March 11, 2025 • 45 mins
From undocumented immigrant to communications leader, Marina Piña shares her extraordinary journey from Chihuahua, Mexico, to shaping public policy in New Mexico. At just 15, she immigrated to the U.S., where her father worked as a seasonal agricultural worker, and she experienced firsthand the challenges of being undocumented.
Now, as the Communications and Marketing Director for the New Mexico Health Care Authority, Marina leads statewide initiatives impacting over 50% of New Mexico’s population, including Medicaid, food assistance, and public health programs. Through strategic storytelling and grassroots advocacy, she is transforming health care communication and bridging the gap between communities and government.
In this episode, Marina shares:
- Her personal story of migration, resilience, and finding her voice
- The challenges of being undocumented and working in the fields
- How she turned her lived experience into a career in advocacy
- Why clear, effective communication is key to health care access
- How anyone can take action—one step at a time—to create meaningful change
Whether you’re passionate about immigration, social justice, or health care advocacy, Marina’s story will leave you inspired to use your voice for impact.
CONNECT WITH MARINA PINA:
- https://marinaipina.com/
- Instagram: @Iammarinapina
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Nika Lawrie (00:13):
Welcome to the Puurlee Podcast.
I'm your host, Nika Lawrie .
Welcome to the show.
I'm so excited to have you heretoday.
Marina Piña (00:27):
Thank you, Nika.
Thank you for having me today.
I am beyond excited to be herewith you.
Nika Lawrie (00:33):
I'm so excited to have you here too.
I know we've been friends for awhile we work together at
different capacities as well,but I was super excited to bring
you on the show because I thinkyou have such an incredible
story.
It's an inspiring story, it's avery timely in the moment story
for everything that's going on,but I think it transcends the
(00:55):
craziness of politics as well,because it's just such a unique
and interesting and inspiringstory that you have.
So we're going to dive intothat unique and interesting and
inspiring story that you have.
So we're going to dive intothat.
I want to ask you a little bitabout what you do now, and then
we'll go into your childhood.
Marina Piña (01:14):
Just tell me a little bit about yourself so the
audience knows who you are.
Yeah, thank you so much forthat.
Well, I currently serve in astatewide leadership role in
this beautiful state of NewMexico as the communications and
marketing director for the NewMexico Healthcare Authority.
And for your audience, thehealthcare authority here in New
(01:35):
Mexico serves over 50% of thepopulation and we do have a
large agency, over 2,000 staffmembers, and I am very lucky to
lead the communications andmarketing initiatives for really
reaching out to New Mexico'sdiverse communities,
(01:58):
relationship with all staff whodo amazing work in our different
departments and divisionsreally to help New Mexicans
Because of the programs that weadminister.
We do serve a population withusually is limited income.
(02:22):
We do oversee the programs ofMedicaid, which is the federal
and state health coverageprogram for people with limited
income, people with disabilities, and then also programs like
food assistance through SNAP,cash assistance, utility
(02:43):
assistance.
So we are really that lifelinefor many New Mexicans and that
safety net and also really ourwork.
It's so much around providingmore access to healthcare across
the state right, especially inrural, frontier and tribal
(03:06):
communities.
In New Mexico.
We have many different pueblos,tribes and nations, for you
know our indigenous populationand that is definitely front and
center in the work that we doand that is definitely front and
center in the work that we do.
So I am very lucky every day tocome to work and, you know,
(03:32):
lead and drive that strategy ofcommunications and how we
connect with people.
That's my current role, butit's been a journey to get here
and I feel like I'm just gettingstarted.
Nika Lawrie (03:54):
Absolutely.
I mean, what an awesomeposition to have to have that
kind of impact on the lives ofliterally I mean more than a
million people across the statehere, and you know different
groups that are working ondifferent things.
You get to interact with themall the time and share ideas and
resources and support for them,so it's a really incredible
role.
I really admire you and thework that you're doing in that
position, so thank you foreverything that you do.
(04:15):
But you mentioned it's been ajourney.
I want to get back to the startof that journey and really tell
your story.
Can you share?
So?
You grew up in Chihuahua,mexico.
Can you tell me a little bit?
What was your childhood like?
What was you know?
How is it different than beinghere in the United States and
what was your process or yourjourney of coming to the US?
Marina Piña (04:37):
Yes, so I am an immigrant to New Mexico and,
just like many immigrants herein New Mexico, we do think of
ourselves as adoptive childrenof adoptive New Mexicans.
Right, like I am an adoptivedaughter of New Mexico, I
consider myself a New Mexicanand then I also have that
(04:59):
bicultural, binational,bi-national uh, you know, uh
experience.
I was born and raised in, umChihuahua, mexico.
