Our Stories: Underpaid, unseen and unrepresented

"Our Stories" were written and produced by Garcelle Franklin. Garcelle is a graduate student at the University of Denver and a fellow for Rocky Mountain PBS.

This series explores the celebrations and marginalization of underserved communities that often go unnoticed. "Our Stories" aim to bring knowledge and awareness to overlooked areas by allowing community members to shape their own narratives by sharing their stories. We hope that these videos shed light on what is happening in local areas and show people how they can create change in their own communities.

DENVER — Immigrants account for more than 10% of Colorado's population. Despite being a large part of Colorado's community, immigrants are often overlooked when it comes to policies and benefits. 

Pamela Silva, who is from Brazil, began her citizenship process early in 2020, with the expectation that it would only take 80 days.

Unfortunately, for some people, the process to citizenship has taken over 300 days, and the expectations they had of America have been met with the crushing reality of the division in our nation.

Silva spoke with Rocky Mountain PBS about the impact the past year has had on immigrant communities.