Vanesa Cruz Granados

Vanesa Cruz Granados is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Irvine, where she is pursuing degrees in Psychology and Chicano Studies. As an undocumented student and activist, Vanesa has been at the forefront of advocating for the rights of undocumented students. She is the co-chair of the Undocumented Student-led Network, known for leading the Opportunity 4 All (O4A) campaign, which calls for equitable work opportunities for all students in public universities in California. O4A is based on a new legal theory of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Vanesa has been actively involved in student justice movements and immigrant demonstrations, advocating for the University of California Regents to provide equitable education to its undocumented students. She has also testified before Congress in support of AB2586 (O4A), a bill that ultimately reached the California Governor’s desk but was vetoed. She hopes to continue advocating for the immigrant community and envisions a future where undocumented individuals are treated with dignity and respect. She dreams of a world where they no longer live in fear for their lives, where their rights are upheld, and where they are free to exist, laugh, and thrive without the threat of deportation. Her goal is for everyone to be able to live under a just and equitable system, where no one is asked to prove their worth or sacrifice their well-being to simply be enough.