Ricky Martinez

When I was 6 yrs old, I came to visit my uncles because I was born in Mexico, and I didn’t know any English, I begged my parents to place me in an English course. Since they had to work in Mexico, they allowed me to stay with my uncles for a few weeks and attend school. The first couple of days I felt somewhat skeptical. Everyone around me spoke English except me. Long story short, my uncle ended up adopting me in order for me to stay in the U.S and continue with my studies. However, I do feel like I could’ve accomplished a lot more if I had my real parents with me during my childhood.

The Butterfly postcard campaign was developed by the UIC Latino Cultural Center in collaboration with student organizations Fearless Undocumented Alliance and Heritage Garden Student Group that highlights the parallels between the migration of people and Monarch butterflies across national borders.