Local 10-year-old speaks about immigration
HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - It's a different perspective on immigration and it's coming from a local fourth grader. A Huntsville 10-year-old is separated from her dad and won't get to see him for 10 years.
"It was really hard for me because I got depression and I got sad and who wouldn't get sad if they were separated from their dad, he was a big part of my life," said Diana Sepulveda on YouTube.
Sepulveda hasn't lived with her dad in three years and is speaking out about immigration. Her father was sent back to Mexico after an officer saw a heated argument between him and his wife and authorities discovered he was illegal. He crossed the border at 16, but married a U.S. Citizen and had two children here.
Diana speaks her mind about this hot topic on YouTube.
"If they are joking around about immigration it could be very offensive," Sepulveda added. She's only 10 years old, but wants to spread the word about what it's like to be separated from a parent.
"There were daddy daughter dances, I wish I could do a lot of stuff with him," Sepulveda explained. Their family says they've spent more than $13,000 to try and get him back to the United States which he called home.
Sepulveda's mother, who chose not to show her face, says they've tried everything to get him back. "When people say the law is the law and you have to do what you have to do well you do it and you are still stuck it's awful, it's awful. It's unfair and unjust," she said.
Sepulveda plans to upload more YouTube videos to give others another perspective on immigration. "To think what if that was me, I would be sad and not happy," said Sepulveda. She has a message to immigrants facing deportation at the border. "No matter if you are alone in the cage with other kids then they are like your family and brother and sisters too and not to be scared too."
"I think she is coming out of her shell and to be able to do something like that is really like wow that is really great of you and very brave and shows character," Sepulveda's mother said.
Copyright 2018 WAFF. All rights reserved.
