{http://soundcloud.com/soundslikerstin/mildred-dreamer-south-los-angeles}

Mildred is smart, beautiful, ambitious, kind and passionate. Mildred came to California to learn.

In her country, it was too dangerous for her to go to school. In her country, her oldest brother got shot in front of the family's house. In her country, the family received death threats.

She was born in Honduras. The family fled to Guatemala first. There was no way to go to school there for Mildred. When she was eight, the family decided to go farther North. The US. Smugglers separated Mildred and her three younger siblings from their mother.

Mildred was with the smugglers in their house in Mexico City for six weeks. Again: she was eight years old. She had to take care of three younger siblings while in the smugglers' house.

They made it. Mildred learned English. She learned to read and to write. She graduated from High School in June 2017. She is a DACA student. She works with her DACA permit to help the family. If DACA expires she will be in this country without legal documents again. And the government has all her information.

"It sucks." Mildred says.

I agree.

Here is the radio story about Mildred and two of her classmates I produced for German public radio. 

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