Born in Mexicali, Baja California, and raised in the Coachella Valley, Dalia is a proud Mexican American immigrant with a deep fondness for the desert and its community. Growing up in a labor camp, Dalia and her family earned a living as field workers. There, she experienced the immense financial inequities and communal disenfranchisement that immigrants and fieldworkers undergo from an early age. These hardships are what inspired Dalia to pursue a career in immigration law and political consulting, where she hopes to contribute to a more dignified, just, and opportunity-rich United States of America for all.
Her pursuit for social justice led Dalia to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a minor in Ethnic Studies. As an undergraduate, Dalia’s efforts centered on empowering immigrant communities and their intersectional identities. To this goal, she worked with programs that uplift underprivileged peoples, such as Puente and the Undocumented Student Center. The result was a significant line of research regarding disadvantaged youth and a published report outlining and advising UC Berkeley about the post-graduate needs of undergraduate, undocumented students. She was also granted the privilege to meet with UC Regent Jose Herenadez to the same effort, served as a University of California, Los Angeles Law Fellow, and was a recipient of The Achievement Award Program.
Dalia is proudly placed at the LGBT Asylum Project as a DreamSF fellow. There, she will assist queer individuals fleeing prosecution in their native countries file for asylum in the U.S. She is excited to be of service to the community meanwhile developing her case management, political research, and overall expertise in immigration law.
On a personal level, Dalia is a deeply curious, passionate, and creative individual. She enjoys swimming, painting, being outdoors, and spending time with her family and their cats – Boba, Pumpkin, and Cherry.
