Nurse and DACA Advocate Jaz Vergara on Immigrant Strength and Healthcare Service
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Hey, guys. Welcome back to Friends Anonymous. My name's Lindsay. I'm your host. And who do I have with me? I'm Jess. I'm the guest. Do you want to tell them a little bit about yourself? You're a nurse. What kind of nurse are you? How long have you been a nurse? Okay, yeah. So I've been a nurse since May of 2021, so I think four years now. And I started as a nephrology special unit med search nurse, and then I started traveling about...

two years ago. Nice. And I've just been doing med search, tele, traveling. I didn't know you were a travel nurse. Yeah. That's cool. That's awesome. So have you traveled outside of California? So I first started in North Carolina. I was doing like local traveling there and then I came to California

Cali a year and a half ago. And I was there. Oh, I was here. Yeah. Wait, here. Here. I was here for about three to four months and I really loved it. But I went back home just for some family things that I was like, you know what? I think Cali is just more my vibe. You know, it's very much cultured, very diverse. So I was like, let me come travel to Cali. So I came back about a month and a half ago. I think I've been here for about two months. Oh, very cool. I didn't realize it was that...

it was that soon. Like it's close to me. Like I just moved back. Yeah. I was like, she just moved back and I just moved back. Yeah. And it worked out because I always wanted to do your interview in person. We were supposed to interview like maybe a month ago now, if not more. And I believe I was sick during yours. Something came up where we couldn't do it, but then it worked out because I got to meet you in person. I know. I was like, you know what? It

It was canceled. I was like, we just had to postpone it. But I was like, there's a reason why we had to postpone it so we could actually do it in person. Yeah. But like, it's more...

I feel like it's more natural to just, you know, talk to each other in person.

from a nurse's point of view. I wanted to ask you a few, like, would you rathers. You said your med surge is telly. So I'll try to kind of curate them to that. Would you rather have a total care patient that is constantly incontinent and takes four people to turn them or a low acuity patient who's extremely rude, but calls you into the room every 20 minutes? I would take the patient that I need to do the four person turn and that keeps pooping because...

You know, we could do that. We could teamwork. Teamwork is a dream work. We'll make it work. We can gather the team together because I feel like if I have to do that, I'm like, don't worry, I'm going to help you, too. Like, what do you need? What do you need me to do? You help me. I help you. Yeah. And I feel like it's more just less mentally draining. I feel like throughout your shift, you're like, oh, my gosh, this patient. I just have to this person again. Yeah. Yeah. I feel that, too.

Hmm, what's another one? Let's see. I have like a bunch written down, but I try not to ask the same one twice, but sometimes they bleed over. Would you rather put your hand in a patient's belonging with roaches or bedbugs?

roaches yeah immediately i can't do bed bugs i'm scared i i actually feel like something's crawling me i feel roaches are disgusting but bed bugs i feel like you don't know you have them until you realize you have them and they're so hard to get rid of yeah no i don't want to bug bomb my house no i was like i would make the hospital pay for that i can't i can't that's a liability that's a liability that's a good point uh let's do a couple more

Would you rather drop stomach contents into your shoes as soaked through to your socks or clean up a patient without gloves?

I know. Maybe the stomach content, but either or. I would feel like I need to get tested either way for both. I'm scared. I know. You never know. I've had a little cut in my feet. You never know. I know. I think about that all the time. Like, I used to not, and I'm not, I'm still not a germaphobe. Are you a germaphobe? No, I'm not a germaphobe. I'm not either. I'm just scared. Fair, fair. Like, you're aware. I feel like some nurses are.

You're either a germaphobe or you're not. And unfortunately, I fall on the not. I'm more like type B, like what's going to happen? Except I used to, I feel like people are going to scream at me. I used to go into rooms like willy nilly. If I needed gloves, then I would put them on. Now I put gloves on immediately because there was one time I had a sweet old lady. I came into her room. I could pull her up by myself. And so I would do one side and then the other. She was tiny.

And I went to pull her up and what it poop directly into like poop that had soiled through the linens. It was like all on her back probably. It was all on her back. And I was like.

Yeah. So I'm never doing that again. Gloves every single time. Double glove if I can. Yeah. Every time. Me too. I'm just scared of all these, you know, Hep C, all these things that really a lot of people don't even know how they have them. Exactly. It's not really, I'm not like, I'm not grossed out about people. I'm just trying to take care of myself. Right. Make sure I'm okay. Right. Exactly. That's all the ones I have for you. Yeah.

I have one for you. You have one for me? Okay, what is it? Okay, would you rather get your knee amputated? So BKA, AKA, whichever. Okay.

Or not orgasm. Ever again? Ever again. So no leg or no orgasm. No leg. No leg immediately. 100%. That's what I said. I feel like if anyone says no orgasm, they haven't had a really good one. You know what I mean? They don't know. Did you know that? Well, this is a fact that I read on an article. 80% of women don't orgasm before they die.

Anyways. Okay, that's another story. Before they die? Yeah, because a lot of women are taught to please a man and not please themselves. So that's a difference. That's not us, though. No? No. We're teaching you, if that's you, that's not you. It's time to change today. Change? Change it. Because...

But once again, I feel like if you have never had one, you don't know what you're missing out on. Exactly. Exactly. I'm just like. I remember being young and dumb and trying to please whoever I was with and nothing was happening. And I was like, sex kind of sucks. This isn't great. This isn't fun for me. Exactly. But once it turns fun for you, you're like, oh. Okay. I know my worth. Yes, I know my worth. And you clearly don't know it so much. You don't know it so to the curb. Go figure it out. Exactly.

All right. A little off topic there, but it's okay. Now we're going to get serious. A little lighthearted before we get serious. I invited Jazz here today because I came across your platform through one of your reels, I believe, on Instagram. And I saw you talking about being a DACA nurse. And I'm probably saying it wrong because you said it earlier and I was like, yeah.

You said it right. I say DACA. DACA. But you can say DACA. It doesn't really matter. It's the Oklahoma. It's the Latina. There we go. But I just thought it was so cool that you were empowered enough to use your platform with your faith, your full chest, and tell everyone exactly your experience as a nurse in the United States who is a DACA recipient. Yeah. And I just wanted you here to explain to people because there's so much...

misunderstanding, or honestly, people not willing to listen. I think a lot of people just don't care to listen. Or we talked a little bit off camera about this. People who are raised in very rural areas with people who all look just like them. There's not a lot of culture outside of what they know. And they use that as a weapon to

to make other races seem less than. And you've experienced that. You've experienced racism. And I would love for you to share

Anything and everything, however you want. Okay. Yeah. So DACA stands for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival. And that was funded, well, that started in June 15th, 2012 with Barack Obama's presidency. And that's why I forever and always will love that man. Yeah. Because he gave me opportunity and his presidency gave me an opportunity to become the woman I am today. So shout out to him. Shout out to Obama. Shout out to Obama. Yeah.

If you hear this, I love you. If you hear this, we both love you. Anyways, I know a lot of y'all are going to be like pissed, but I don't care. So I was 14 at the time. And for that, you have to be 15. And basically what it is, is a lot of kids were brought here with a

A lot of us were carried in our parents' backs, crossing the border. We didn't know what we were doing. I thought it was a trip. I thought it was just a day trip, but it turned into a long trip. And then, so we were crossing the border with our families. And as any child would, you follow your mom, you follow your dad. That's just instinct. That's just what a child does. And that's what we did. And that's what I did. I followed my mom and we...

came to the United States, and basically his presidency started to do DACA, which helped kids who were brought here without their own permission, without their own say, and said, you guys should be allowed to work here. You guys should be allowed to have these certain rights of driving here legally, going to college, because this is all you know. This is the home that you know. A lot of us

have never been back to our countries. All of us are not allowed to go back to our own countries. And this is what we know. And to us, this is home. And it's so hard for people to tell you this is not your house. Like, this is not your house. Get out of here.

