11-year-old daughter of undocumented immigrants gives heartfelt endorsement of Hillary Clinton

Karla Ortiz and her mother, Francisca Ortiz. — (Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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.

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.