On episode 54 of The American Dream in Eyes of Immigrants Podcast, I had the privilege of conversing with immigration attorney Erika Cisneros. Erika’s journey is deeply intertwined with the immigrant experience. She was raised by an immigrant mother and a fourth-generation Mexican-American father. Her early aspiration to become an immigration attorney was further fueled by a transformative moment. She candidly shares in the episode, which solidified her commitment to the immigration community.
Erika says although her job is tough when she receives approval for her client, she knows that it’s not just her client that she’s helping. It’s also the client’s family and those around them because the majority of them are the breadwinner in their home. I had not previously thought about this, but it’s true.
Hispanic communities are usually close-knit with their friends and family. So when someone is going through the immigration process, most likely their friends and family know. If their case is approved, it helps the family. But their community then knows that there is an honest immigration attorney who can help them, too. Then, those in the community share those success stories.
Erika’s Upbringing
I always love asking my guests about their childhood and upbringing. Erika tells us that she grew up in a migrant farmworking family. This work was done on her father’s side of the family. And it’s been the work for them for two to three generations. Her father came from a large family. He was one of nine children, so it was natural for him to fall into the farmwork.
Her mother also grew up in a large family and was one of the youngest of nine children. She and her entire family came when she was nine years old. Erika says she feels that her mom kept their tradition and culture at home. Because her grandmother continued teaching them even though they were in the US.
One of the biggest things was the language; of course, Erika’s mom would speak to her in Spanish, and Erika would respond in English. So, growing up, it was a struggle for her to speak Spanish, she says; however, now that she practices immigration law and the majority of her clients speak Spanish, she speaks it better.
Cultural Adaptation
When guests are second-generation immigrants, I love to ask about the cultural traditions their parents kept and what were adapted from the US. Erika says that she didn’t notice this when she was growing up, but as an adult looking back, she realized that it was easier for her dad to adapt to her mom working. Growing up with other Hispanic friends, the mom typically stayed home and tended the house and kids. This is very traditional and common for Hispanic families.
So I love that her father was open to her mom working. As Erika said, this is probably because he’s fourth generation and was more Americanized. Although, we know there are men here in the US who still think that women should just stay home and not work.
Becoming an Immigration Attorney
Becoming an immigration attorney is no easy task, so when I interview immigration attorneys, I love to learn about their journey and when they know they want to pursue this career. Erika says she knew she wanted to be an immigration attorney in elementary school. Growing up in a working family and having to travel to different cities every four to six months, she was exposed to different states and families. Some families also traveled with them, so she learned a little more about their stories and immigration status.
She would overhear her father telling her mother, “This guy or this person got deported,” or things like that, and her father would go over to the family’s house to see if they needed anything or to take them food. That’s when Erika realized that many times, the one who got deported was the household’s breadwinner.
One night, her father woke her up and told her to get dressed and that he needed her to drive. She didn’t ask many questions but knew something was wrong because her father didn’t usually do this. While they were driving, she asked him what was happening, and basically, one of his coworkers was stopped by the police, and he was undocumented, so he was driving without a license.
The police officer knew Erika’s father and called him. The officer told him he had a gentleman pulled over and said he knew him, so if he could come to pick him up, he could take him and the van, or else the officer would have to take him in and eventually call the immigration department. This event really fueled Erika’s passion for helping the migrant community.
Listen to the Episode
Listen to the full episode to learn more about Immigration Attorney Erika and the type of visas (cases) she works with.
Connect with Erika:
With Love, Heidy
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