Reflection

I have a long-standing history of connecting my Spanish learning to my personal and professional life. A plethora of hobbies involve Spanish culture or language, like Latin dancing and watching La Liga Spanish professional soccer. Additionally, a lot of the media I consume relates to border politics and refugee migration (like the Honduran migrant caravan of 2018-19, or the current Venezuelan refugee exodus). In short, the Spanish language and Pan-American/Iberian culture have permeated my life for a long time.

For this section, I have been tasked with narrowing down my personal and professional involvement with Spanish language and culture to just two artifacts. I selected artifacts from two of my most meaningful, fulfilling projects; one professional, and one voluntary. Each of these projects greatly enhanced my understanding and appreciation for Latin-American culture and the Spanish language. Like all my pursuits, these projects involved asylum/immigration law for Hispanic immigrants in the United States.

I will begin by describing my volunteer work for the Detained Refugee Solidarity Fund, a non-profit organization started by Carlos Espina, a longtime friend and fellow aspiring immigration lawyer. My role in the organization was to identify detainees in ICE detention facilities and provide them with emotional support by writing them letters. In essence, I was a pen-pal for immigrants facing possible deportation. These detainees were in incredibly stressful circumstances. Detainment and deportation would inevitably separate them from many family members, careers, friends, and a beloved community. I was privileged and humbled to be able to get to know and console 30 plus detainees during my involvement in the organization. I found that the detainees greatly enjoyed the interaction, and sometimes sent me original drawings of their conditions in detainment (one of which is included below).

The second artifact is an affidavit, or personal statement, by Luis Barreto Castillo, a client and friend of mine from Venezuela. Luis was one of the first clients who’s case I was assigned to while I worked as a paralegal at Intermountain Immigration Attorneys in Lehi, Utah. Luis experienced brutal psychological persecution in his home country due to his political opinion and vocal opposition against the communist regime. I came across more than a hundred equally tragic cases during my time at the firm. I am incredibly grateful for the chance I had to assist in the work of helping asylum applicants begin a new life in the United States where they could enjoy the basic human rights and freedoms I have enjoyed all my life.

Through both of these projects, I have improved my ability to converse with Spanish speakers from various different backgrounds. I wrote letters to and took cases from people from all across Central America, Venezuela, and Colombia. As such, I was exposed to new accents, jargon, and topics of conversation. More than anything, I believe my soul has been enriched by meeting so many wonderful, brave, and resilient people.

I intend to be involved in similar work for the rest of my life. I will be working towards obtaining my law degree, thereby allowing me to continue working with asylum applicants and other immigrants. In the meantime, I will continue to be active in advocating for immigrants through my participation in clubs, organizations, and rallies. I hope that my past experience (both in professional and personal arenas) and Spanish language competence will allow me to be an effective advocate.

Detainee Letter Project

For an extended period, I wrote letters to detainees at ICE federal detention centers in Montgomery, Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana, and several other locations. These letters were meant to uplift and support detainees. Below I have an introductory letter explaining who I am and my purpose in writing them (in both English and Spanish).

Hola me llamo Kyle. Soy un estudiante aquí en Utah estudiando para ser un abogado de inmigración (aunque falte mucho tiempo para realizarlo). Nací en Texas donde asistía la escuela, jugaba futbol y seguía una vida normal. Cuando tenía 19 años salí de mi casa para vivir en Quetzaltenango, Guatemala por dos años donde servía a otros e intentaba amar a la gente como Jesucristo la hubiera amado. Allá conocí a varias personas que me han cambiado la vida por lo mejor. Muchas personas quienes conocí me dijeron que tenían familia en los Estados Unidos; tíos, hijos, padres. Sé que los extrañaban mucho, pero muros nos separan física y políticamente (como tu bien sabes). Tu historia y tu vida vale mucho para mí y para muchas personas más. Si puedo, quiero ser tu amigo, apoyarte y empoderarte de cualquier manera posible.

Si tu quieres, puedes contarme como es la vida dentro del centro de detención o como era la vida antes de que le detuvieran ICE. Haré todo lo que esté en mi alcance para ayudarte en este tiempo crítico. Más que todo, estoy aquí para ser tu amigo.

