Kendall’s “Papa” — her father’s dad — has spent more than half a century trying to live the promise of the American dream. He became a U.S. citizen long ago, built a life in Los Angeles and devoted himself to family through decades of sacrifice and steady love.
But as immigration enforcement reshapes what fear looks like in this country, even citizens can feel vulnerable, judged and potentially targeted for how they look or speak.
Her Papa is now doing something Kendall never imagined: considering a return to Peru, the country he fled in 1969.
Kendall’s piece tells her Papa’s story and by extension her own, tracing how a lifetime of belonging can be undone by constant anxiety. She explores what it means to “make it” in America when safety no longer feels guaranteed.
This piece is part of "Resilience in the Age of ICE," a series of podcasts and essays produced by students at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and published by Golden State. Visit golden-state.org/USCproject for more.
