Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniela Marquez
Hi Daniela, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Buenos Aires Argentina, my parents migrated from there in 2001. I was 6 years old spoke no English and my Spanish was different from the rest of the kids in my school. My dad chose Los Angeles as his home, he was a humble man who had a hard time keeping a job due to his immigration status. When we arrived from Argentina, two weeks later 9/11 happened and it stopped a lot of immigrants path to citizenship or to legal status. My parents and I were part of that, and even though I grew up in Los Angeles I didn’t have the same rights my peers did. In fact I was a prisoner in the country I called home. I couldn’t leave, I couldn’t get funding for higher education, I could t work because I didn’t have a social security number I was just stuck. That eventually changed when I was 19 years old. Obama announced the Dream Act which allowed me to apply for a work visa, gain temporary legal status and the ability to get a license. Now at 30 I’ve gained residency and for the first time since I’ve left I’m finally going back to Argentina.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not, being an immigrant in this country is not easy. Everything is an obstacle. Even when I gained DACA status I still didn’t have the resources to fill out my immigration documentation, I figured it all by myself at the age of 19. I wasn’t able to obtain higher education because at the time there wasn’t Fafsa for undocumented students. I paid for the majority of my community college classes, working two jobs and going to school full time was brutal. At 25 my dad got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he wasn’t able to get treatment here so he ended up going back to Argentina. My mom, who had been a housekeeper her entire life in the states, followed her husband back to their country and leaving me here to figure life out on my own. 4 months later my dad passed away and my mom ended up stuck in Argentina and not being able to come back due to being undocumented. I haven’t seen her since
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now im focusing on showing others that Downtown LA is not a city to give up on. I focus on showing day to day life in the city. Since my 9-5 Is there and I reside in the Historic Core. It makes me sad that City officials seem to have given up on DTLA. It now feels purposely segregated between us and west LA or even in South Park which is only a couple of blocks away from where I live. You can see the difference in the streets and where money is located. I’m proud of myself for being a single girl that made it in the city. I have no support and im still here walking around without fear. That’s what sets me apart from others, it doesn’t bother me that you think where I live is “scary”. Where I live is REAL you see the realness of life, the professionals, the unhoused, the creatives and transients who every day commute into a city they can’t afford.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
COVID really put things into perspective for me. Everything was so easily taken away, it made me more appreciative of my close ones. It thought me that community matters, having friends is important and helping those in need is essential.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Prettygoodateverything
