Published by La Cuenta
Words by Fiama
Illustration by Veeva Gomez
I came across this story in the Ann Friedman Weekly newsletter, and she’d seen it in La Cuenta, which tells the stories of undocumented individuals across the US. But Fiama first told her story in October last year, at PLAN’s fourth annual Immigrant Storytelling Show: En Nuestras Propias Palabras. I love the story’s quiet power, driven by Fiama’s determination and her realisation that a traumatic experience could actually help deliver the stability she wants for herself and her family.
I want to tell you about the time when fear didn't come from the gun pointed at me, it came from my immigration status.
I was 22 years old, working at a Cricket store in Tempe. It was already dark outside, and I was behind the counter finishing some work, when a man walked in wearing a black hoodie. I smiled politely and greeted him, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out a gun and told me to open the register.