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Manuel L. Hinojosa

Border Humanity Project storyteller

Bio

Manuel Leonel Hinojosa is a Texas native, born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. Manuel comes from a family of seven and is very thankful for how his family and friends have helped shape who he is today. 

Manuel is a senior at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He is on track to graduate with a double major in economics and cultural anthropology in 2022. Throughout his time at school, Manuel has been very active in several on-campus jobs and student groups. 

Manuel started his work at the ACLU of Texas in the summer of 2021 as a consultant for the Border Humanity Project. Manuel plans on using his education and experience at the ACLU to continue advocating for racial justice and immigration rights, especially back home in the Rio Grande Valley. 
 

Featured Work

News & Commentary
Image of the Rio Grande near Brownsville Texas
  • Border and Immigrants’ Rights|
  • +1 Issue

The border is my home. It represents hope for many.

When someone asks me where I’m from, I tell them I’m Rio Grande Valley born and raised. I was born in Harlingen, Texas and lived in nearby Elsa nearly all my life. Until I left for college at 21 years old, I had never realized how much I took the valley for granted; how much I love the food and weather, the livestock show, and South Padre Island. I have also come to realize how much I love the security and complexity of the valley. I grew up at the intersection of two very different countries, where a unique and collaborative culture has flourished over generations. I never knew it was one of the safest regions in the country, it was just something I felt both spiritually and emotionally.  When I moved across the country for college, I experienced culture shock. Meeting people from different backgrounds than the predominantly Hispanic/Latino border region I was used to pushed me out of my comfort zone. I learned and experienced new things I had never encountered growing up such as racism, microaggressions, and implicit biases. In hindsight, the valley was a shield that protected me. But ignorance is not so blissful, as they say. Being slapped in the face with the realities of present-day racism and prejudice in the United States has forced me to re-evaluate my own ideas about society. I struggled with the concept that I might be using the homogeneity of the valley as a form of protection to remain in my blissfully unaware bubble.