Their Hidden Stories Change the Narrative
Migrant Child Farmworkers Now High-Profile Professionals
Told They Can’t © – Narrated by Xolo Maridueña (Star of Blue Beetle, and Cobra Kai) Is an eye opening documentary featuring mostly hidden stories of high-profile professionals of color. They’re children of immigrants, some undocumented. A boy, abandoned by his mom, never knew who his dad was. An orphaned girl, whose mother died giving birth to her. They experienced the gamut of difficulities and hardships including homelessness, hunger, poverty, neglect, and abuse. These privations were then exacerbated by society’s cruel indifference to the suffering they were going through. All in plain view for all to see. Most had to work full-time during childhood as migrant farmworkers, with any earnings going to help with family survival.
Today they’re doctors, research scientists, engineers, educators, and leaders elected to the U.S. Congress and California State Assembly and Senate. Their impressive accomplishments include authoring hundreds of scientific research papers published in the New England Journal of Medicine; contributing to the development of pivotal Apple products such as the Bondi Blue iMac, the Cube, iPad, MacBook Pro; and teaching medicine at Stanford School of Medicine and UCSF Fresno. This success, in defiance of seemingly impossible adversity, is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. Their ability to turn poverty and hardship into personal and professional triumph showcases what is indeed possible for all, including children of immigrant and refugee families, and any experiencing homelessness or other extraordinary family crises.
Raul, Lisa, Ramon, and Enrique – Full-Time Migrant Child Farmworkers | Fernando and Tony – Sons of Immigrant Farmworkers
Photo Left to Right – Raul Ruiz, MD, MPH, MPP | Lisa Ramirez, EdD | Fernando S. Mendoza, MD, MPH | Ramon Resa, MD | Tony Cárdenas | Enrique Diaz
Photo Location: Hill Center, Washington, DC | Private Screening of Told They Can’t ©
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