049 – S2 E13 – Communication, opportunities, and the freedom to connect with like-minded peers

homeroom is an international podcast bridging the education gap between the classroom and the living room by starting conversations impacting the next generation. In this episode, I speak with Yonny—a paralegal and immigration justice advocate—about his earliest memories of growing up in Mexico, and being raised by his grandparents for most of his childhood. He compares the education systems between Mexico and the United States, and how the differences informed the types of activities he chose to pursue. We also talk about his journey of learning English, the teacher who held higher expectations for him and inspired him to pursue a career in journalism, and what led to him becoming a paralegal and working to provide resources and assistance to immigrant families. Check out our conversation, join our ongoing discourse on social media, and subscribe for more. https://www.instagram.com/homeroomed You can also find a computer-generated transcript of our episode at https://www.homeroomed.com — Yonny is a 40-year-old immigrant rights advocate who is originally from Mexico. He has worked in direct legal services for immigrant youth who come to the United States seeking asylum and other forms of international protections for about 7 years. The drive to be an immigrant rights advocate comes from his personal experience of being an undocumented immigrant for almost a decade. In his work, he wants to be a kind presence who guides immigrant kids through a convoluted and unfair system. In his free time, he loves to walk his Shiba Inu and attend soccer matches supporting LAFC (the best soccer team in L.A). Rée is a visual storyteller and educator exploring the consequences that mass education has on creativity, identity, and interpersonal connection. https://www.instagram.com/theinterdisciplinarian