For young Humberto Marquez, dedicating himself to his studies meant he could get away from the bullying he received in school.
“I invested a lot of time in books,” the studious Marquez recalled.
It’s a feeling shared by many a bookworm, but for him the story is a little different.
Now in his 20’s and a resounding success story of getting a post-secondary education as a DACA recipient, he parlayed those books into a dream, which now inspires him to perform community organizing for Arkansas United Community Coalition.
Many youngsters are bullied, but for Marquez the cause surely stung fiercely as a Hispanic kid stuck in rural, largely White Western Arkansas, the small city of Waldron nestled in the Ouachita Mountains near Fort Smith.
Born in Mexico, Marquez and his family first moved to Los Angeles, where they felt right at home, so much so he didn’t realize they’d immigrated. No culture shock was felt there, but the economic struggle was real. So the promised land of Arkansas became the Marquez family’s new home, and that’s where the shock came and, along with it, opportunity.
Although unfamiliar with everything from the food to the English language, Humberto persevered even as he felt different from everyone else and gradually realized his undocumented status limited life’s options.