Chihuahua is the biggest stateuh in, uh in Mexico, and it's a
beautiful state.
And, um, I had, you know, justa normal, regular childhood.
(05:22):
I really grew up with familyall around me, with that sense
of community, with reallyknowing who your neighbor is,
you know, asking for help,really building the community
and then also facing challenges,right, facing challenges
(05:44):
especially, you know, with oursocial economic status.
I also grew up with a fatherwho always would come to the US,
like back and forth.
He would work here in the US asa migrant worker, in temporary
jobs in agriculture, as amigrant worker in temporary jobs
in agriculture, and then, whenthe season was over, he would go
(06:07):
back to Mexico, right, so hewould be here for seasons, for
months at a time, and then goback with us.
So that was really as a child.
It was always very exciting towait for dad and you know, like
the dolls that he would comewith and the toys and the
candies and the clothes, um, andyou know, like all of that uh
(06:33):
excitement that I really had asa child, uh, waiting for my dad,
and you know, uh, from comingfrom the US with all these gifts
, um, as an adult you know it'sgoing back into that experience.
It's bittersweet because it's adifferent understanding of you,
(06:54):
know what that entails, butback then as a child it was
really exciting.
And then, you know, before mydad, my grandfather, my dad's
dad, he was part of the Braceroprogram, right, so, uh, he would
also come as part of the.
My mother decided to join myfather and migrate to the US.
(07:17):
The United States experience,right, like that American
(07:39):
experience, has always beeningrained in my life, just as
many, many families in Mexico.
And so we decided to, or mymother decided to join my dad.
Things started to get morechallenging economically, so she
decided to join him, to reallyjoin the workforce and come here
(08:01):
and work.
So she brought us with her, youknow, as myself, my younger
brother and we were very luckyto land in the land of
enchantment.
I am biased, of course, yeah,but we migrated from eastern
(08:22):
Chihuahua to eastern New Mexico.
So you know, when I was 15,that's when we landed in
Portales, new Mexico, which isthe southeastern part of the
state for those who may not bein the state and then from there
, we integrated into, you know,the schools, the community.
(08:46):
It wasn't easy.
It's definitely a culturalshock.
And then what I want to makesure that your audience
understands is that everyimmigrant experience is not the
same as any of the.
(09:06):
You know many million ofimmigrant stories that we have
around the country, some morechallenging, some less.
You know that journey of mixedfeelings, bittersweet, living,
(09:28):
what you know, living your homecountry, living your extended
family, behind the food.
You know the neighborhoods, theschools, your friends and
coming into something completelydifferent.
And then also the languagebarrier and trying to navigate
(09:53):
systems that are very differentto where you come from.
Nika Lawrie (10:00):
What was that like when you first came here in
Portales, especially with thelanguage barrier?
How did you go through theprocess of navigating high
school and making friends andlearning English and finding
your way here in the US?
What did that look like for youthe first few years?
Marina Piña (10:22):
I think for me as a teenager this is teenager
Marina speaking.
Now I know better, but as ateenager I really didn't want to
make any friends.
I was like I'm going to be hereonly for two years, I'm going
to learn English and then I'mgoing to go back to college in
(10:43):
Mexico, because that was myoriginal plan.
Little did I know that 20 yearslater I was still it's land of
entrapment.
Land of entrapment.
Exactly that's what I tellpeople Once you're here, you
don't leave.
You're here for six months, twoyears, and then you just stay,
(11:05):
yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I was hesitant to reallyintegrating, you know, into
building in that community andhaving new friends, but then of
course it was really difficult,right, having new friends.
But then of course it wasreally difficult, right.
(11:26):
So I started meeting people,meeting, you know, high school
kids, mainly also like fromsimilar backgrounds, immigrants,
if not themselves, theirparents and really hanging out
with kids who spoke my homelanguage, spanish.
Really hanging out with kidswho spoke my home language
(11:48):
Spanish.
And my high school experiencewas really pretty much because I
only had two years of highschool here I really got to hang
out with, you know,mexican-americans, mexican kids
(12:25):
who some of them are still myfriends, you know it.
And in Mexico, if you know thelanguage, if you know English,
um, that really helps, it couldhelp your career, right.
So that was my goal, um, so Iwas.
You know, when, when you comefrom a different country without
knowing English, they and youare in the school system, they
(12:53):
make you take the ESL classes,right, the English as a second
language.
But that I needed to challengemyself more.
I needed to challenge myselfmore, so I took that class and
then I also requested to takethe regular English classes at
junior high level, which reallyaccelerated my learning.
(13:16):
So it was tough, but I was verygoal-oriented and I was here
with-oriented.
Yeah.
And I was here with a mission.
