Erika Hernandez was born in San Francisco el Alto, Guatemala. Surrounded by lots of trees, Erika enjoyed freshly picked fruits. Her parents decided to travel to   America, so they left Guatemala when she was 12 years old.  When she arrived in the U.S., everything was new to her.  Little by little Erika started to understand English, liking it more with time. She listened to music in English and although she didn’t always understand it, she’d sing along.

Erika is a student at San Francisco State University, working towards attaining a bachelors in business administration with a focus in accounting. Erika is the first in her family to attend college, and she strives to make her parents proud by graduating from university.  Erika has faced many struggles, especially around issues of employment by being undocumented. Obtaining DACA has helped her live a life that doesn't have to rely on risk-taking and uncertainty.

Erika believes passionately in the importance of informing communities about their rights, especially their rights as immigrants.  As a DreamSF Fellow, Erika is placed at Causa Justa :: Just Cause, a coalition that focuses on people’s rights both in the African American and Latino communities. At CJJC Erika has met with families who have been evicted and others who face hardship when it comes to affordable housing and renters rights. She is saddened by these issues affecting people, especially immigrant families with children.