Building a Stronger Democracy, Together
This Immigrant Heritage Month, we’re looking at what it truly means to shape the American story.
America has always been, and will always be, a nation that has been propelled by immigrants. Where people have sought the freedoms of the American Dream. We can’t let anyone — least of all those trying to erase our history — forget that the Statue of Liberty isn’t just a monument; it’s a promise. The Supreme Court has affirmed this simple truth: If you were born here, you are an American citizen.
No president can change this fact.
While Republicans continue to stoke fear and treat our immigrant neighbors like political props, Democrats remain steadfast in their defense of immigrant communities. We know that our nation’s prosperity, culture, and future are tied directly to the generations of immigrants who power our country. We’re fighting for humane, common-sense policies that protect families and keep America a symbol of hope.
But policy isn’t just theory — it’s lived experience. To understand why this fight is so urgent, I want to share a conversation I had with someone who knows this struggle firsthand. Santiago’s story is a powerful reminder that the American story is still being written, and it’s up to us to make sure everyone has a seat at the table. Here’s what he had to say.
Q: Tell us about your background and what led you to your current involvement.
I moved from Mexico City to the United States in 2017 when I was 15. I didn’t know much about American politics, but I saw the first Trump administration commit reprehensible acts against communities like mine. After discussing it with my classmates, I realized many didn’t know what to do about it.
A few years later, after building a sizable social media following, I decided to try to use it to show young people what they could achieve. I chose to start an organization led entirely by young people because Gen Zers understand how to engage their peers best. That effort became Voters of Tomorrow, which is now the largest Gen Z-led voter registration and civic engagement organization in the country.
The work started because I saw a gap between how much young people cared and how disconnected they were from the actual machinery of democracy. That gap hasn’t fully closed, but we’re making good progress to show young people that they truly can shape the future of American politics.
Q: What does Immigrant Heritage Month mean to you personally? How does that tie in to your experience voting for the first time as a U.S. citizen?
Immigrant Heritage Month is personal in a way that’s hard to articulate clearly. I built eight years of work around the idea that everyone deserves a voice in the democracy they live in. For most of that time, I advocated for a system I wasn’t fully part of. That’s a specific kind of complicated — and I say that without resentment, because the work was always real regardless. But the tension was real, too.
When I became a citizen a few weeks ago, I genuinely didn’t expect the feeling it brought. I’ve stood outside polling locations helping voters navigate the process. I’ve helped register hundreds of thousands of young people. I know exactly how the machinery works. And yet, none of that prepared me for the actual feeling of registering myself.
What Immigrant Heritage Month means to me is that the American story isn’t finished being written. Immigrants built this country and keep building it — and in a democracy, that building happens at the ballot box. I spent years believing that before I could participate in it. Now I can. That’s not a small thing.
Q: How do you see community involvement and a willingness to engage impacting your work?
Everything we build at Voters of Tomorrow starts with community relationships. You can’t show up two weeks before an election and expect people to trust you with something as consequential as their civic participation. The organizations that actually move voters are the ones that have been part of the community for years — not because they needed something from it, but because they were integral to it.
For young people, especially, getting them to vote isn’t transactional. The people who succeed aren’t those who know the most about policy, or who are most committed to electing a certain candidate — they’re the ones who focus on building a community of like-minded Gen Zers, who have fun, enjoy each other’s company, and then turn the conversation towards politics.
Gen Z can tell immediately when an organization is parachuting in versus when it’s genuinely invested in them. If we want them to be part of democracy, voting cannot be a transaction. It must be a cultural moment that their community participates in.
My background as an immigrant is part of this, too. I know what it feels like to be in a place where your voice doesn’t formally count. I now know how to make an impact regardless.
We want to hear from you!
The story of Santiago is only one of many across our country, and your perspective is vital to this movement. Authentic voices are the bedrock of our democracy — when you share your lived experience, you help shape the national narrative and the policies that affect us all. Join the DNC Storytellers Network today to ensure your voice is heard and your story becomes part of our collective impact.
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Thanks for fighting with us! Together, we can make a difference.
In solidarity,
Jenny
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