Por último, si conoces a alguien más en el centro de detención contigo que les gustaría escribir cartas, te pido que me mandes el nombre completo y número A para que me pueda contactar con ellxs. Espero anhelosamente continuar la conversación por medio de carta dirigido hacia esta dirección:

Kyle S Painter

185 300 N

Apartment #11

Provo, UT 84606

No estas solo. Dios conoce tu lucha y ha preparado una manera para que encuentres gozo en cualquier circunstancia. Espero ser un instrumento en las manos de Dios para ayudarte y amistarte en estos tiempos difíciles.

Sinceramente,

Kyle Painter

Hey, my name is Kyle. I’m a college student here in Utah studying to be an immigration lawyer (although I have a lot of schooling before I become one). I was born and raised in Texas where I attended school, played soccer, and lead a normal life. When I was 19 I left home to live in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala for two years serving others and trying to love the people there as Jesus Christ would love them. There I met many people who have changed my life for the better. Many people that I met told me that they had family members up in the United States; aunts, uncles, fathers. I know how much they missed them, but borders separate us both physically and politically (which you know all too well). Your story/life matters to me and to many others. If I can, I want to befriend, support, and strengthen you in any way that I can.

If you’d like, you can tell me how life is within the detention center, or what life was like before you were detained by ICE. I’ll do whatever is in my power to help you in this critical time. More than anything, I am here as a friend.

Lastly, if there is anyone else in the detention facility with you that would like to write letters with me and count on my support, please send me their names and ‘A number’ so I can contact them. I look forward to hearing from you through a letter at this address:

Kyle S. Painter

185 300 N

Apartment #11

Provo, UT 84606

You are not alone, and God knows your struggle and has prepared a way for you to find joy in any circumstance. I hope to be an instrument in His hands to help and befriend you in these difficult times.

Sincerely,

Kyle Painter

Asylum Petition Work

In the summer of 2022, I worked at Intermountain Attorneys, an immigration law firm located in Lehi, Utah. I had the honor of working with hundreds of asylum applicants living in Utah and across the United States.

Original (Spanish)