And that's basically what a lot of people are telling us. They're saying, you should go back to your country. Go work in your own country. I'm like, this is also my country. My heart belongs to two countries. And it's so hard for people to understand it unless you've experienced it. Because I love Mexico and I will always represent that flag. But along with my Mexican flag, I will always represent the American flag. Because they're both a part of me. Yeah. How old were you? Can I ask? I was six. You were six. So you're just a child. Yeah. And I remember the whole...

journey and it's just so crazy to me that as a six-year-old now I'm a 27-year-old you're convicting me of something that I did when I was a six-year-old little girl how like how is that even reasonable it's

Not. It's literally not. Like once you break it down, but you use your platform in such a special way to come. You get these comments. I see them. And you use them and you explain and you explain and you explain. And it's like, it's not getting through. No. These people don't care to...

to learn. Not everyone. I do think some people care to learn. There's in-betweeners. There's in-betweeners. And it's nice to hear from someone who actually experienced it, not whatever they see on the news, not all of this propaganda, not all of this misinformation. You were six years old. Yeah. Anyone... Two things. Any parent...

who loves their children, wants the best thing for their children. So your parents making the decision to leave your country, they love you. They wanted to give you opportunity outside of whatever Mexico had offered you. And a lot of it is these kids, some of them don't remember, but I do remember like the poverty there. It's bad. It's

I mean, you don't even know what it is to starve unless you're starving. You don't know what it is to not know if you're going to have food for your kid tomorrow, like the next day. My family, I mean, till this day over there, they're okay, but they're comfortable with what they have. But a lot of people in Mexico, I was able to go back to Mexico last year, and it just shook me how poor...

some people are in Mexico and how these little kids are working at five years old selling candy and how that could have been my life yeah you know but I was like how are you guys gonna tell me to be upset at my parents for bringing me here where they knew that maybe they couldn't have made sure that I had food the next day if I said in Mexico a lot of crime over there too yeah I was like

I'm so grateful for my mom and my dad for bringing me over here because when I went back to Mexico, it just kind of just reminded me of what my life would have been if I stayed over there. Yeah. And like the sacrifice your parents have decided to, there was probably no exact answer that they knew, but they were taking like a leap of faith, if you will. And bringing, is it just you or do you have siblings? Me and my sister. Bringing you and your sister here for the possibility of what they...

think is a better life. Yeah. And then another thing with that, a lot of people say your parents should have known how to apply for these things. A lot of people don't understand that in Mexico, you don't get free. You guys are so

People here are so privileged that they think that everyone gets free education. In Mexico, you don't get free education. My parents did not graduate past—they didn't even go to middle school. So my parents are not educated like that in order to understand these processes of what we can do to get a visa to get over here. A lot of these parents were just looking to get out of there, to get out of poverty. And they weren't educated. And I feel like my mom and my dad, if they would have known it, they were educated enough

And given the resources, it would have done things the right way. Absolutely. But a lot of these people are not. They don't know how to read. They don't know how to write because over there, education is not free. And I don't think people that have the privilege to have their education understand that.

I didn't know that until you just said it.

I will never, ever, ever put my mom down for anything that she did for her kids because that's a true woman and that's a true mother. It is. Yeah. It is. Your mom's a powerful person. Yeah. And not to mention, you know, the stuff you've gone through, I'm sure your parents have gone through as well with hateful comments and hate, not even hateful, but racist. Yeah. Just pure racism, pure hatred of you.

you as a person and these people don't understand you your story your background and it's just one story there's so many of us there's so many people and I want people to remember that that there's so many of us they're just so scared to speak up there's a lot of people on my Instagram that message me saying I'm a DACA recipient I'm undocumented and I'm so glad that you're speaking out for me because I don't I don't feel the strength to speak out for myself because I'm scared and it

And this, I feel like so many people, especially the people who are racist to us, have taught us to shrink ourselves, to like hide in the shadows. And then our own families are like, don't speak on how you came because they're scared. They're so scared. And I was raised like that and I was so quiet for so long, but I'm not that girl anymore. I'm a woman who's educated, who knows she has a voice and I'm going to use it as much as I can and as long as I can because this is not the last time you're going to hear this voice. I'm going to tell you that.

No, because you're changing lives. You are, period. I just want them to see we're human beings. It's sad that you even have to come on here and say that. It's obvious you're human. I'm a human. I'm not AI. Can you bring us back through some of, I think perspective is everything.

And I told you a little bit before, I'm from a smaller town. Most people were white. Some Native Americans, some of other people as well, but mostly white. And growing up in a home that was racist, I'm going to be honest, it was racist. And I didn't even recognize racism.

Some of the things until late 20s, early 30s, some things that I go back in my head and I'm like, oh, my God, that's racist. We don't talk like that. We don't spread information about other people like that. But that was my town. Yeah. I always wanted to see what else was out there. And that's something I bring back to nursing that I'm like nursing was the thing I was supposed to do because, A, they put me in front of people from all over.

people with all different backgrounds that maybe didn't look like me or sound like me. But I am here to be not biased and treat them, help them. Then whenever me and my husband left Oklahoma, the moment we hit California and we saw all the different cultures, we were like culture shocked. That's the word. We were like,

oh my God, there's different people here and different foods and different things that people enjoy doing. And it was cool. And I was like, it always brings me back to, it's an explanation, not an excuse. I do not justify at all being racist to somebody. But when people are brought up in a bubble,

And they don't ever leave that bubble. And all they see is the information being fed to them about people outside of their bubble. They literally, it's like it can't compute. How do you feel about stuff like that? So I honestly understand when you're brought up like that. I feel like there's many things in my traditions that I was brought up with that I don't resonate with anymore. Yeah. I think it's okay.

To admit that, like you have admitted that that's what, you know, you didn't understand that that was racist, what your family was doing until you learned. But I feel like that's the thing that it's okay if these things happened while you were a child. But once you're a grown adult, it's for you to change these behaviors. And that's the thing that I don't.

It's your responsibility. It's your responsibility. And when people don't hold themselves accountable for growing, for elevating themselves, for opening up their minds to other things, that's where it goes wrong with me. Because I can see that. And then it's hard to change an old dog. I always say that. Is that the saying? I think so. Yeah. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Yeah. Same thing. Yeah. So basically...

if you're 40 and I'm talking to you and I see how you're talking, I'm not going to try to educate you. I'm just going to let you talk and I'm just going to distance myself. If you're in your, but you all, till this day, I don't want to say that a four-year doesn't have that privilege to like,

here, I mean, not privileged, has opportunity to change. They can, but it's so hard to when for 40 years, that's all they've known. Oh, yeah. It's so important to teach these kids. And that's why I... You're an advocate. I'm an advocate. Yeah. I'm an advocate to teach kids that equality, that we're all different and young adults too, because I don't understand how it's how their families had to raise them like that. And a lot of times,

They don't ever get out of that bubble. And to me, it just makes me sad. It just makes me sad for them because I'm like, you have to just experience our culture, not just my culture. I mean, I'm Mexican. I love my culture, but I'm so proud of other cultures, Indian culture, the Filipino culture. There's just...

so many different Latino cultures out there that they have not experienced and got to meet these people. And I was like, you're just depriving yourself from a good time, honestly. It's just a good time. No, you're so right. And what's so interesting to me is these people, like you were saying,

Not that someone older can't change their mind, but when you're having a conversation with them, there are like little flags that come up and you're like, oh, I'm talking to a brick wall. You're not here to learn. You're here to argue. I'm not here to argue. I'm here to educate. And I think something else has changed within the last few years is like when you tell someone you should be educated, they take it as a diss. Mm-hmm.

