Nigerian immigrant Tolu Olubunmi, 31, was among several other guests invited last year by President Barack Obama to the White House as he highlighted immigration reform.
Tolu was brought to the United States by her parents when she was 14, and has never been able to document her stay here in America since then.
Tolu Olubunmi came with the hopes of immigrating legally, but 17 years later, she is an undocumented immigrant living in the U.S. She is unable to use her chemical engineering degree in the workplace or even leave the country for fear of being banned from re-entry.
“I am not used to the limbo. I am not used to stress. I am not used to sharing my story. I am not a public person at all, but the courageous attitudes of the dreamers I’ve gotten to work with over the years and the fact that they were so willing to lay everything on the line - it really spurred me on. Plus, I saw the impertinence of adding my voice as an African.”
Olubunmi said more than 800,000 young, undocumented immigrants living the U.S. will be affected by Obama’s directive, though it she added it is difficult to determine how many of those are originally from African countries.
Olubunmi added the issue affects African immigrants though they are usually in the shadows of the debate.
“I think what’s important is that this issue goes well beyond the Latino community. Solutions would be better and more well-rounded if we recognize the diversity.”
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