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Outlook: Hiding in plain sight: My family's secret

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Rafael Agustin and family

09/12/2023 GMT

Hiding in plain sight: My family's secret

BBC World Service - Outlook, Hiding in plain sight: My family's secret

Rafael Agustin's 'all-American' life fell apart when he discovered he was undocumented

Rafael Agustin's 'all-American' identity looked like it had just been a dream when he discovered he was undocumented.

Rafael Agustin moved to the United States from Ecuador when he was seven. He grew up immersed in American culture and idolised heartthrob Zack Morris from his favourite TV show Saved by the Bell. Rafael thought of himself as a popular all-American high-schooler just like Zack. But his family had kept something secret from him: Rafael was undocumented. With his sense of identity suddenly undermined, Rafael had to start again on his own terms. He would go on to navigate life through college and rise to fame on the national stage. He's written a memoir called Illegally Yours.

A longer version of this interview was first broadcast in June 2023.

Presenter: Andrea Kennedy
Producer: Emily Naylor

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: Rafael as a child with his parents. Credit: Rafael Agustin)

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