Cristina is the co-founder and the executive director of United We Dream (UWD), an organization that created a space where immigrant young people are fighting for dignity and justice for all immigrants.
Through her leadership, Cristina has focused on leveraging the power of undocumented immigrant youth and supporting them as they “come out of the shadows” as a way to shine a light on the real consequences of our strained and incoherent immigration system. UWD’s influence created the political opening that led to the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012.
Cristina is also a co-founder of the New York State Youth Leadership Council, which supports emerging leaders on the state and national level. She is a regular presence on national and international media, shifting the perspective on what is achievable immigration policy change. In 2017, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, where the foundation called her “a powerful force in the immigration rights movement.”
We’re recognizing Cristina for her ability to lead fellow immigrant youth by example and for her strategic personal risks to advance the cause of justice.