ALEXIS MARÍA MARTÍN FINTLAND

Political Activist.

Ambitious Scholar.

Policy Researcher.

Aspiring Attorney.

“In light of changes to recent asylum rules and immigration court decisions, the very principle of one’s right to protection is in peril. Asylees and refugees need strong, outspoken advocates who will stand behind them.”

My name is Alexis Fintland and I am from Pasadena, California. As the daughter and granddaughter of Cuban refugees, I am very aware of the many obstacles immigrants must face when arriving in a daunting and often unwelcoming United States of America.  After enduring five years of severe poverty and death threats, my family arrived in the United States with not much more than the clothes on their backs.

While Cuba and the United States share tense relations, fortunately, U.S. policies historically have shifted to welcome fleeing Cubans. I recognize that the policy implications of the U.S. government's strategic decision have created many privileges for Cubans compared to other migrant groups today, however, my family’s transition to the U.S. was still far from easy. When my mother and abuelos moved to Miami, work was scarce, and wages were low. My mother, struggling with health conditions, was brought into a hospital where she was unknowingly experimented on because my abuelos didn't speak English. My mother suffered permanent damage to her legs and feet. Meanwhile, my family was left skeptical and distrustful of an unfamiliar country that they would be forced to call their new home.

Many of the challenges that immigrants face have persisted for decades and continue to manifest themselves in different ways. Over the past 1-2 years, my family members seeking asylum have embarked on traumatic journeys across borders, struggled to overcome the difficulty of learning a new language, and have taken on several low-paying jobs to make ends meet. The truth is, there is so much work that needs to be done in order to end the exploitation, criminalization, and marginalization of immigrant communities.

Throughout my educational and professional career, I have focused my passion on researching ways to end the precarity immigrants face, both in the workplace and in their communities. This work has inspired me to pursue a law career centered on asylum and refugee representation, an area of immigration law that faces significant uncertainty in the future. In light of changes to recent asylum rules and immigration court decisions, the very principle of one’s right to protection is in peril. Asylees and refugees need strong, outspoken advocates who will stand behind them.

Through this website, I hope to document most of my ongoing work…papers, publications, projects, and pictures…in an attempt to record my personal growth and share my passion with others. For those who wish to follow me along this journey, thank you. I am incredibly grateful for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Alexis