Declaración de Luis Eduardo Ramon Barreto Castillo

Mi nombre es Luis Eduardo Ramón Barreto Castillo. Nací el 17 de abril de 1985 en Coro, Venezuela. Actualmente no estoy casado, y no tengo hijos.
Mi padre trabajaba como ingeniero petrolero para PDVSA (la empresa gubernamental de gas y petróleo de Venezuela). Desde muy temprana edad, vi cómo el gobierno venezolano no logró crear una operación funcional para la extracción de petróleo. Mi padre a menudo se quejaba de las malas decisiones del gobierno con respecto a la industria petrolera.
Siempre me ha molestado que nuestro país, que ha sido bendecido con una abundancia de recursos naturales, permanezca en la pobreza debido a la ineptitud y corrupción del gobierno. Decidí ingresar al campo de la ingeniería petrolera, con la esperanza de cambiar las cosas para lo mejor.
Durante los años 2012 y 2013, las protestas antigubernamentales comenzaron a intensificarse. En ese momento yo estaba estudiando ingeniería química en la universidad.
En aquel entonces participaba en la Unión de Estudiantes de la universidad. El 3 de febrero de 2013 nos reunimos en la plaza de los estudiantes para protestar.
Otra organización estudiantil llamada Centro de Estudiantes José Chirinos (un grupo progubernamental) vino y comenzó a agredirnos verbalmente y acosar a miembros de la Unión de Estudiantes.
El evento rápidamente se tornó violento. La gente del grupo progubernamental empezó a llamarnos “escuálido”, “pitiyanky.” Algunos de ellos se involucraron en enfrentamientos físicos.
Salí corriendo de la protesta y me fui a casa. Las clases en la universidad fueron suspendidas por el resto del semestre.
Por esta época se intensificó el paro petrolero nacional, lo cual resultó en una devastadora escasez de productos esenciales. Como acto de protesta, la Unión de Estudiantes recolectó firmas para el referéndum revocatorio nacional (petición cuyo propósito era revocar la presidencia de Hugo Chávez). El referéndum revocatorio fue un movimiento nacional de la oposición de Chávez para cuestionar la legitimidad de la elección presidencial. firmé el referéndum; una acción que terminaría perjudicándome mucho en el futuro.
Me tomé un año libre de estudios. Mi amigo era el director del Centro Académico de la Universidad Nacional Experimental de las Fuerzas Armadas. Ella me ayudó a obtener un lugar en su programa de Ingeniería Petroquímica.
La Universidad estaba a cargo del Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, por lo que era muy evidente que se inclinaba hacia la izquierda. Mis profesores nos presionaron para que nos suscribiéramos al partido de izquierda, el Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela. Me vi obligado a suscribirme o arriesgarme a perder mi posición en el programa.
Durante un día de clases, nuestros profesores de la Universidad nos llevaron al centro de votación y nos presionaron para votar por el candidato del Partido Socialista. No voté por el candidato socialista, así que me hicieron caminar a casa.
En la Universidad, se requería nuestra asistencia a varios mítines políticos. Allí nos adoctrinaron con propaganda izquierdista y socialista. Poco a poco nos empujaron a hacer cosas más radicales.
Permítanme aclarar que no éramos miembros de las fuerzas armadas/militares. La gran mayoría de los estudiantes éramos civiles. A pesar de esto, la facultad de la Universidad nos obligó a marchar, portar armas y practicar tiro.
El 12 de noviembre de 2013, todos los estudiantes de la Universidad recibieron uniformes militares estilo cubano para vestir. Luego nos ordenaron subir a un autobús sin decirnos adónde íbamos. Nos llevaron hasta Caracas, la capital de Venezuela.
Cuando llegamos nos dijeron que habría una concentración porque venía el presidente Chávez. Nos dieron a cada uno un rifle sin municiones.
Nos ordenaron formar una línea de marcha en medio de la plaza. Nos dijeron que miráramos a nuestro alrededor. En todos los edificios que nos rodeaban, había francotiradores posicionados, apuntándonos con sus armas. Nos ordenaron que no hiciéramos nada sospechoso, o nos dispararían.
