Martinez said to escape a life where she had an abusive and alcoholic father, she moved to McKinney from Mexico City in 2010 with her mother and sister and adjusted to fit in to a new culture. She said her mother did apply for citizenship almost immediately after they arrived on a tourist visa, but the application is still processing.
VIDEO: Scroll to 21:50 and watch her speak.
“I am one of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows of the United States. I decided to stand before you today because this might be my only chance to convey the truth to all of you that undocumented immigrants are people too,” Larissa told her graduation class.
Her speech threw social media channels into a frenzy and has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people, sparking for and opposing debates.
Larissa Martinez, who will go to Yale on a full scholarship this fall and chose her graduation speech at McKinney Boyd High School in Dallas to make her bold statement.
She does not particularly agree to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s immigration related views and policies and told the crowd last Friday that “America can be great again without the construction of a wall built on hatred and prejudice.”
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