It's true, though. There are things I'm uneducated about in every sector, just like them. So, like, when someone knows more, put your ego down and let them educate you. And when someone like you has an experience and you're telling someone, you're literally telling them what has happened to you and they brush it off. No, it's a real life thing. And this is one person. How many people have gone through that? It's real perspective. And people just decide to ignore it. And they decide to ignore it, I feel like, because they...

genuinely don't believe it's true or because it's not their fight to fight either. So it's like, well, it's not affecting me. I heard a lot of people say, well, I don't really vote or I don't really care to post or think about these things because it doesn't really affect me. And I was like, well, that's selfish. But I mean, that's up to, I mean, whatever you want to do. But to me, it's so important to, especially nowadays, I feel these kids are so smart and they're

they're advocating. And I love that. I love that these kids are out here advocating for their families and raising their voices and kids who are not even like Caucasian kids who are out here saying their things. And I'm like, yes, it's like, yes, queen. Like, I feel like now the way that we speak about elevating yourself, growing, you know, all these things work out and stuff like that. I feel like in some way, the way that we talk about these things

politics is such a big thing for us now. I feel like back in the day, kids weren't taught politics the way that they should be. And now I feel like kids are more into it. They're trying to get more educated. And to me, that's so important. It's these kids who are going to be, you know, who are going to change. They're going to make the change. So it's so important for these kids to understand what's going on all around the world. And the older people, I'm here to tell you guys what's going on, but it's a lot harder. I feel like

little kids and young adults are more open to hearing me than the older crowd. Yeah. Yeah. I think something I've recognized with like my parents' generation, and that's who I think of the boomers. And again, I never like to generalize anyone, but what it feels like is

They were not allowed to question anything. And then they pass that down to their children. Because I remember growing up, if I asked why about something my parents didn't know, I would get in a lot of trouble. You just stop asking. Stop asking why. I don't know. Don't ask. And it's like, that was kind of the theme. Then when I got out of their house and I was like, no, I'm going to figure that out. I don't like whatever was happening. I want to know why. That's what's happening with these kids. They want to know why. And I feel like our parents just

They were. Told us to just go with what the crowd was doing. And that's what they're doing. So that's what we're going to do. Yes. They don't want to ruffle any feathers. And I feel like the new moms out here, a lot of them are like teaching their kids, no, this is how you you have to respect everyone. I love the new generation of moms who are talking to their kids the way they should be talking. And I feel like a lot of that is just breaking the cycle of how our parents brought us up and speaking up.

and raising your kids in a different light. Yeah. And that's so important to me because that's the only way that we're going to be able to make a change. Yeah. Yeah. And what's something else you said, like speaking up, I remember like my parents telling me like you stand up for what's right. But then when I do, if it's not what they believe is right, it's right. Yeah. If it's not what they believe, they're not into it. I'm like, you're the one that taught me to be this bold. You're the one that taught me to have pride in what I'm saying and stand up for others, especially people who are, who are

I always imagine the scenario where there might be someone at the grocery store and they're not speaking perfect English and then some

asshole tells speak English. I always picture that. I'm like, I hope that happens in front of me because I'm going to let that happen to me before. That makes me so angry. I thought America was a melting pot. Yeah. I thought that we were supposed to embrace everyone. At least that's what they told us. But then we start doing that and they're like, no, no, no, but not you. Yeah. And I think a lot of us because we don't look like them or we our language is different. So

I think a lot of it is they don't want to have to deal with the learning of it, the learning of the language, the learning of the culture. It just seems like, why do we have to do that? Yeah. You know? Yeah. Yeah.

And I also... Maybe it's just laziness, too. Right. Like a lazy mind. Right. Because if you're like, you know, you have a strong, active mind, then you want to learn every day. You want to do these things. But if you're, like, happy with what you got, then you don't want anything else coming down. You're fine with it. You're like, you know. Nothing needs to disrupt it. What's interesting is you guys, I don't mean you guys, anyone who's been put in a situation that, like, English was not their primary language. Yeah.

Can you tell my accent? Can you tell a little bit? I can hear it a little. I like it. I used to hate my accent, but I'm like, I want it to be stronger. Embrace that shit. I love that. But it's so interesting because I'm like, no, you guys are the smarter ones. I know English and words of Spanish. I can't conversate very well. Like for to treat someone poorly because English isn't their primary language, but they're trying.

and they know English and they're speaking to you or they know multiple languages, I'm like, they're actually really smart. We should take one from them. We should take a chapter out of their book because they're learning other languages. Why haven't we done that? Why wasn't it? Like, I think back to childhood growing up, Spanish would have been the next language to learn from where I was at.

why wasn't that what's the word um when why wasn't that like a language that you had to learn why why didn't we have to learn that yeah i think about that all the time because then i moved to california and all these nurses know minimum two languages minimum several three four and i'm like hola i don't know anything and then you go to europe and all these people know different languages because they're not scared of their own neighbors yes i feel like

America is scared of the Spanish, the South American neighbors, the Mexican neighbors. They're scared of... I don't even know why. It's not like it's scared. It's like a rivalry. Yeah. It's like we want our language to be the main one. Yeah. And I don't get that because you go to Europe and so many people that are from Ukraine know different languages from around because their neighbors are people who are from...

Italy no different and they all know like four languages here I am barely knowing I mean I know too but I'm like oh my gosh you guys are so open-minded to your neighbors why can't we be like that too right right it really wouldn't be that hard and in fact it would help a lot of this it's just it it's crazy um it's diabolical it's diabolical you're not wrong

If you remember, can you walk us through the DACA application process? I know you told us a little bit about your journey here, but what was the process like? So the process to get DACA, it was a lot of paperwork of showing how long I've been here, basically.

trace from when I got here to the day that I applied. Okay. Basically saying, showing proof that I have lived in the United States and had not left to Mexico. Oh, wow. And it's hard to do that for a six-year-old, but I was in school. So that's really what helps these kids is you show them your school report cards. So I had to show them all my report cards and transcripts, everything that I attended school from the age I was six to the age I was 15. And then I

Also church that I was going to church that I had a clean criminal record. I had to show them my rec criminal record. They had to do a bunch like a very extensive. I mean, just pages and pages of who I am and why I'm I should be a good candidate. Yeah. Kind of like a scholarship. You know how we apply for scholarship? Probably like that, but like more extensive. And I had to write like an essay of why, you know, why. And I remember my essay. I was 15. That was I said, I want to be an FBI agent. Yeah.

They're like hired. Yeah. Maybe that's why they said this girl put her over here. Yeah. So that it took a lot. But my mom, my mom's friend was apparently she's a paralegal. So she helped us with that. Oh, very cool. Yeah. Very cool. Yeah. I was so excited. I thought I was a citizen. Honestly, I didn't know that DACA was just a work permit, which I'm so very thankful for. I would always be grateful for that. But I thought it was I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm a citizen now. Like, what is the difference?

for people that don't know? So DACA is a work permit and it gives you, basically, you're allowed to be here legally. Because before I was, by the age I was six, I was 15, I was here undocumented. Okay. I was an undocumented immigrant and that's why I'm very vocal about them. Yeah. So at the age of 15, I applied and I got my DACA within four months. And

I'm allowed to work here legally. I'm allowed to drive legally because they give me a social security number. They gave me a work permit and they allowed me to get a driver's license. And that I have to renew every two years. Every two years, I have to reapply. Mm.

Every two years. Every two years? Yeah, every two years. And it's $500. I mean, that's not a lot, but I mean. I mean, but it adds up over time. I know. I mean. And like, I think of our nursing license, we have to renew every two years. I know. Those two years come around fast. Yeah. And you're like, oh, it's the end of the month. I got $3.

Three days to do this. Yeah. And for a DACA, they recommend you renewing 180 days before it even expires. Oh, my gosh. Because it could take long. And sometimes, let's say, like, my DACA expires next week and I still haven't gotten it, then I can't work. Oh.

Oh, my God. Human resources will have to tell you what you're going to be leave of. They either fire you depending on how your work is. Yeah. They either fire you or tell you to have like leave of absence or vacation time. Yeah. Yeah. That happens because you don't know how long it's going to take.

And not just that, but as a DACA recipient, you're not allowed to receive financial aid. You're not allowed to receive government loans, government FAFSA, government scholarships. You're not allowed to leave the country. Yeah. So you're like, I didn't know any of that. Yeah. So you're literally doing it all on your own.

Essentially. Essentially. But there is help. There is help out there. I was able to graduate nursing school debt-free. Oh, wow. And that was because of the job that I had that literally God brought up. It was just, wow. I just can't even. It all, like, happened for you. It was meant to be. It was just meant to be. God literally opened these doors that were shut from head to toe with freaking locks. But he said, you know what? Yeah.

Unlock them. Done. Yes, girl's going to be a nurse. Yeah, she's going to be a nurse. Just watch. That's basically what God did. Ari does a CNA at this nursing home. And they were like, well, it was a really...

It was like a retirement community with condos, very high-end nursing home. And they had third-party scholarships. So basically these people were older and they were like, well, we want to give back to the people who take care of us. It doesn't matter if you work in the kitchen, you're a housekeeper, you're a CNA. It doesn't matter. If you want to go to school, college, we'll pay for it.