Like I need to learn English,I'm like I need to get this done
.
I don't care, but I only havetwo years.
My experience as an immigrantand the experience of my family
(13:46):
was not only as a you know, asan immigrant family, but who is
coming to the US and trying tomake our lives better, but then
also, six months into being herein this country, we found the
(14:07):
immigrants' rights movement.
So my mom, you know, my youngerbrother and myself, we became
part of the immigrants' rightsmovement in New Mexico.
So I had that experience sincethe very beginning of not only
have a regular life, if you will, you know, as an immigrant
(14:28):
family, but we became activists,we became community organizers,
we advocated for human rightsthat included the immigrant
community and we're being ableto build that movement and give
space to new families, newindividuals to take the lead and
(14:52):
continue that work.
Nika Lawrie (14:54):
I want to ask you more about that.
But before we get into youradvocacy work, I want to know
what was your experience goingthrough.
So you became a DACA child andyou've been able to go through
the process and become anAmerican citizen.
What did that look like?
And maybe how did the advocacyplay a role alongside that?
(15:17):
Did that help you navigate thatsystem more, or what was that
experience over those years?
Marina Piña (15:24):
Thank you for asking that.
I got lucky because I barelymade it into qualifying for DACA
, right, the differentrequirements that they have, the
timing that I came, the agethat I had, the process that I
went through.
(15:45):
I got really lucky and I don'twant to take that for granted,
right, that many people stilldid not qualify and you know we
(16:23):
really need a system that valueseverybody in infrared movement
pushed for it, right.
It wasn't like hey, we'll giveyou this, and like the community
entire community fought for it.
Nika Lawrie (16:33):
Yeah, and it was with you know, teeth being
pulled that there was someleeway given.
Yeah, yeah.
Marina Piña (16:42):
So you know, I really want to highlight that.
So when we learned, when theannouncement came out, I was
already working in theimmigrants' rights organization
movement, really pushing forimmigration reform, something
bigger and the announcement cameit was so much joy and
(17:13):
excitement and still felt reallysurreal, but I think, mainly
the feeling.
You know, if I go back to thosemoments it's, it's a joy of like
, wow, we, we made it.
And I'll tell you that when Ireceived and I'll go back to how
I got there.
But when I received my DACAcard in the mail and I showed it
to my parents, they cried somuch.
Nika Lawrie (17:38):
Yeah, I was going to say did you cry?
Because I would have cried.
Yeah, I want to cry for you now.
I was even there for them.
Marina Piña (17:45):
Going back to that moment.
They cried.
Got even more excited, myparents, at that moment, than
when I became a US citizen.
Oh my gosh, Like the US citizenpart I think not that they were
not happy about it, yeah, butthey're like well more of a
given.
(18:05):
You know she's been on the park.
I think they truly got moreexcited when I received my back.
Nika Lawrie (18:12):
I think also it gives them a little bit of sense
of security for their child too.
You know it's silly, that it's,you know, just a card, a piece
of paper, basically right, butit gives you access to so many
other things that you wouldn'thave had access to outside of
(18:33):
that.
And I think, as a parentlooking at your child, all you
want is success and happinessand safety for your child, and
so I can see them, you know,looking at that moment as almost
like a sigh of relief, in aweird way.
Marina Piña (18:53):
So the irony of it right, because I was so embedded
in the movement I was anactivist or very active in those
years of my life and I was inthe front lines, basically you
know, here in New Mexico, ofthat movement, along with many
others, and the irony is that Idid not apply for DACA until one
(19:17):
year later that it was intoeffect, because I don't know
like I felt like, okay, you know, like I can I give those rights
presentation, I know my rights,I know what I can do.
(19:43):
So I think it was more of theyou know, like leaving taking
care of others before you takecare of yourself, and then a
movement lawyer.
You know they helped me, theyhelped me work through the
process and you know they helpedme.
They helped me go through theprocess and I think that's also
(20:04):
part of you know, like the beinginvolved and people willing to
help and also like being able tohelp right.
Yeah, so I had all these angelsthat you know were in my life
(20:25):
in the right time, in the rightmoment.
That came because of the workthat I was doing, because of the
connections and building therelationships.
Like community organizing isvery relational.
Yeah, like building thosepersonal relationships.
Community organizing is veryrelational Building those
personal relationships, buildingtransformational relationships,
(20:48):
not transactional, and thatcontinues to be part of my job
those communities that arereally going to sustain you
during hard times and duringgood times too.
Nika Lawrie (21:09):
Yeah, definitely, I was going to ask you what does
you said you know I was on thefront line of this advocacy work
what does the front line?
I'm doing air quotes for thepeople listening?
What does that look like?
