The youngest speaker at the Democratic National Convention on Monday was Karla Ortiz, an 11-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada, who shared her hopes and fears as the daughter of undocumented parents.
Ortiz is an American citizen and immigration activist, and met Hillary Clinton during a campaign stop in Nevada. "Valiente, brave, that's what Hillary Clinton called me when I told her I was worried my parents would be deported," she said. Ortiz went on to explain that when she was younger, her parents were "always crying," but she didn't understand why. "I was born in Las Vegas," she said. "My parents came here looking for a better life, for the American Dream. I don't feel great every day; on most days, I'm scared. I'm scared that at any moment, my mom and dad will be forced to leave, and I wonder what if I come home and find it empty?"
With her mother, Francisca Ortiz, standing next to her, Karla Ortiz said all she wants is for her parents to "see me do science experiments and help me find my rare rocks in the desert. I want to grow up to be a lawyer so I can help other families like us. I have hope, esperanza. Hillary Clinton told me that she would do everything she could to help us. She told me that I didn't have to do the worrying because she will do the worrying for me and all of us. She wants me to have the worries of an 11-year-old, not the weight of the world on my shoulders." Ortiz received a standing ovation.
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