And so it was like a scholarship and it's called the Danny Boom Scholarship. And he is a man who was passing away and he didn't know what to do with his money. And that's what he funded it. Really? I just got chills. Yeah, he funded that. Yeah. Wow. I never met him, but I'm still thankful for him. Yeah. Because from still from over there, he is doing good things. Wow. That's really, really cool. What are the biggest challenges when applying that people wouldn't know or understand?

Challenges when applying is, I would say the biggest challenge when applying for DACA is you can't apply anymore. Only DACA recipients who have applied before 2016 can renew their DACA. You can't have new applications. So there's a lot of kids who weren't 15 just yet.

That's a requirement. You have to be 15. Who weren't 15. And when Trump became president in 2016, he stopped applications. So all these kids who were brought here, just like I was, are undocumented right now because they are not allowed to apply for DACA. This might be obvious to us, but people that don't know, what could happen to those kids? They can get deported. Yeah. Like, I don't know if you guys have...

but there's this girl who just graduated high school. Her name is Ximena, and she was detained by a... I'm not sure if he was a street trooper or a police officer, but she was detained. She passed a red light accidentally and... or a stop sign. I'm not really sure. And he said she didn't have any documentation because they don't have any documentation besides like a Mexican passport. Yeah. If even. If even that. And if even that. And so he...

caught ice she went to um she was detained by ice and that could happen to any kid any kid who's driving here undocumented because i mean to them this is all they know so to them driving here even though it's not a legal thing to do they have to do they have to go to work they have to

be, you know, try to live a normal life. Right. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment as well. Yeah. That you might risk everything to have a better life here. Like, I just say that over and over and I'm like, no, you don't get it. The people that don't get it, you don't get it because of your privilege. And that is something that they take and they hold on to. They get angry about. No, once you break it down, that is what it is. There is not something else to put into that is privilege.

Yeah.

With all of the hatred, the people who don't care to understand where they're coming from, the people who don't vote for them because they have no earthly idea what they're going through. Exactly. And it's just sad to see the hate on these kids who, not kids, I would say, just undocumented immigrants, because there's so many of them that are young who are wanting to have a career, who have gone to college, because you can go to college as an undocumented immigrant, private college.

For those that don't know, private college who their parents fund themselves, who their families fund themselves, who I know people who graduated college with a BSN, with a bachelor's in something else, and they can't work with it because they're undocumented immigrants. So they just have that degree and they're just waiting for someone to be out there and say, you know, we want to give you guys a chance. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

um what kind of support if any did you have while applying you had your family but you and you told us about the scholarship that you got to help that didn't help with DACA but it helped you with going to school yeah which is really great so there are things out there that can help but it's not going to be our government exactly yeah it's not government it's people people that care for you private organizations private organizations third-party scholarships um

And the only reason and the best way for people to help you is for you to advocate for yourself, for you to tell your story, because I feel like that's why a lot of us don't get help is because we don't ask for it. You're not going to get help unless you ask for it. Yeah. And some people, like you said, they don't know the struggles you guys are going through. Not that it's fair that you have to put all of your...

trauma out there for somebody else to understand you. But I think you sharing your story on your platform is so powerful because how many people like me didn't know enough about it. And I'm like, oh my God, oh my God, she had to go through that. Oh my God, look at this comment that she was replying to. Like, how could someone leave a comment like that? Oh my God, like all of the struggles you go through, it's really empowering for so many to watch.

I'm like, I'm proud of you. Oh, thank you. Thank you. I was like, what are the words? I just think it's necessary to advocate for myself. Yeah. I just can't shrink myself anymore. I've shrunk myself enough and I'm just, you know, I'm just me. There's no putting you back in that bottle. No, there's no putting me back. And a lot of my family members are like, you shouldn't be posting this. You shouldn't talk about this. But I'm like, you guys, there's someone who's going to advocate for us, who's going to understand our story perfectly.

if they're not in that place. Better than you. Better than us. We have to advocate for ourselves. And like I told you before, I admire Martha Luther King. He...

I mean, I'll just look up to him. And anytime I feel like I can't do it anymore, because sometimes I'm like, this is exhausting, just explaining it over and over. I'm like, he never gave up. He kept going and protesting and he kept standing up for his community. So I'm not going to stop. Sometimes it's going to be harder, but trust me, I'm going to pick myself back up. You might have one day to recoup and then you're like, all right, bitch, we're back. Yes. What are common misconceptions?

That people have about you in general. That I'm a criminal. That pisses me off. That I'm an illegal alien. Like the word illegal alien is just diabolical. It's just hilarious. That I'm not just me. Oh, my gosh. This one misconception. This one lady.

Asked me. She was working with me. We were both CNAs. She's an older lady. She's like, I'm just worried about all the Mexicans coming in here because my daughter is friends with one of them. And I just want to ask you a question. Are you guys part of the cartels? Oh, my God. And I was like, there's no way she thinks we're all just a cartel. Like...

that that but she was so honest and like genuinely worried which made me sad for her to think yeah but i'm embarrassed oh my girl your brain is like this small like there's just no way for you to think that we're all part of the cut cells i was like yeah chapel's my dad you're like you know what let's be the delusion how did you actually respond to her i was like there's just i can't educate i was like i know she i was i told her i was like

weren't the cartels are mostly in mexico they're they live there they honor mexico they don't want to come here i was like the only thing that you have to worry about is drugs so make sure that you're you teach her not to do drugs that's the only thing because i'm sorry to tell you but and i remember the mexican president said this because she was upset at trump she said

The way that we are giving you guys these drugs that the cartels are giving the United States is because you guys are paying for it. Yet you guys are funding all the guns that we have in Mexico. All of our guns in Mexico are American imported. So guns are just as bad as drugs because they both kill. So we're both doing something bad, you know. So we should stand together, not against each other, to try to get all these guns from people that they shouldn't be

And then all these drugs that honestly they shouldn't even be exist. Right. Right. Exist like. Like let's cancel them out. Yeah. Like meth and all these things like they shouldn't even be. It just makes me so sad that we can't stand together. Right. But then but then like to just blame Mexicans. Exactly. Let's just blame the Mexicans. It doesn't make any sense. Yeah. Just blame me. Just blame me.

This girl right here. All arrows pointed her. No, but it's just it's the small minded thinking. It's people not willing. I mean, I guess at least she asked, but also like that's not appropriate. Google exists. Yeah. And chat. Chat. Ask chat GPT. Please don't ever ask somebody that type of question. That's just like.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. And it's crazy because I a lot of times people don't think I'm Mexican. I feel like I look Latina, but some people just don't think I'm Mexican. Yeah. And then once they learn that I am, it's like a good switch. Of how you're treated? Of how I'm treated. Interesting. And I've seen that. And I'm like, why would you? Or it's crazy because sometimes I hang out with someone who I'm I'm a I always consider myself a brown person, but I'm a lighter brown for sure. And I've hang out with people who are

brown, like brown, brown. And I see the difference that they treat me and they treat them. It's, it's a difference. You can just tell. It's night and day. Yeah. It's night and day. And it just, it just confuses me why you would treat someone differently because of their color. Or once you find out what I, like I'm Mexican. Once you find out I'm Mexican, that aggravates them. Once they find out I'm a DACA recipient. Oh no. It's over. It's all left field from here. That

I mean, that's just like it's it's fun. I'm glad that you can laugh at it. But it's it's not it's it's so sad. Yeah. It's like what it's 2025. Yeah. And we're still treating people like absolute shit. A lot of people of segregation could still be a thing. They would 100 percent. Oh, they would. Oh, they would.

I mean, there's a large group of people that we know of right now that would be like, oh, me, me, I volunteer. I would love that. And it's like cult vibes. It is cult vibes. It's extremely... It gets Nazi. Am I allowed to say that word? But I mean, that's what it's doing. It's...

And it's so hard when you're out of a situation like that. Like, I'm out of my small town. I don't see things like people from where I'm from see things. And I want to shake them because I'm like, how are you speaking that way? Not to mention, this is a whole nother topic. And two things like how you treat someone shouldn't be political. This shouldn't be political.