You know, I fully understandthe building those community
relationships and they're youknow it's like building lasting
friendships, it's really thatconnection.
But what else does it look like?
What was the fight?
(21:29):
What was the process?
Marina Piña (21:33):
Yes, so I became an activist when I was 16.
And it was really on the frontlines until four years or so ago
.
So 32, I'm totally disclosingalmost 20 years I was doing
(22:06):
along with community members ororganizing people here in New
Mexico.
That meant for me traveling allover the state, building
community, organizing localgroups, and these groups were
(22:27):
mainly immigrant women and theirfamilies, with allies as well.
Right, we need those allies,those key leaders in the
community that are able to workwith us to get to a goal.
But our groups were mainlyimmigrant women and their
(22:49):
families and they're key to youknow, grew up in the movement
just the way that I did.
That I did just the way myyounger brother did, and really
that meant going to city council, maybe trying to pass
resolutions in support ofdriver's licenses for immigrants
(23:09):
, trying to pass resolutions insupport of the DREAM Act right,
which which is pretty much intofor those who many of them got
DACA, but we still need morethan a work permit.
It meant meeting with lawenforcement at the local level
(23:32):
and making sure they are notcollaborating with immigration,
making sure the county jails arenot collaborating with
immigration, making sure thecounty jails are not
collaborating with immigration,and this was not just meeting,
but also keeping themaccountable, trying to pass
local laws that would not allowthem to do so, gaining champions
(23:52):
right and by champions I meancity councilors, who were
champions or advocacy or issues.
It meant having protests inMarch, yeah, you know.
And also like meeting incommunity with food and
(24:15):
celebrating the wins that wehave, coming to the state
capitol and loving ourlegislators being really active.
And that's something that Ireally want to give credit to my
mother, because she taught meshe doesn't speak English and
she taught me that it doesn'tspeak English.
(24:36):
And she taught me that itdoesn't matter if you don't
speak.
You know the language, in thiscase, english.
You still can advocate foryourself, you still can go out
there and try to keep themaccountable, you can still fight
for human rights and you canmake things happen right.
And that I learned definitelyfrom my mother like do not stay
(25:00):
quiet just because you know youdon't speak the language or
because we have certain barriersor certain adversities,
absolutely.
Nika Lawrie (25:08):
I think you know just the basics of treating
humans with decency and fightingfor basic human rights.
That crosses all languages.
You know it shouldn't be anEnglish-only.
You know process right, and soyou know having that compassion
and willingness to care forother humans, even if you didn't
(25:30):
grow up in the same communitiestogether, is just basic.
You know it shouldn't be acultural thing.
Marina Piña (25:37):
Exactly, you know, it shouldn't be a cultural thing
exactly, and I also think thatthat actually helped our mental
health, like being part knowingthat you can do something yeah
yeah, knowing that we havepeople out, we can do something
together yeah absolutely, it'sso healing what do you wish
(25:58):
people knew about?
Nika Lawrie (26:02):
either your experience as an immigrant
coming here, or the fight thatpeople aren't often um aware of
or don't discuss what.
What is something?
Marina Piña (26:13):
um just that you wish people knew more about that
is a good question, just thatyou wish people knew more about
that is a good question, puttingyou on the spot.
Sorry, I think.
Well, immigrant families,individuals, community members
(26:40):
we do not live in a vacuum,right, like being an immigrant
is not, doesn't completelydefine us, right.
We are part of communities, weare part of the local church, we
take our kids to the schools,we're part of our workplaces, we
(27:03):
pay taxes, we create safercommunities and that is data
supports that we are, you know,bigger than our identity as
immigrants.
Uh, and then also, at the sametime, for me at least, I cannot
(27:24):
speak for the entire immigrantcommunity, but like that has
been pretty much the work, uh,my work, or my professional work
, if you will, it's driven by mypersonal values and my personal
values are pretty much alignedwith my identity as an immigrant
(27:49):
.
Just what any other regularfamily in the country wants, you
know better opportunities,safer communities, healthy, to
(28:11):
be in good health and to workand contribute to have access to
rest.
Yeah, and you know, just amoment of rest and really
bettering our communities andbeing very active.
We're not passive at all in ourcommunities, we're very active.
Nika Lawrie (28:44):
And then the last thing I would say is that not
all but many people may see usas liabilities and we are
breaking assets to ourcommunities.
Can't imagine thinking ofsomebody who's gone through the
process of leaving their homeand their country and their
family and their culturalconnections behind for
opportunity to be that brave andto go through that much turmoil
(29:08):
to come here and be considereda liability like that's just
mind-boggling to me.
I think you know the peoplethat I've met that have gone
through similar experiences asyou have come and, you know,
heavily contributed to thecommunity.
