Reflections from an Undocuqueer HIV Health Educator
by Jesus Barrios*
More than twenty years ago, my parents made the journey north, and brought their children (myself included) from Mexico to the United States. In many respects, my family's experience mirrors the stories of many immigrants, especially those from Latin America: my parents fled poverty, corruption, and violence in hopes of providing their children with a better life. When we first arrived, we did not expect that our experience would resemble the nightmare we were trying to escape: as undocumented immigrants we had invisible lives in the shadows, and lived in a low-income community plagued with a host of social and health problems, including HIV.
While living in the United States for over two decades, we have worked hard to access the limited resources available to us, and it has taken a great deal of skill and learning to navigate systems that were not designed for low-income, undocumented immigrants to survive, let alone succeed. In my community, many people, particularly those living with HIV, are afraid of deportation. Ultimately, I was able to access work, education, and health care because I received support from our community.
Finding, building, and fostering community support is important for any group committed to social advancement. Most importantly, community support is critical for creating social change. In my case, it helped me overcome the trauma of growing up as an undocumented immigrant, and empowered me to take control of my life. As a young kid growing up without an immigration status and adjusting to a new language and foreign culture, I also struggled to come to terms with my sexuality. It took me many years to let go of the fear and shame that was conditioned in me about both my queerness and my immigration status. The undocuqueer movement – a community of undocumented queer immigrant youth from across the country – empowered me to come out of the shadows.
The term "undocuqueer" describes the identity and experience of undocumented, queer individuals. This is an identity forged from youth activism – in fact, many of the immigration activists currently organizing across the country identify as undocumented and queer. The undocuqueer movement aims to address the needs of undocumented young people in the U.S. and influence national policy. As a movement, we are working on immigration reform, immigrant-friendly in-state tuition laws, and removing individuals from immigration detention centers, where they have limited access to HIV testing and treatment. Many undocuqueer activists and community organizers continue to highlight the undocumented and queer intersection of their lives at conferences, town halls, and rallies.
The undocuqueer concept has evolved over time and has become a political statement and testament to sexuality. You do not have to be undocumented and queer to identify with the movement. The community organizing work that has come out of undocuqueer activism has transformed many communities. For example, we once saw campaigns for marriage equality that did not include people of color or immigrant communities; but, more recently, bills for an immigrant-friendly in-state tuition and marriage equality passed in Maryland in 2012 because we combined advocacy efforts and worked in tandem.
Solidarity and coalition work are crucial to launch successful campaigns that reflect our diversity. As we work to achieve social change and equality, we have to include the entire spectrum of class, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, education levels, immigration status and HIV status. Let's leave no one behind.
*Jesus Barrios, an undocuqueer in Brooklyn, NY, was born in Tijuana, Mexico, and raised in Southern California. He received a B.S. in public health from California State University, San Bernardino, and is currently a health educator at the Hispanic AIDS Forum (HAF NYC). He works for the Entre Hombres Program, which provides a space for Latino gay and bisexual men in New York City to build community through shared experiences, struggles, and successes. The program aims to promote sexual health and wellness from a perspective where men learn and enjoy discussing sex in an affirming, pleasurable, and healthy way.