Your safety should never be political. That's insane to me. And like when I bring it up, they're like, oh, great. She's getting into politics. Why is that politics? Caring about other humans. It's just human decency. It's just human decency. That some people don't have. That also I was taught growing up through Christianity.

Oh, yeah.

As myself, maybe you don't even love yourself because you don't even know how to treat anybody. And then you're being really racist, but you love Jesus. Make it make sense. And if Jesus was an immigrant, y'all would just kick him out the curb? Literally. He wasn't a white man. He was not. And he was...

He was in with his parents traveling. So you guys would say no to him. Yet you go to church every Sunday and say you're a Christian. Yeah. While you treat people like shit. Nah, that makes no sense. It makes no sense. While you yell at six-year-olds, essentially your inner child is who they're yelling at. Yeah, they're yelling at my inner child for doing something I did. All these little kids who are grown adults now still are telling them, go back home. Why don't you just say...

I'm here. This is my home. Yeah. And we're going to support you. But there are so many good people out there, too. Just as much as there's evil, there's good. And the good will always out beat the evil. Trust me. I love that. Do you have a story or a thought off the top of your head of like when somebody treated you kind? Because I feel like this has been a fairly heavy episode, but it's also a lot of education and things that, you know, straight from the source. But I want to know if anyone like if anything comes to mind.

My counselor in high school, she heard about me and I don't even know how she heard about me. She just said, hey, I need to talk to you. And she told me that she was going to help me get my, she's like, I'm going to help you go to college. And I told her, I didn't even, the thing is, I wasn't even asking for help because I didn't know that I could ask for help. Oh, yeah. So, because my family was like, no, you just have to do it yourself. I'm like, okay. Yeah.

Guess we'll go do it. I'm going to start working. So she just found me. And I think that was just God. God has brought so many angels to me. And I think they're all...

I'm just so grateful for all of them. But she told me that she knew that I was DACA and she wanted to make sure that I had at least my first year of college paid off. And she helped me apply for all these scholarships that were third party. And that's how I got my started doing my prereqs for nursing school. So I think just seeing how passionate she was about helping me, I wasn't even that passionate about helping myself. You're probably just a little confused. I was just confused. I was like, I'm just going through life, man. I'm 15. I don't know what's happening. Oh.

But she helped you.

I told her never, ever, ever let anyone dim your light. Like I went back to her whenever I graduated as a nurse. Yeah. I went back and I told her, you're the reason I am like where I'm at because you helped me. You gave me, you helped me open that first door that I didn't think was possible. Oh, that's so sweet. I know. There are certain like people in our lives that like really leave a mark and she's someone that did that for you. Yeah, she really did. Have you experienced racism in the workplace? Yes. Do you

Can you elaborate? I've experienced it from co-workers and family members and patients. How do you handle that? It's different with co-workers. I don't tolerate it because you shouldn't be treating me like that. Yeah. So if you feel uncomfortable with me, then get more uncomfortable because I'm still going to work here and I'm probably going to be a

better at it than you because I actually do have empathy for people. So keep doing your thing. And I let my managers know I'm very advocate. I advocate for myself. Yeah, because clearly, you know, you have to just do that. So that's how I do it. I tell them I'm going to still stay. I'm still going to work here. And as uncomfortable as you are, I hope you get more uncomfortable. I don't see my face every single day. Yep. You're gonna see my face. I'm gonna be smiling.

I love that. I don't care. Kill them with kindness and tell them not to do that. Yeah, they're not going to stop me. They're not going to make me feel uncomfortable for them being a racist. That makes no sense. And then with patients and family members, I could just tell they're racist because of the way they kind of

ask me where I'm from or they start asking me so you're a little exotic where are you from I'm like I'm not exotic exotic is like a cute little girl from you know a different part of the world I'm right I'm your neighbor I'm Mexican

Or like if you say North Carolina, are they like, no, where are you from? From? Yes. I say, well, I've lived in, I live in North Carolina. No, but like, where are you? Where's your parents? Where are your parents from? And then I tell them, oh, I'm Mexican. I was born in Mexico. And you just watch them. And they're like, oh, but you came in the right way. Oh my God. I was like, well, I'm, I'm a nurse now. So yeah. None of your business. Yeah. And at that point,

I just, because they are my patients or my patient members, I don't want to have like a controversy because I don't want them to feel, I mean, I want them to feel

uncomfortable enough to know that a Mexican is taking care of them, but not uncomfortable to argue with them. You know, I don't want to have to argue with them. I just need them to know that, yes, oh my gosh, this Mexican girl is actually like not a criminal. She's actually taking care of me. She's making sure I'm okay. Wow. Yeah. Breaking the stigma because the stigma is not true. Yeah. So I just educate them in the nicest way possible. And I'm just truly just authentically me because I'm not

any different with anyone. I'm not going to be mean to you because you treat me like that. For me to lower myself down like that, I'm sorry. No, I'm too good for that. You're too good for that. I am too good for that. I love that. I love that. You know your worth. Girl, I do. For so long, I didn't. And now that I know, oh, babe, to put me down is crazy. It was not going to happen. Did something significant happen in your life that you said I used to not? And same with me.

can you like pinpoint something that happened that you were like, no, no more of this. I know who I am. I know what I deserve. I know my worth.

I don't think it was significantly something. It was more just me telling myself. It was me reflecting on the person that I am. It's me acknowledging that I am a good person. I have a good heart. So I'm going to be unapologetically myself because for so long, I felt like I just couldn't be myself. I couldn't.

tell people who I was, where I was from. And I feel like I was just in the shadows for so long that I did so much to be perfect for this country. I felt like I had to be perfect. So perfect in school, perfect criminal record, of course, that's easy to do. Perfect in the way I talked, perfect in the way that I dressed. Try to blend in. I try to blend in so much in this country that

I felt like I was never truly myself. And that on a little girl is so hard. On a teenager, it's harder because I was never going to fit in. I'm a Mexican, so I'm a Mexicana. I had the accent. I had the culture. I wanted to shout my music and I couldn't. I just felt like it wasn't okay. It wasn't okay to just love my culture, love who I am, love my roots, and just

that really hurt me for so long. I felt like just long term in different parts of my life that I had to really sit down with myself and tell myself, why are you hiding? Why are you in the shadows when you are a good person, when God made you who you are, when you shouldn't even have to do that for people to feel comfortable. You should just be you. So I

starting to do that and learning to do that for myself, I started to get this confidence that I never had. And then becoming a nurse, I think just boosted my confidence even more because I'm a good nurse, you know? Yeah. I'm a good nurse. And I see the way that these patients look at me with most of the patients, like, thank you so much for doing this for me. It just made me feel like I have a purpose and I'm a good person. I'm a good person. And I shouldn't even have to confine myself to

Being a person in the shadows, I should just, you know, be my main character. I am a main character. And I was like, for so long, I didn't. I knew I was. I always knew I was. I just didn't know how to put myself out there, how to present her. And girl. And she's here. She's here. So I just want to advocate for me and my little girl in me, but also for other people who feel like they don't have an identity that they have to be

somewhere in the shadows to blend in to make sure they're not seen. No, let your be main character. You should be. We're all main characters here. All the good ones. I feel that I you're like speaking to me too in a different way, like fueling your inner child who didn't get to do the things you're now doing. And she's like, yeah, she's rooting for me. She's rooting for you. And that's so cool. It's emotional to like, I can actually cry about it. It's like, it

It's just, it's empowering. That's just the best word. It's so empowering. And it's so empowering to see other women support you or just other people support you. And it just shows that there's so many good people out there. And so people that want to hear you, the in-betweeners, the people who want to get educated. And it just shows.

I've seen other people that have the same heart, a bigger heart than me. It just, it just helps me elevate too. Like it just helps me keep doing what I'm doing, you know? Yeah. I love that. You're, you're making me really happy because it's exciting to hear you share your story from where you were, where you are now, where you've been. And then, like you said, you're,

telling other people like you can use your voice too you can be the main character of your story you don't have to blend in you don't have to stay in the background just because other people expect you to yeah absolutely not like you deserve to live your life you belong yes and I feel like the other I feel like I say I like a lot anyways me too it's okay I feel that a lot of people that

say they're paid, they have the patronism towards this country. They, I understand that they do, but when they see other people that don't look like them succeed, I think that's what really gets to them. And I don't think that's patronism. Like I said before, it's projection. It's the mirror doesn't align with what you were taught, what you've seen in your life. It's a different color, a different shade, a different uniform, a different culture. And to them,

It shocks them. I think honestly a lot of it is they're scared they're going to become the minority. And how would that feel? And how would that feel? But the thing is, we're not trying to make their culture any less. We're just trying to put our culture in front of theirs and be like, you can share yours and I'll share mine. And we can...