They, you know they are hardworkers.
(29:30):
They are kind, compassionatecommunity members.
They, you know, pay their taxes.
They, you know, get involved inthe community, they support
each other.
They create their owncommunities to help each other
thrive.
Like it's so rare that you hearabout, you know.
You know you hear about thescare stories all the time of
(29:52):
the immigrant came and killedthe girl and you know we've
arrested him and left.
I mean that happens anywhere.
You know a white man is just aslikely to do that, as you know,
a Mexican man that came andimmigrated here and so it's, I
don't know.
Just the word liability hits mereally hard because it makes me
angry and sad at the same timeyeah, and that we are not
(30:19):
victims.
Marina Piña (30:20):
Right, don't victimize our community yeah you
know.
But we have amazing, great,brilliant people um and we're
just very lucky to be part ofthe immigrant community.
Nika Lawrie (30:37):
That's how I feel own personal experiences with
navigating the healthcare system.
I know you and I are reallyconnected talking about how
(30:58):
difficult it is for people tonavigate the healthcare system,
especially as we work togetherto support the mission that the
New Mexico Healthcare Authorityis working on the different
marketing campaigns and programsthat they're offering to the
people of New Mexico.
But I want to hear about yourpersonal experience of trying to
(31:19):
navigate that system and howyou've learned from that system.
Can you share a little bitabout your story?
Marina Piña (31:26):
Yes.
So first because my family,except my father he was a legal
permanent resident wereundocumented.
We didn't have access to healthinsurance right.
So we would go to the localclinic, but not so much as
(31:49):
regular checkup, but just whenwe were truly sick.
I remember at 16, I gotsmallpox.
Horrible time to get smallpox,the most horrible experience.
Yeah.
You know, that's what got me tothe local clinic Uninsured and
(32:10):
probably costing a lot of moneyto the clinic.
If we had access to healthinsurance, just as any other
things that we might be able toaccess, we would get them right,
we would comply which is partof being in the community and
(32:31):
have that insurance right.
So that's just a little bit.
There's also misinformationthat, as an undocumented
immigrant, you have access tosafety net programs or social
programs.
Not really, that is not thecase.
(32:52):
Right, we live in many mixedstatus family.
My own family was mixed statusand you may have undocumented
parents with US citizen childrenand because they are US citizen
children and rightly so, theyqualify they may qualify for it.
Qualify for it.
(33:21):
I also more recentlyexperienced navigating the
health system when my father, in2022, was diagnosed with
stomach cancer.
Nika Lawrie (33:25):
I'm really sorry.
Marina Piña (33:27):
And we went through one year and a half of his
process.
You know he went throughseveral chemos before surgery
and then surgery and then chemoafter surgery and he was going
to his checkups and then in oneof the you know last checkups
(33:54):
that he had the cancermetastasized and came back and
it was really out of stage fourwhere nothing really could be
done.
You know, from the time wherehe was given that diagnosis to
(34:15):
the time when he passed away in2023, it was a three-week period
, right and very hard.
We also had never experiencedwhat an end-of-life process was,
what an end of life process was.
(34:36):
Palliative care is somethingthat I mentioned with his
doctors, where this isvocabulary that we do not have
and I can be the languagebarrier.
Nika Lawrie (34:49):
I was going to specifically ask you about what
is the language barrier?
Marina Piña (35:07):
like when navigating that kind of just a
devastating situation case.
Spanish speakers, healthcareworkforce, you know they had,
like this, machines that wouldtranslate for you very
transactional, very cold.
We really need to continuefinding ways to humanize the
(35:32):
healthcare experience forcommunities that are
disenfranchised, marginalized,underserved, under-resourced,
and then for everybody.
Right, when we make it betterfor the lowest hanging fruit, we
make it better for everybody.
Yeah.
(35:52):
Right, yeah, so that was areally hard process.
I am very surprised that I'mnot crying, right now.
Nika Lawrie (36:01):
I'm sorry.
I know it's hard.
Marina Piña (36:03):
Yeah, no, he was an amazing human being.
He fought until the last minute.
He kept saying which I feellike I need to tattoo this to
myself, like this phrase inSpanish hasta que tope Right,
like until the end.
We fight until the end, and wedid.
We did, but we had to.
(36:25):
I am the most fluent bilingualperson in my family of origin.
Now I have my own family, myown kiddo, my husband who.
I love and support me throughall of this.
But in my family of origin I am, you know, the only fluent
(36:50):
bilingual who has moreexperience, perhaps, navigating
different systems.
But then, at the same time, Iwant to make sure to say that
again, like the fact that mymother didn't speak, doesn't
speak English, didn't stop herfrom navigating the system.
