of Dreamers to attend a State of the Union address. I stood in disbelief when I received an invitation and I want to thank my congressman, Scott Peters, (D-CA), for making the cordial invitation and standing with Dreamers like myself. It was a remarkable statement of resistance and it sent other members of Congress the message of urgency for a narrow, bipartisan bill that would protect Dreamers all across the country.

Today, Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced his choice of Assistant Chief David Nisleit as the City of San Diego’s next Chief of Police. The Coalition for Police Accountability and Transparency (CPAT), of which Alliance San Diego is a part, released the following statement:

This was a tough year. No doubt about it. But the community grew stronger, more united, and more committed to building a city, county and a country where everyone can achieve their full potential. At every turn, Alliance San Diego was there, standing with community members and providing the tools to work in coalition, communicate messages, develop leadership, and engage more effectively in the civic process. The year may have ended, but our fight continues.