We can blend together. Yeah. We're supposed to enjoy each other. Exactly. That's just it's so weird to me. I said it earlier, but like America is supposed to be this melting pot where anyone can like that's what we were taught anyway. And that's clearly not what they actually meant because that's not how everyone's treated. But we're supposed to embrace each other and enjoy each other's cultures and share about other cultures like family.

I love Mexican culture. I love the people I've met. And something you said earlier is like a lot of the poverty that runs through Mexico. When a lot of people from the United States visit Mexico, they go to these hotels.

These high end resorts. And they don't leave the resort. If you've ever left the resort, though, at least if you're anything like me, which I didn't know. It breaks your heart. Oh, my God. I remember riding on this bus from a resort. You know, I'm on vacation and we go somewhere else to like a cenote. And through the villages, I was like.

how is this happening? And I'm staying at this five-star resort while this is happening. And I'm talking homes made out of cardboard and stone or whatever they can find, a tarp for a roof, not poverty like, oh, I couldn't eat what I wanted today. No, I'm talking like- How to get McDonald's today. Couldn't get my McDonald's today. It's something I've never witnessed before. That shook me. But I remember that day, I was like,

Oh, I got to learn about this. I need to figure out what's going on because that's not what I was. That's not that's not the commercials they show us about Mexico. They show us these resorts and the beach. Tulum, Cabo, Cancun, you know, all the good stuff. But they don't show us what the locals are going through. Yeah, it's it's rough.

That was scary for, not scary. I like, I'm scared. I was just like. Scared for them. I'm scared for them. Like, how are they living like this? And I thought that I had it bad. Are you kidding me? And I think that's what makes me so grateful for what I have now, because I lived that, you know, I remember my family living in shacks, cardboard stuff that when it rained, you could just see the rain going through. No, no actual flooring, nothing like that because.

And then just seeing my family, their faces of starvation, of desperation, like, are we going to be able to make it? Are we going to die of starvation? Are we going to die? Because if we try to go to a bigger city, there's a lot of the bigger cities is where the most crimes are. So we're safer here, but we're also starving here. So where do we go? Where can we go to? A lot of people think that, oh, my mom just was at the beach.

and she just crossed the border with us. That's not how it happened. She was crossing the border because she had to. There was no other way. And she starved a lot of her life. Yeah. And she didn't want to see us starving. Yeah. Yeah. She wanted better for her children. She wanted better for her children. And her family. Yeah. And I'm just grateful for like just having water and running stuff because when I go back to visit my family in Mexico,

they live very third world, you know, I call it like third world living and they're comfortable and happy in it because that's what they're used to. But it makes me so grateful for what I have here because so many of us don't even appreciate what we have. We don't appreciate it. And I can tell when someone I feel like understands and tries to get into what we have gone through as like starving and poverty and the crimes, but it, it

it just makes me uncomfortable when someone doesn't isn't willing to go see it yeah i'm like if you don't want to understand it you have to just experience it go see it because it really will shock you it's it makes you and it's not just mexico no so many the philippines a lot of parts in africa that people don't talk about india there's a lot of um southern like

Costa Rica. There's so many places that are going through so much. Yeah. Yeah. And like you said, it is good to see it. It puts your life into perspective where you're like, oh, okay. Yeah. And I think that's the best thing to do when someone can't

when you try to explain to someone some people are visual learners you know yeah so go and see it see it by like see it and experience it experience what they're living and youtube is free you can see it on youtube like some people you know may well i don't have the money okay youtube is free and it's real that stuff's real and get your tissues get your tissues it is sad it's jarring and a lot of i know you love dogs a lot of dogs out there who are homeless it breaks my heart

I went to the Philippines last year. I love the Philippines. I love Filipino people. They are one of the most embracive. Yeah. They bring you in, your family immediately. Their food. Oh my God, their food's so good. We went on this trip though and we went to one of the smaller cities there and the dogs, the animals. So many. I was like, oh my God, we gotta, I don't know if we need like a spay and neuter clinic here. You know, I'm thinking like all this stuff and I'm like,

It's jarring. Yeah. But that's their everyday life. Yeah. And that is what they live through. And you have to see it to... Maybe not understand it or... Yeah, you don't need to see that to understand. But I don't know what it does, but it shifts something in your mind where you're like, okay, okay, I'm with these people. I'm for you. What do you want? You know what I mean? Like, I'm behind you every step of the way because whatever I'm complaining about cannot compare is how I feel. And a lot of times it's not...

what can I do? I'm here for you. I'm here to just be a shoulder for you, support you, just listen to your story, listen to you, be there for you in an emotional way. Sometimes that's all we need because a lot of us just don't say anything. I mean, I'm going to speak up for sure, but a lot of people don't speak up and they're just handling that by themselves. And I feel like a lot in our cultures, we're taught, I feel like also in American culture, we're taught to just stay quiet about our emotions. Now they speak up more about

Speak up and don't let anything just kind of stay within your heart go to therapy and all that but in our cultures a lot of it is

Just go to work and get up and do what you have to do. You don't have to speak about this. Yeah, ignore it. Yeah, it's important for people to be there for you just emotionally. Just listen to me. Yeah, I love that. Is there anything you feel that we've missed? Dangers ahead. Do you want to talk about that? Like what could possibly be coming for anyone that's in your shoes?

Yeah, so DACA is always in the Supreme Court. It's like our second home, I swear. It's like not funny. It's like, OK, here we go again. Yeah. So they're always trying to take DACA away because they say it's not legal. So right now, DACA is basic is in Supreme Court and they're trying to see whether DACA is legal.

Either we can get a pathway to citizenship because DACA does not give you a pathway to citizenship. People just tell me to go apply for my citizenship like I'm going to go apply for a driver's license. And that is not how it works. And that's how I can tell you're uneducated. But anyways. She clocks it right away. Yeah, like, okay.

Let me tell you. Yeah. And it could take up to 10 to 20 years. And that means I have to leave the country for 10 to 20 years until they approve my application for citizenship. So would you leave your home that you only know was a home for 10 to 20 years to see if maybe they'll say yes to you? No. Think about it. Exactly. Most people would not. Exactly.

That's interesting because I, again, I assumed, well, surely this helps in some way, shape or form. And it doesn't. It's a completely separate entity. It's a whole separate entity and it's not a pathway to citizenship. I'll repeat. It is not a pathway to citizenship. That would be the title. It is not a pathway. Okay. That's a real, that's a real. Wait. So, so then if you go apply for citizenship, I mean,

I'm being dumb. I don't know. No, no, no. Yeah. You go apply for citizenship. Does it hinder your DACA recipient? Does it hinder any of that? Does it harm anything that you've already done? It doesn't hinder. It's a lot of times they can deny it and say, or, hey, we want to, but first you have to go to Mexico and be there. And then we'll let you know. Oh, wow.

Oh, wow. We'll let you know because you have to be in Mexico legally for a couple, I'm not sure if it's months or years. It just depends. Every case is different. So I can't speak for everyone. Every case is so different. And a lot of times the only way for a DACA recipient to become a citizen is to marry someone who's a citizen for love, hopefully. Cross my fingers. And a lot of people don't want to do that because...

I shouldn't have to marry someone to become a citizen and or I can become a citizen if I get sponsored by work. But this is the thing. If you get sponsored by work, you have to prove that you are the only person that can perform that job, that no one else, not a citizen, can perform that job. I'm a nurse.

Anyone can be a nurse. So they make it hard on purpose. Yeah. I mean, there's no reason for it to be this hard. And that's kind of the stuff I've learned from meeting other people that are now citizens or working towards citizenship is that majority of Americans who don't know other people like that assume, well, it's just some paperwork. And maybe, you know, this month it'll get approved. There are people that wait decades, years and years to get approved.