Chávez llegó y todos aplaudimos. Inició una ceremonia de juramento. Los estudiantes y yo nos vimos obligados a unirnos con el Presidente cuando Chávez nos juramentó como la “Milicia Estudiantil Bolivariana”, y nos encargó a “proteger y promover el socialismo”.
Después de eso, el personal de la Universidad quería entrenarnos para una próxima invasión estadounidense. Fui a uno de esos entrenamientos, en el que me enseñaron a disparar un rifle.
En otras palabras, el gobierno de Venezuela estaba entrenando y armando a sus civiles. Negué asistir más entrenamientos. Pronto terminé mis estudios y comencé a trabajar.
El gobierno venezolano utilizó el referéndum revocatorio para castigar a la oposición. Como había firmado el referéndum antes, se me negó trabajo en todas las principales compañías petroleras controladas por el gobierno. Eventualmente encontré trabajo en Bohai Drilling, un negocio que no estaba afiliado con el petróleo del gobierno.
Hugo Chávez murió por esta misma época. Asistí a una protesta política contra el gobierno durante las nuevas elecciones. Colectivos llegaron a la protesta y amenazaron a las personas que protestaban allí. Nos llamaban “escuálidos” y otros nombres despectivos asociados con el movimiento de oposición. Los Colectivos estaban armados. Decidí irme porque me sentía personalmente amenazado.
En Bohai Drilling, me pusieron a cargo de otros 15 empleados. Mientras estaba con estos 15 trabajadores, me quejaba sobre cómo el gobierno estaba operando la industria petrolera de Venezuela. Estaba molesto porque el gobierno local exigió que pagáramos tarifas para perforar en un área de perforación que era propiedad privada.
Sospecho que uno de estos 15 trabajadores estaba informando al gobierno porque poco después fui encontrado por Colectivos. El 16 de abril de 2017, estaba caminando de regreso al campamento petrolero cuando cuatro Colectivos armados en motocicletas vinieron y me detuvieron.
Obviamente sabían quién era yo porque uno de ellos me llamó "químico". Pasaron a gritarme por estar en contra de la llamada “revolución gloriosa”. Me dijo que yo estaba “diciendo huevonadas sobre el gobierno”, y que, si continuaba haciéndolo, “terminaría con moscas en la boca”, lo que implicaba que me iban a matar.
Estaba tan asustado que renuncié a mi trabajo. Durante aproximadamente un mes y medio viví con varios familiares. Compré un boleto desde Valencia, Venezuela a Perú. Huí a Arequipa, Perú el 22 de junio de 2017.
Al principio fui bien recibido en Perú. Pero, a medida que llegaban más venezolanos a Perú, la xenofobia y el nacionalismo aumentaron entre la población peruana. Un día estacioné mal y un peruano me gritó groserías y me dijo que volviera a mi país. En otra ocasión, un taxista me gritó que los venezolanos le quitaron el trabajo a su hija y le hicieron la vida más difícil a los peruanos. En la zona donde yo vivía hubo una protesta contra la migración venezolana.
Cabe resaltar que nunca recibí ningún tipo de residencia permanente en el Perú. Decidí escapar a Chile en octubre de 2018. Al principio, amaba Chile y experimentaba una paz relativa. Sin embargo, las protestas de izquierda comenzaron poco después de mi llegada. Las protestas en el barrio donde vivía se volvieron increíblemente violentas y destructivas. Estos hechos me recordaron la propaganda comunista/socialista que plagaba a Venezuela. Por lo tanto, decidí que tenía que irme antes de que las cosas empeoraran en Chile.
Cabe resaltar que, en Chile, sí tenía una visa de trabajo temporaria. En septiembre de 2021 salí de Chile en avión rumbo a México. Estuve en México durante unos dos días en total hasta que me entregué a las autoridades fronterizas en la frontera de los Estados Unidos.
Ahora solicito asilo dentro de los Estados Unidos. Juro solemnemente que todas las declaraciones aquí consignadas son verdaderas.

