Guest Speaker Edwin Hernandez raises awareness for refugees and immigrants by sharing his story
Edwin Hernandez speaks to the Central Michigan University community on Oct. 5 in the Bovee University Center Auditorium.
As a part of Central Michigan University’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, registered student organization Dream Central hosted Edwin Hernandez on Oct. 5.
Hernandez, a Refugee Delegate for Michigan, raised awareness for refugees and immigrants by sharing his personal experiences with the immigration system and why he left his country.
At 14, Hernandez fled his homeland of Honduras because of domestic violence. His stepfather often created unsafe situations because of substance abuse.
“I would have felt better in someone else’s house than my own,” Hernandez said.
On the day Hernandez left, his stepfather threatened him with a gun. After that, Hernandez decided he would make the journey to America.
To get to there, Hernandez had to travel through Guatamala and Mexico. The trip was long hours with little to no stops. Hernandez said he felt confident about the trip, but when he got to Monterrey, Mexico, "the fear of unknowing came." Other immigrants arriving had connections to help them, he did not. Hernandez felt insecure.
Hernandez received help and made his to the American border. After crossing, Homeland Security showed up and took him to a detention center.
At the center, they received nothing but a tin foil emergency blanket. The room they stayed in was all white, with no windows. The only thing in the room was an open bathroom and a clock.
“I couldn’t tell you how many days I was there,” Hernandez said. “I didn’t know if it was morning or night, you lose a sense of time.”
Throughout his time in custody, they kept Hernandez in the dark about his situation because he was a minor. Hernandez had hopes of getting reconnected with his father, who lived in America. When things did not work out, they wouldn’t let Hernandez know why. Border officials told him he was too young to understand.
At 16, they moved Hernandez to Michigan. He was getting the help he needed, but he said the experience was tough. He was starting from nothing.
Hernandez has consistently spoken out against the way they portray refugees and immigrants in the media. A challenge for him is how the media assumes to know these individuals and their character.
The Refugee Congress of Michigan contacted Hernandez and invited him to join. Now Hernandez educates people on why others choose to move to the United states and how we can help them.
“The slogan, 'land of the free and the home of the brave,' people still believe that outside these boarders,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said helping others is as simple as starting a conversation with someone and being friendly.
The event also included a presentation on facts about immigrants and refugees from Dream Central.
Hernandez’s speech brought in a large audience. Midland sophomore Mahum Hakim said she felt emotional during the speech.
“As a kid of immigrants, I know the struggle,” Hakim said. “But it’s interesting to hear the different perspectives and reasons people leave their country.”