For this to even be a possibility. And sometimes it's not. And it is just some paperwork for some people that are from Europe or that are from Australia because they're from Europe and they're from Australia. I'm from Mexico. I am the rivalry. You're looked at differently. I'm looked at differently.

Wow. And people don't understand that. People are like, well, why don't you? First of all, I'm from Mexico. I came here undocumented, crossed the border illegally. So that already puts me in a bad spot. And I'm a woman.

And you're a woman. But you were a child. Like, it's just it always comes back. You were six. Yeah. And your mom was doing what any mother who loves her children would do. That's why I want to shake people and like stop acting like you wouldn't have done the same thing. Oh, they would. Stop acting like it because you would have had you been in the same situation, but you've never been in a situation. And if you don't do that, if you wouldn't have, you wouldn't have done that.

I'm going to call DSS on you because that's not a good mom. I'm side iron. Like that's not a good mom. No, it's not. It's not. You would have done the same thing. So quit acting like you wouldn't have. So now let's learn about why it is such a lengthy process. They're making it hard on purpose. Yeah. It doesn't need to be that hard. And right now in Texas, they're saying that if you're a DACA recipient that lives in Texas, you're no longer going to be able to work once you're...

workers permit expires and expires within this year or next year. So you have to have people who've told me that they live in Texas who are going to have to move. So people are going to have to move from Texas, which like, let's say Houston, that's all they know. That's where their family is at. They're going to have to move to a different state because Texas is not allowing DACA recipients to work there anymore.

That's infuriating. And I'm just like, what is going on in here? For real. It just doesn't make any sense. I understand that borders are borders and you have to protect borders. And immigration is such a complex, complex thing. But these were children. I am not...

asking you to do anything else but to let these children who are now adults to have a chance, one opportunity, just one opportunity to make a living for themselves in the only home that they know, to stay where their family is at, to not be taken away back to if it is El Salvador or Mexico or Honduras, where those family members...

They are their family members, but they probably have not seen them in 20 plus years. And to them, this is the home that they want to be in because this is what they know. This is where they grew up. Yeah. And they love this country. It's so sad how much we love this country that yet this country doesn't love us. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's it's just heartbreaking. It doesn't. It breaks my heart. Trust me. Every day. Speaking of, you know, you're saying like the jobs we often hear in the news about

Oh, we're stealing jobs. Oh, I was just about to say that. They're stealing our jobs. What are they talking about? Girl, I don't know what job they're talking about. I don't mean I'm asking you, like, what are they talking about? No, like, literally, till this day, I need y'all to give me the receipts. I don't believe things till I see receipts. It is complete bullshit because it discredits the hard work and the characteristic of immigrant families every single time. I'm like, stop saying that. That is embarrassing. But...

See, the stats don't match up anymore and the facts don't match up because we're still in the jobs yet.

these farms are no longer farms anymore. They have... They're gone. They're gone. Why? Because the undocumented immigrants that were actually working were gone. They decided to leave or they were deported. Yeah. And not just that, but now that the jobs were there, you guys didn't take them and now there's no farms and now you guys are crying and it's just like you put yourself in that situation and the jobs that were taken away were not taken any job away. You can go to any place, any corner and find a job. Yeah. There's...

But they love to blame. Yeah. And that we're benefiting from the government. I hear that a lot. Well, we're paying all these taxes for you guys to live off of us. Oh, no, we know you don't. No, you don't. I pay taxes. My mom and my my mom, she has a green card now.

Thank God. But for so long, she didn't. Yeah. So she was paying taxes, knowing that that tax money, whenever she gets older, it was not going to get get to her just because she wanted to do the right thing. She's like, the least I can do is do the right thing in the country that I'm at now. Yeah. And I'm paying taxes. And guess what? They're not going to get back to me. I don't get Social Security.

When you just said earlier, like DACA doesn't, the government doesn't give you any type of funding, yet you still have to pay taxes for other people. Yeah, I'm still paying taxes and I'm not crying about it.

And I'm not crying about it like some of you. Yeah, you guys are crying because you have a citizenship. You guys are crying because you have Social Security. You have the privilege to go find a job wherever you want. Honestly, that's on you. It is. It is. It's just one of those things. It's like propaganda to make us against each other every single time with no reason.

They're not facts. No. These are just people spewing stuff out of their ass. Delusions. Delusions. They're delulu. They're hella delulu. And it's embarrassing. It's so embarrassing to watch. Like, I'm like, I get secondhand embarrassment. I'm like, that is not how... It's just so irritating. I get secondhand embarrassment from Mexican Trump supporters. Honestly, I do not claim you guys...

Why not? I don't claim them. I don't. Because a lot of them are people that I know. Yeah. And I have distanced myself from them. I don't care if you're my mom. Yeah. I don't care if you're my dad, my sister, my... I don't care who you are, my friend, my best friend of 20 years. I will distance myself. That felt personal. Yeah, I will distance myself. Because you know me. Not just that. But you're Mexican and your parents... I know your parents. Your parents came here...

cross the border illegally. And now your parents have all these citizen rights that they had to wait a long time to do because they had to show a lot of proof. But it doesn't mean that they didn't do it the way that my parents did. And it doesn't change the fact of how they did it.

So you're saying that, oh, now that we're all good and we have all these citizenships, we have to support Trump and what he's doing. I feel like that's just an identity crisis because they want to fit in so bad because that's where we're taught to fit in, to try to blend in. So we're going to blend in. And that's not the way to do it. And a lot of people say, well, we're doing it because he's going to help us financially. So you're putting your financial opportunity.

you're just being selfish because you're putting your finances over human decency, human rights, women's rights, a bunch of other things that he is not for. So to me, that just, I'd rather be poor than ever vote for him. I will always, always, always vote for the right thing. And he is not right. And I don't care how much money someone could pay me to be in the wrong side of life. I will never be there. I'd rather just

Do what I'm doing. You know, I don't care. I don't care about the money. And to me, it frustrates me that people like finances, finances. And I'm like, there's I don't care about the finances because I feel like with a good heart and a good work ethic that will come with it. So it's meant to be what happened. Exactly. And I'd rather be honest.

honestly, I'd rather be poor than ever, ever, ever be where they're at right now. So I don't claim them. And I and I'll say right now, I don't claim you guys. If you're a Trump supporter and you're a Mexican, don't don't even like look my way. You said I'm

It frustrates me because they've seen it. They've seen the struggle and they decide to put a blind eye. And that is crazy to me. I mean, I feel similarly. Obviously, I haven't gone through the same struggles. But when I see someone who I love supporting Trump, MAGA, MAHA, and they're like,

they're the ones that taught me to love everybody. That's where I'm like, what are you talking about? Bring Jesus back. I thought you loved Jesus, not whatever this is. It's

It's bizarre behavior. It's bizarre. Yeah. It is. Yeah. It's evil. It's literally. There's no other way to look at it. Yeah. It's just evil attacking just people's souls and hearts. Because to me, to live with that much hate towards someone, it's like I don't even hate. I mean, I don't hate.

I don't claim Trump supporters, but I also don't hate them. Sure. I don't hate them. I could never hate someone for... You can distance yourself without hating. Exactly. And I feel like they genuinely hate... You can feel it. You can feel the rage they have. Oh, yeah. You can just feel that. That's clinical. Yeah. It's like, girl, have you been checked? Oh, my God. I need to go to a psych board. Stat. Stat. Immediately. Yeah. Um...

Thank you for being here. Before we end the episode, I wanted to read a couple of new grad stories to you. I get these from our listeners. And if you're listening now and you have a fun new grad story or a confession or a deathbed confession, which we're adding in as a possibility to read. Oh, I know. Like deathbed confessions are insane. Insane. Some of the ones I've already gotten, I'm like, I don't know if I can read that out loud on camera. But some of them are like really touching and some are scary. Gory. Gory.

A lot of people have murdered people. That's where I'm like, oh my God, what is happening? But I figured to wrap up the episode, we can read some new grad stories together because I always like those. Okay, so the first story is titled, Can I Have an Order for Narcan as My Patient is Drifting into the Afterlife?

