Hiding in plain sight: My family's secret
Rafael Agustin's 'all-American' identity looked like it had just been a dream when he discovered he was undocumented.
Rafael Agustin moved to the United States from Ecuador when he was seven. He grew up immersed in American culture and idolised heartthrob Zack Morris from his favourite TV show Saved by the Bell. Rafael thought of himself as a popular all-American high-schooler just like Zack. But his family had kept something secret from him: Rafael was undocumented. With his sense of identity suddenly undermined, Rafael had to start again on his own terms. He would go on to navigate life through college and rise to fame on the national stage. He's written a memoir called Illegally Yours.
A longer version of this interview was first broadcast in June 2023.
Presenter: Andrea Kennedy
Producer: Emily Naylor
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: Rafael as a child with his parents. Credit: Rafael Agustin)
Last on
More episodes
Broadcasts
- Sat 9 Dec 2023 05:32GMT大象传媒 World Service West and Central Africa
- Sat 9 Dec 2023 11:32GMT大象传媒 World Service West and Central Africa
Sat 9 Dec 2023 19:32GMT大象传媒 Afghan Radio & 大象传媒 World Service Europe and the Middle East- Sun 10 Dec 2023 00:32GMT大象传媒 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Sun 10 Dec 2023 09:32GMT大象传媒 World Service except Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
- Sun 10 Dec 2023 22:32GMT大象传媒 Afghan Radio & 大象传媒 World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Mon 11 Dec 2023 03:32GMT大象传媒 World Service Europe and the Middle East
Contact Outlook
Info on how we might use your contribution on air
Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
Step into someone else鈥檚 life and expect the unexpected