UndocuQueer Book

My name is Seleny Rodriguez and I am 20 years old. I currently attend Mt. Sac community college and am part of IDEAS (Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success), an undocumented support network in my campus club. I am ethnic and women studies major and plan to transfer to Berkeley in the fall of 2013. I am undocumented and queer, but unafraid, unashamed and unapologetic. I migrated to the United States when I was only three years old. I reside in Pomona, CA and live in a mixed status family where my parents and I remain undocumented and my siblings are U.S. citizens. As I migrated to the U.S. my sexuality was something that was repressed or called a phase because as I saw my parents struggle, I realized that we were worrying about just trying to survive and I did not want to bother them with me being queer. I came out as a queer womyn 1 year later after I had come out being undocumented. So far it has been a unique experience getting to know my undocuqueer identity and the various ways they intersect in my everyday life. I see these parallels in the relationship that my brother and I have. My brother is gay so I feel very blessed to have someone that understands me in being queer and undocumented and does not see them as separated from one another, since they are very much present in our lives and in our families. I thank my community for their tremendous support as I am in the struggle to love and accept myself as an UndocuQueer Chicana.