About THe Film

What We Are From is a feature-length documentary by Erick Arredondo and Diego Estrada Bernuy that follows the stories of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients as they return to their homelands for the first time since immigrating to the United States. After more than 20 years away, they step back into the sights, sounds, and memories they left behind, confronting the weight of their journeys and reclaiming the joy often silenced by their undocumented status. The film highlights the transformative impact of the Cultural Leadership Fellowship, a program that empowers undocumented individuals to grow in community through Advance Parole travel. Through powerful and intimate storytelling, What We Are From captures moments of reflection, healing, and resilience as undocumented leaders reunite with their families. In their search for belonging, they discover that home is not just a place, but what we carry with us and what we find in each other.

About CLF

The Cultural Leadership Fellowship (CLF), founded by Alejandra Pérez and Yuriana Garcia Tellez in 2022 at Scholar Fund, is an educational and cultural leadership initiative. Its mission is to offer DACA recipients the opportunity to participate in culturally sustaining programming through Advance Parole. In just two years, the program has made a significant impact, accepting over 250 DACA recipients living across 30 states and hailing originally from over 20 countries with opportunities to travel to Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Portugal, France, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Guatemala, and Mexico.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the DACA recipients who embarked on this journey to Peru, Mexico, and Guatemala. A heartfelt thank you to all our past fellows and ambassadors. We are deeply grateful to our amazing team at Scholar Fund, especially the incredible group of undocumented women who lead our trips: Alejandra Pérez, Cindy Marquina Negrete, Vicky Matey, and Yuriana Garcia Tellez, as well as the incredible support of Renata Zometa and Rossio Zometa.