She has spent much of her life saying goodbye.

At seven years old, Vanesa left her village in Oaxaca, Mexico, not knowing that the goodbye to her childhood home would last 25 years. In the United States, she learned a new language, built a family, and dreamed of a life beyond the limits placed on her by her undocumented status. She learned to say goodbye to opportunities—to travel, to college, to the freedom to simply leave and come home.

Then, in 2024, came the goodbye she never got to make: her father died in Mexico before she could reach him.

Today, Vanesa tells us what it means to build a life while never knowing what tomorrow might take away—and how, through it all, she has found the courage to keep showing up, keep speaking out, and remain true to where she comes from.

Many Roads to Here is a production of The Immigrant Story.

This episode was produced by Ashwini Chandrakanth, with audio editing by Jack McDonald and post-production by Gregg Palmer. The original interview was conducted by Sankar Raman in March 2026.

Thank you to St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton for the use of their space to record the interview.

This episode was made possible through a generous contribution from the Zidell Family Foundation. It is part of The Immigrant Story’s DREAMs Deferred collection, which explores the experiences of immigrant families living with uncertainty, separation, and the fear of what may come next.

To learn more about DREAMs Deferred, visit theimmigrantstory.org/dreams-deferred-3/.

For more stories, visit theimmigrantstory.org/manyroads, listen live at PRP.fm, or stream Many Roads to Here wherever you get your podcasts.