Luis Eduardo Ramon Barreto Castillo

English Translation

Declaration of Luis Eduardo Ramon Barreto Castillo

My name is Luis Eduardo Ramon Barreto Castillo. I was born on the 17th of April of 1985 in Coro, Venezuela. I am currently not married, and I have no children.
My father worked as a petroleum engineer for the PDVSA (the state-owned gas and oil company of Venezuela). From an early age, I saw how the Venezuelan government failed to create a functional operation for oil extraction. My father often complained about the government’s poor decision-making in regard to the oil industry.
I have always resented that our country—which is blessed with an abundance of natural resources—remains in poverty due to government ineptitude and corruption. I decided to enter the field of petroleum engineering, hoping to change things for the better.
During the years 2012 and 2013, the anti-government protests began to intensify. At the time, I was studying chemical engineering at the university.
I was then participating in the Student Union of the university. On the 3rd of February of 2013, we met in the student plaza to protest.
Another student organization called the Jose Chirinos Center for Students (a pro-government group) came and began verbally assaulting and harassing members of the Student Union.
The event quickly became violent. People from the pro-government group began calling us “escuálido”, “pitiyanky” and other derogatory things (implying that we were rebelling against the Communist party). Some of them engaged in physical confrontation.
I ran out of the protest and went home. Classes at the university were suspended for the rest of the semester.
Around this time, the national petroleum strike intensified, resulting in disastrous shortages of essential products. As an act of continual protest, the Student Union collected signatures for the national recall referendum (a petition whose purpose was to recall the presidency from Hugo Chavez). The recall referendum was a national movement from the Chavez’ opposition to challenge the legitimacy of the presidential election. I signed the referendum; an action that would end up harming me greatly down the road.
I took a year off of studies. My friend was the director of the Academic Center at the National Experimental University of the Armed Forces. She helped me gain a spot in their Petro-chemical Engineering program.
The University was run by the National Ministry of Defense, so it was very obviously left leaning. My professors pressured us to subscribe to the leftist party, the Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela. I was forced to subscribe or risk losing my position in the program.
During a school day, our professors at the University took us to the voting center and pressured us to vote for the Socialist party candidate. I didn’t vote for the Socialist candidate, so they made me walk home.
At the University, our attendance was required at various political rallies. There, we were indoctrinated with leftist, pro-government propaganda. Little by little, they pushed us to do more radical things.
Let me clarify that we were not members of the armed forces/military. The vast majority of us students were civilians. Despite that fact, faculty and staff compelled us to march, bear arms, and practice shooting.
On November 12th of 2013, all the University students were given Cuban style military uniforms to wear. They then ordered us to get onto a bus without telling us where we were going. They took us all the way to Caracas, the Capital of Venezuela.
When we arrived, we were told there would be a rally because President Chavez was coming. They gave each of us a rifle without ammunition.
They ordered us to form a marching line in the middle of the square. They told us to look around. In all the buildings surrounding us, there were snipers positioned, pointing their weapons at us. We were instructed not to do anything suspicious, or we would be shot.
Chavez arrived with great fanfare. He initiated a swearing in ceremony. The students and I were compelled to join as Chavez swore us in as the “Bolivarian Student Militia”, and charged us with “protecting and promoting Socialism.”
After that, the University staff wanted to train us for an incoming American invasion. I went to one such training, in the which I was trained on how to shoot a rifle.
In other words, the government of Venezuela was training and arming its civilians. I denied being trained anymore. I soon ended my studies and started working.
The Venezuelan government used the recall referendum to punish opposition. Since I had signed the referendum earlier, I was denied work at all of the major government-controlled oil companies. I eventually found work at Bohai Drilling, a service that was not affiliated with government oil.
Hugo Chavez died around this same time. I attended a political protest against the government during the new elections. Colectivos (a secret police faction of the Socialist party) came to the protest and threatened the people protesting there. They called us “escuálidos” and other derogatory names associated with the opposition movement. The Colectivos were armed. I decided to leave quickly because I felt personally threatened.
At Bohai Drilling, I was put in charge of 15 other employees. While I was with these 15 workers, I made complaints about how the government was operating the oil industry of Venezuela. I was annoyed because the local government demanded that we pay fees to drill in a privately owned drilling area.
I suspect that one of these 15 workers reported on me to the government, because soon thereafter, I was confronted by Colectivos. On the 16th of April of 2017, I was walking back to the oil camp when four armed Colectivos on motorcycles came and stopped me.
They obviously knew who I was because one of them called me “chemist.” They went on to shout at me for being against the so-called “glorious revolution.” He said to me that I was “speaking nonsense about the government,” and that if I continued to do so, that I would “end up with flies in my mouth,” implying that I would die.
I was so frightened that I quit my job. For about a month and a half I lived with my relatives. I bought a ticket from Valencia, Venezuela to Peru. I fled to Arequipa, Peru on the 22nd of June 2017.
At first, I was well received in Peru. But, as more Venezuelans arrived in Peru, xenophobia and nationalism increased within the Peruvian population. One day, I parked poorly, and a Peruvian man yelled profanities at me and told me to return to my country. On another occasion, a taxi driver yelled at me, saying that Venezuelans took their daughter’s job and made life harder for Peruvians. In the area where I lived, there was a protest against Venezuelan migration.
Note that I never received any type of permanent residency in Peru. I decided to escape to Chile in October of 2018. At first, I loved Chile and experienced relative peace. However, leftist protests began soon after my arrival. Protests in the neighborhood where I lived became incredibly violent and destructive. These occurrences reminded me of the Communist/Socialist propaganda that plagued Venezuela. Therefore, I decided that I needed to leave before things got worse in Chile.
Note that in Chile, I did have a temporary work visa. In September of 2021, I left Chile by plane for Mexico. I was in Mexico for about two days total until I turned myself in to the border authorities at the U.S. border.
I now plea for asylum within the United States. I solemnly swear that all the statements here recorded are true.

Luis Eduardo Ramon Barreto Castillo