(37:11):
I mean she's I don't know if Ican say certain words here, but
Go for it.
I mean she's a pretty badasshuman being, right?
So definitely she took the lead.
I was there, you know, as asupportive point.
But navigating that was verydifficult point.
(37:34):
But navigating that was verydifficult.
But even before my dad got thediagnosis, I would say that
getting to that point wascontinues to be a failure in the
healthcare system where he, asa Mexican, 60, in his 60s, he
(37:56):
died when he was 66.
Very young, way too young, yeah, and having a full-time job,
having health insurance, being alegal permanent resident in
this country, for so manyfactors didn't have regular
checkups, for so many factorsdidn't have regular checkups.
(38:17):
The pandemic really exacerbatedthat with, you know, like
delays in appointments.
Yeah.
So that was a factor.
And you know, skipping one dayof work for him would mean
having your paycheck, you know,come short.
(38:37):
So you know why would I missone day to go to check, have
this checkup done.
Right.
If I'm feeling okay.
Yeah.
Right, so I, I sometimes this isI debated whether to say this
or not with you, nika, but I dostrongly feel like my father, in
(39:02):
the bigger sense, didn't die ofcancer.
He died due to poverty, right,due to systems that make it more
difficult for people who are inpoverty.
Nika Lawrie (39:18):
Yeah, you're going to make me cry too.
Marina Piña (39:23):
Yeah, I didn't know I was going to miss you, yeah.
Nika Lawrie (39:30):
I hear you and I agree, and it's not okay.
I'm not sure what I can say,you know, in this situation, but
it's not okay and I agree andwe got to fight to change it for
sure.
Definitely yeah.
Marina Piña (39:46):
And then, at the same time, again going back to
the, not expecting my ownexperience and my family's
experience, we fought until theend.
We filed complaints.
When we had to file complaintswith the healthcare facility,
(40:07):
95% of the time they were great,but we had to be there
Advocating for our dad.
He did his best, he was awarrior, he fought until the end
and he did it with dignity.
And, out of everything, what Ireally keep in my heart is that
(40:37):
he had or he died with dignity.
My mother finally accepted that.
The care of the nurses, youknow, besides the one experience
(41:13):
that wasn't particularlypleasant, but we were able to
handle it because we advocatedfor it, and like my family is so
great.
And that is just one story, likeone in a thousand, like we have
many uh around the country.
Nika Lawrie (41:27):
I'm going to have to bring you back for other
stories, and we'll we'll bringothers in as well to share their
stories, cause I think it's so,so important.
But I want to be um courteousand conscious of your time.
I, before I have one lastquestion for you.
Before I ask you that lastquestion, um, I just want to
commend you for the work thatyou're currently doing to make
the system better for peoplelike yourselves, all people
(41:50):
across the state, and really theripple effect that that has for
people across the entirecountry as well.
So thank you for the workyou're doing, thank you for the
work that you've done in thepast advocating for immigrants
and your community to have abetter life here, and your story
is just inspiring.
So thank you for the workyou're doing.
Marina Piña (42:09):
I just Thank you.
Nika Lawrie (42:13):
Absolutely so.
My last question for you,Marina, is if the world was
listening and you could shareone simple but powerful message
with them, what would it be?
Marina Piña (42:34):
one step at a time, for whatever you know it's in
your heart.
If that's a cost, if that'sbettering your family, your
community, take action.
Nika Lawrie (42:49):
Absolutely.
I love that.
Thank you, Marina.
Thank you so much for coming onthe show today.
I'm so grateful to have youhere.
I really appreciate it.
Marina Piña (42:58):
Thank you so much.
I appreciate your time and yourlisteners Absolutely.
Welcome to the Puurlee Podcast.
I'm your host, Nika Lawrie .
Welcome to the show.
I'm so excited to have you heretoday.
Marina Piña (00:27):
Thank you, Nika.
Thank you for having me today.
I am beyond excited to be herewith you.
Nika Lawrie (00:33):
I'm so excited to have you here too.
I know we've been friends for awhile we work together at
different capacities as well,but I was super excited to bring
you on the show because I thinkyou have such an incredible
story.
It's an inspiring story, it's avery timely in the moment story
for everything that's going on,but I think it transcends the
(00:55):
craziness of politics as well,because it's just such a unique
and interesting and inspiringstory that you have.
So we're going to dive intothat unique and interesting and
inspiring story that you have.
So we're going to dive intothat.
I want to ask you a little bitabout what you do now, and then
we'll go into your childhood.
Marina Piña (01:14):
Just tell me a little bit about yourself so the
audience knows who you are.
Yeah, thank you so much forthat.
Well, I currently serve in astatewide leadership role in
this beautiful state of NewMexico as the communications and
marketing director for the NewMexico Healthcare Authority.
