Compelled to Act as a United Force

All of us at UnitedWeStay have a very personal stake in working for immigration reform, in helping Undocumented Americans find a path toward living the lives we’ve earned with the self-evident rights we hold. We are Dreamers, immigrants, first-generation Americans and human rights activists. We believe that justice will prevail if enough of us persist.

Marcelino Jose Miyares, Founder/Editor-in-Chief

With a BA degree from Northwestern University and 30 years of corporate and entrepreneurial marketing experience, Marcelino now heads two downtown L.A. marketing firms, Direct2Hispanic and Integra Group Ventures. When Proposition 187 was put before California voters in 1994, Marcelino worked pro-bono to defeat the bill. Even though its supporters prevailed, the courts ultimately dismantled the law. From that point on, he has looked for more ways to grow public support for immigration as a human rights issue. Marcelino believes the most effective way to do this is by sharing the stories of America’s Undocumented. In 2014, he founded UnitedWeStay to provide a gathering place for the millions of stories that needed to be told, the immigration news lacking a centralized focus and the advocacy efforts requiring a larger spotlight. With the growth of UWS, Marcelino has added a weekly Immigration News Central newsletter and is hosting The Portraits of Esperanza, an immigrant superhero graphic novel he co-created and art directs. As a first-generation Cuban-American, Marcelino knows firsthand the immigrant story. His parents fled the Castro regime and made a new life for themselves and their family in the United States more than half a century ago.

Barbara Rabinowitz, Writer/Editor

Barbara’s work in marketing communications has spanned four decades and crossed corporate, educational, nonprofit and political platforms. Her most recent political work has involved growing public support for state and local issues and candidates, many of them first-generation Americans. Always an activist, she has used her writing skills to promote human rights and social justice. She has authored and edited several books and holds a master’s degree from the University of North Florida. At UnitedWeStay, Barbara works on crafting the organization’s message, gathering the news and helping tell the stories of the Undocumented. She is also the co-creator and writer for The Portraits of Esperanza, an immigrant superhero graphic novel unfolding weekly on UWS.

Tania Macín, Social Media Manager 

Born and raised in Mexico City, Tania completed her bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Universidad Anáhuac México, then went on to complete a degree in digital marketing at UCLA. Tania’s father is a U.S. citizen who lives in Mexico, and Tania went through the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. She had not thought about living in the U.S. until she realized her desire to attend UCLA and begin a career with some sort of path that would lead to a stable retirement. Upon first arriving in the country, Tania believed her tri-lingual skills, college degree and international experience would lead to many job opportunities but she found that the first question asked regarded her citizenship even though her status is stated on her resume. She finds it very hard to start a new life in the U.S. without already having a track record here, without pay stubs and rental history, without established bank accounts and local references. So she’s putting down roots day by day. Tania misses her family in Mexico City and visits as often as she can, made more feasible with her ability to work remotely. Over her decade-long career in digital marketing, she’s worked in education, e-commerce, events and advertising. She is now using her marketing and design skills to spread crucial human rights news and stories through UnitedWeStay. Tania also finds time to volunteer in her community and to launch her own business, a pop-up taco stand open on weekends.

Monica Martinez, Content Manager