Alejandra Delgado

Every Summer I visit my country of origin, Peru. I always have a wonderful time hanging out with my family and friends, tasting one of the most wonderful cuisines in the world, and seeing breathtaking landscapes all around the country. Despite of all its richness, I can’t help to ponder on its extreme poverty and this visit is not the exception.

Tuesday was the last day of my practicum. I couldn’t believe it was over! Time had flown by and I had spent 400 hours between counseling clients, researching, reading, and discussing cases. Right after I left my site, I met with my individual supervisor at my school to discuss my experience. One of the questions she invited me to reflect on was the high and lows of my practicum. After mentioning a few highs and lows she asked me, “What about the woman who said you were too young to be her counselor?” I had completely suppressed that incident from my memory.

Watching the TV series “The Fosters” on Monday night, I heard the three words that all illegal immigrants fear - “You are undocumented” BAM! It hit me like a bucket of cold ice water. A teenager about 16 years old was told by her boyfriend and her best friend that her family was undocumented. I put myself in her shoes and felt my world crashing with those three words. Like many teenagers, she had grown up all her life thinking that she could too have all American rights. Suddenly, she was faced with the truth.