And for your audience, thehealthcare authority here in New
(01:35):
Mexico serves over 50% of thepopulation and we do have a
large agency, over 2,000 staffmembers, and I am very lucky to
lead the communications andmarketing initiatives for really
reaching out to New Mexico'sdiverse communities,
(01:58):
relationship with all staff whodo amazing work in our different
departments and divisionsreally to help New Mexicans
Because of the programs that weadminister.
We do serve a population withusually is limited income.
(02:22):
We do oversee the programs ofMedicaid, which is the federal
and state health coverageprogram for people with limited
income, people with disabilities, and then also programs like
food assistance through SNAP,cash assistance, utility
(02:43):
assistance.
So we are really that lifelinefor many New Mexicans and that
safety net and also really ourwork.
It's so much around providingmore access to healthcare across
the state right, especially inrural, frontier and tribal
(03:06):
communities.
In New Mexico.
We have many different pueblos,tribes and nations, for you
know our indigenous populationand that is definitely front and
center in the work that we doand that is definitely front and
center in the work that we do.
So I am very lucky every day tocome to work and, you know,
(03:32):
lead and drive that strategy ofcommunications and how we
connect with people.
That's my current role, butit's been a journey to get here
and I feel like I'm just gettingstarted.
Nika Lawrie (03:54):
Absolutely.
I mean, what an awesomeposition to have to have that
kind of impact on the lives ofliterally I mean more than a
million people across the statehere, and you know different
groups that are working ondifferent things.
You get to interact with themall the time and share ideas and
resources and support for them,so it's a really incredible
role.
I really admire you and thework that you're doing in that
position, so thank you foreverything that you do.
(04:15):
But you mentioned it's been ajourney.
I want to get back to the startof that journey and really tell
your story.
Can you share?
So?
You grew up in Chihuahua,mexico.
Can you tell me a little bit?
What was your childhood like?
What was you know?
How is it different than beinghere in the United States and
what was your process or yourjourney of coming to the US?
Marina Piña (04:37):
Yes, so I am an immigrant to New Mexico and,
just like many immigrants herein New Mexico, we do think of
ourselves as adoptive childrenof adoptive New Mexicans.
Right, like I am an adoptivedaughter of New Mexico, I
consider myself a New Mexicanand then I also have that
(04:59):
bicultural, binational,bi-national uh, you know, uh
experience.
I was born and raised in, umChihuahua, mexico.
Chihuahua is the biggest stateuh in, uh in Mexico, and it's a
beautiful state.
And, um, I had, you know, justa normal, regular childhood.
(05:22):
I really grew up with familyall around me, with that sense
of community, with reallyknowing who your neighbor is,
you know, asking for help,really building the community
and then also facing challenges,right, facing challenges
(05:44):
especially, you know, with oursocial economic status.
I also grew up with a fatherwho always would come to the US,
like back and forth.
He would work here in the US asa migrant worker, in temporary
jobs in agriculture, as amigrant worker in temporary jobs
in agriculture, and then, whenthe season was over, he would go
(06:07):
back to Mexico, right, so hewould be here for seasons, for
months at a time, and then goback with us.
So that was really as a child.
It was always very exciting towait for dad and you know, like
the dolls that he would comewith and the toys and the
candies and the clothes, um, andyou know, like all of that uh
(06:33):
excitement that I really had asa child, uh, waiting for my dad,
and you know, uh, from comingfrom the US with all these gifts
, um, as an adult you know it'sgoing back into that experience.
It's bittersweet because it's adifferent understanding of you,
(06:54):
know what that entails, butback then as a child it was
really exciting.
And then, you know, before mydad, my grandfather, my dad's
dad, he was part of the Braceroprogram, right, so, uh, he would
also come as part of the.
My mother decided to join myfather and migrate to the US.
(07:17):
The United States experience,right, like that American
(07:39):
experience, has always beeningrained in my life, just as
many, many families in Mexico.
And so we decided to, or mymother decided to join my dad.
Things started to get morechallenging economically, so she
decided to join him, to reallyjoin the workforce and come here
(08:01):
and work.
So she brought us with her, youknow, as myself, my younger
brother and we were very luckyto land in the land of
enchantment.
I am biased, of course, yeah,but we migrated from eastern
(08:22):
Chihuahua to eastern New Mexico.
So you know, when I was 15,that's when we landed in
Portales, new Mexico, which isthe southeastern part of the
state for those who may not bein the state and then from there
, we integrated into, you know,the schools, the community.
(08:46):
It wasn't easy.
It's definitely a culturalshock.
And then what I want to makesure that your audience
understands is that everyimmigrant experience is not the
same as any of the.
