Undocumented people, Iván Ceja says, just don’t have the time for trolls or ideologues. In their not-so-small corner of Instagram, they have each other to care about.
Ceja is the co-founder of Undocumedia, a non-profit and social media presence, is for the undocumented, by the undocumented.
The project started as a Facebook group to provide family and friends with material on how to apply to Daca. Five years, a name change and over half a million followers later, their page still gives readers serious news, legal advice, comedy, and relatable, feel-good memes galore.
“Empowering, educating and informing our people. That’s what we need the most at the moment,” says Justino Mora, Undocumedia’s other co-founder.
That’s where the power lies: not exactly in the lolz, but in the stories around them.
“It’s putting a face to this issue. We’re making it personal. I was your student, or your employee, or perhaps your boss. I’m also a human being,” says Mora.
Here are some examples of their campaigns:
#OriginalDreamers: the hashtag that pays homage to Dreamers’ parents
A Dreamer had to have been under six when they immigrated to be eligible for Daca. This clause exempts them, but makes their parents the supposed criminal. This tag undoes that narrative, highlighting that a journey to achieve a better life for their kids comes from a place love.
#Undocugrad: The hashtag that celebrates Dreamers’ graduation day
Inspired by @LatinaRebels, this feed is rich with the typical hugs and boomeranged shimmies that go with graduation day. But the long captions reflect on the collective will that got each of them across the stage — their parents, their siblings, their culture.
Days left with Daca: The campaign that highlights how pressing passing a clean Dream Act is
At least 154,200 Dreamers could lose their status by 5 March 2018. “Time is running out,” says Mora. So he began counting down the days to “make others feel the urgency”. Dozens followed.
