Vida Diferida (Life, Deferred)

Vida Diferida begun as a yearly, end-of-the year compilation for a non-profit working with immigrant families. I was a Heritage Spanish teacher at the middle school where Vanessa attended and was also in charge of some community outreach events and communication with student’s families. Each passing year, a video compilation hoped to reveal the children’s growth and bring them closer to their academic and life goals. However, undocumented youth in the group had to learn how to slow themselves down, limit their aspirations and prepare for an adulthood to be spent in the shadows. As I compiled the life of Vanessa over several years, DACA happened. While there are wonderful sources and organizations bringing awareness to the DREAMers’ plight, this personal, coming-of-age visual testimony highlights family and community relations as an integral part of the experience. Over the course of the film, we share everyday events with the Martinez’s family; picnics, birthday parties and graduations of a tigh-knitted family trying to make the most out of life. Years go by, relationships come and go, but the clock is ticking as Vanessa runs out of options for her future. The film time span is also crucial for a deeper understanding of DACA and raises questions about the challenges ahead. I hope this film brings immigration conversations into a place where entire families are remembered in the context of their children, and that these children find support and encouragement from the audiences of this film.