My whole name is in this email, so I'm not even trying to pretend that this is about someone else, lol. This was definitely me, but I would prefer to be kept anonymous for pride's sake. For everyone to know, I always keep these anonymous. I was working ICU step-down and was newly, and too soon, might I add, on my own out of preceptorship. We had a nurse residency program, but they were like...

We're understaffed. You got to be the one to five ratio like everyone else. I loved my unit and my coworkers, but again, everyone was bogged down. Anyway, I had a patient post heart cath and he was hanging out. Vital signs were fine. BP was a tad low. And by that, I mean 110 over 70, like not anything to super worry about because he was relatively young. So no real comorbidities, but was a walkie talkie. So overall, I would say a pretty solid patient.

but he was in pain and dilaudid 1mg IV PRN was ordered. So heart rate, BP, respiratory rate were all fine. He was alert and oriented.

I did my assessment and gave the Dilaudid and it was the correct amount. I didn't overdose the man, but then I'm standing there charting and I get a call from the monitor tech telling me he's bradycardic. I'm like, what? I look over. This man is damn near unconscious with blood pressure and heart rate tanking. I freaked out, hit the code button because he's not arousing to my touch.

and says his name, and my dumbass calls the attending to tell him what happened and asks for an order for Narcan. He just rightfully yells, "'What the fuck are you calling me? You don't need an order. Give him the Narcan now.' Thankfully, our charge and several other nurses had run in, and one had Narcan on her. When they gave him the Narcan, he perked right up after he was more lucid. I explained what had happened."

and he wasn't even mad or upset, but I was in tears. I was terrified to give any pain meds after that, and my preceptor finally had to have a talk with me after.

If you read this story, please email me back because I'm horrible at checking social media. So I would love to know when and where you use it. That would be scary though. Yeah. Especially as a new grad. Because as a new grad, you're taught everything has to be in an order and you're like, well, okay, I need a Narcan order. Yeah, exactly. I would have assumed you need it like before I had ever used Narcan. I would assume you would need an order for it. Yeah. An order for everything. Because nowadays you have

Even now, even to this day, they're like, is it in order? Right. But we know emergencies. I don't care. Emergencies are different. We'll figure it out after. But that's what happens whenever you let her go and have five patients. As a new grad who was still, like she said, she wasn't supposed to be by herself. No. But they were short staffed. Exactly. And these are the consequences. And it's not her fault. This is the system's fault for not setting us up for success. Yep.

its shortage in nurses will make them do crazy things, have crazy ratios, unsafe ratios that are not good for patients. Exactly. So I think not just nurses should advocate for good ratios. I think

Everyone should because, trust me, you don't want to be my patient if I have seven to one. You don't want to. I say this all the time. You would not want to be the extra patient. Like in the ICU, three to one is not a good look. You do not want to be my third patient. Not because something will happen to you, but something could happen to you. And who is it going to blame? Yeah. Me. And a lot of times when these patients are walkie-talkies, and we have so many patients, we kind of...

don't go in that room as much. And you never know when that walkie talkie patient, I mean, they are here for a reason. You don't ever know when something could happen. Exactly. So

It's these unsafe rates. That's why I'm here in Cali, because over there in North Carolina, they were having six to one, seven to one. And the charge nurse was having also five to one. MedSurg or Teli? MedSurg, Teli. It was MedSurg, Teli. Both. Yep. No, no. In California, it's four Teli patients. That's what that's a normal. Oh, trust me. And one time they tried to give me five and I said, no, that's the law. You said, I'm going to have to call on you. And it's so good for nurses to educate themselves about

nurse rights, about where to go, where not to go, because there's so many people that they just need another body there taking care of these patients. Yeah. That's why unions are so powerful. I just did an episode interviewing a union rep and like all the questions. Oh my God. So much information once again, because I'm from Oklahoma. They spread so much

Anti-union propaganda, like anti-union propaganda, all this information that makes you think unions are bad and you grow up in it. So you think unions are bad. So then you don't know how to advocate for yourself or what your workers' rights are. It's insane. And then you go to California and you're like, why is it so much better here? Yep.

I'm like, wait, that's why we're here. And it's because they're profiting and they want more money, these other organizations. It's greed and money that's making them do this and putting your population, the American population, in unsafe nursing hospitals. Preach. Honestly. She's over there preaching. Right? It's true, though. And the general population doesn't understand the risk that they're at. And they think...

The health care workers are there to do their best every single time. I'm not speaking of doctors. I'm not speaking of RTs, nurses, whoever. I am speaking of administration who chooses these harmful rules and regulations or lack thereof. There aren't really regulations because these nurses are getting seven to nine patients in a telemed cert. That's insanity. Yep. That to me is just greed.

It is greed. Profit over patient every time. And then what's crazy to me is when these rooms look at Grey's Anatomy, but you have no staff. It's like you wanted to make these rooms look good, but you have us running back and forth, these nurses who can barely take care of these patients. And our care is not going to match the

the place setting because we're going to be running around crazy, taking care of these patients as much as we can, but not the right way. No. So it's not going to give you the customer service you're wanting. Trust me. Trust her. Okay, next one. Funny new grad story for you. It's actually one of my co-worker's stories. I swear it wasn't me. And it's one of the funniest things I've ever heard. So my co-worker goes in to do a straight cath. And while she's cleaning the patient, the patient is screaming, ow, that burns.

She's thinking, is the cleanser supposed to burn this much? So she goes to grab the catheter on her sterile field and then notices she accidentally grabbed three packs of lemon mouth swabs instead of the three pack of iodine swabs. They look identical, LOL, pictures are attached. At the end of the day, the patient was fine and she just had a super embarrassing story to tell. But the lemon is used as a cleanser in other contexts

Anyways, thought this would be funny. Probably would have been fine. Well, just kidding. Do you know the lemon swabs? Yes. For those that don't know, we use those in people's mouths and they would probably burn on your private area. It's just to keep your mouth moist. Just comfort. It's comfort for the mouth. That's exactly what it is. For the mouth, though. For the mouth. But then you've got the iodine swabs that...

Maybe they didn't have a kit because I'm thinking of like a straight cath kit that come with iodine swabs. She probably just had to grab all this. She's had to grab it. And they are the exact same packaging, but one is yellow and one is red. Don't grab the yellow. That's just new grad, you know. It is. Trust me, we get a lot of, as a new grad, you're going to have embarrassing experiences. And that's what makes you feel more unstoppable because you're like, I've been through this.

this type of stuff and the patient's sick and I still had to deal with the patient and tell them what I did wrong. That's the worst part is when you mess up and you have to tell the patient, you're like, hey, you're going to be fine, but I have to tell you this. I might have given you the wrong medicine. Don't worry, you'll be fine.

That's always really awkward. I know. But you're right. Everyone has a new grad story or an embarrassing nursing story. You don't have to be a new grad to mess up. Yeah. You can just mess up. I'm sure the patient was okay, but that sucks. I can just feel the burning. Oh, no. That happened to me once. I was cutting these peppers for my mom, and she didn't tell me to wear gloves. Oh, no. So then I went to the bathroom right after because I had to pee. Oh, no.

I'm telling you, I was on fire down there. I was like, my Shayla. My Shayla. I thought you were going to tell me like you touched your eye or something. No. Which I've done. No, not your lady bits. Yeah. Not your lady bits. I just cleaned myself and I guess just like even just a tiny bit because they were really spicy peppers. Yes. I was not screaming. I was crying. Oh, no. Yeah. Do you remember how long it took for it to go away? It didn't take that long. Okay. Maybe a quick shower. It was a quick cold shower. Yeah.

I was like, hopefully that patient just got ice packs and a bunch of cold stuff. I already knew it was like... Just put an ice pack there. You're like, you know what? I've been through something similar, actually.

Well, thank you so much for coming to be on this. Thank you so much. I really have appreciated talking to you and just appreciated how open and bold you are. Truly. I think that you're going to do incredible things. I think your social media is amazing. Where can everyone find you? You can find me on Instagram or TikTok. I am JazVee. And I also have some links there of DACA and other stuff in case you guys want more information or you need that information too. Perfect.

Perfect. The links to her social medias will be in the description. Go give her a follow, support, and that's it. Yeah. We're good. All right. Bye, guys. Adios. Bye. Adios.