(09:06):
You know many million ofimmigrant stories that we have
around the country, some morechallenging, some less.
You know that journey of mixedfeelings, bittersweet, living,
(09:28):
what you know, living your homecountry, living your extended
family, behind the food.
You know the neighborhoods, theschools, your friends and
coming into something completelydifferent.
And then also the languagebarrier and trying to navigate
(09:53):
systems that are very differentto where you come from.
Nika Lawrie (10:00):
What was that like when you first came here in
Portales, especially with thelanguage barrier?
How did you go through theprocess of navigating high
school and making friends andlearning English and finding
your way here in the US?
What did that look like for youthe first few years?
Marina Piña (10:22):
I think for me as a teenager this is teenager
Marina speaking.
Now I know better, but as ateenager I really didn't want to
make any friends.
I was like I'm going to be hereonly for two years, I'm going
to learn English and then I'mgoing to go back to college in
(10:43):
Mexico, because that was myoriginal plan.
Little did I know that 20 yearslater I was still it's land of
entrapment.
Land of entrapment.
Exactly that's what I tellpeople Once you're here, you
don't leave.
You're here for six months, twoyears, and then you just stay,
(11:05):
yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I was hesitant to reallyintegrating, you know, into
building in that community andhaving new friends, but then of
course it was really difficult,right, having new friends.
But then of course it wasreally difficult, right.
(11:26):
So I started meeting people,meeting, you know, high school
kids, mainly also like fromsimilar backgrounds, immigrants,
if not themselves, theirparents and really hanging out
with kids who spoke my homelanguage, spanish.
Really hanging out with kidswho spoke my home language
(11:48):
Spanish.
And my high school experiencewas really pretty much because I
only had two years of highschool here I really got to hang
out with, you know,mexican-americans, mexican kids
(12:25):
who some of them are still myfriends, you know it.
And in Mexico, if you know thelanguage, if you know English,
um, that really helps, it couldhelp your career, right.
So that was my goal, um, so Iwas.
You know, when, when you comefrom a different country without
knowing English, they and youare in the school system, they
(12:53):
make you take the ESL classes,right, the English as a second
language.
But that I needed to challengemyself more.
I needed to challenge myselfmore, so I took that class and
then I also requested to takethe regular English classes at
junior high level, which reallyaccelerated my learning.
(13:16):
So it was tough, but I was verygoal-oriented and I was here
with-oriented.
Yeah.
And I was here with a mission.
Like I need to learn English,I'm like I need to get this done
.
I don't care, but I only havetwo years.
My experience as an immigrantand the experience of my family
(13:46):
was not only as a you know, asan immigrant family, but who is
coming to the US and trying tomake our lives better, but then
also, six months into being herein this country, we found the
(14:07):
immigrants' rights movement.
So my mom, you know, my youngerbrother and myself, we became
part of the immigrants' rightsmovement in New Mexico.
So I had that experience sincethe very beginning of not only
have a regular life, if you will, you know, as an immigrant
(14:28):
family, but we became activists,we became community organizers,
we advocated for human rightsthat included the immigrant
community and we're being ableto build that movement and give
space to new families, newindividuals to take the lead and
(14:52):
continue that work.
Nika Lawrie (14:54):
I want to ask you more about that.
But before we get into youradvocacy work, I want to know
what was your experience goingthrough.
So you became a DACA child andyou've been able to go through
the process and become anAmerican citizen.
What did that look like?
And maybe how did the advocacyplay a role alongside that?
(15:17):
Did that help you navigate thatsystem more, or what was that
experience over those years?
Marina Piña (15:24):
Thank you for asking that.
I got lucky because I barelymade it into qualifying for DACA
, right, the differentrequirements that they have, the
timing that I came, the agethat I had, the process that I
went through.
(15:45):
I got really lucky and I don'twant to take that for granted,
right, that many people stilldid not qualify and you know we
(16:23):
really need a system that valueseverybody in infrared movement
pushed for it, right.
It wasn't like hey, we'll giveyou this, and like the community
entire community fought for it.
Nika Lawrie (16:33):
Yeah, and it was with you know, teeth being
pulled that there was someleeway given.
Yeah, yeah.
Marina Piña (16:42):
So you know, I really want to highlight that.
So when we learned, when theannouncement came out, I was
already working in theimmigrants' rights organization
movement, really pushing forimmigration reform, something
bigger and the announcement cameit was so much joy and
(17:13):
excitement and still felt reallysurreal, but I think, mainly
the feeling.
You know, if I go back to thosemoments it's, it's a joy of like
, wow, we, we made it.
And I'll tell you that when Ireceived and I'll go back to how
I got there.
But when I received my DACAcard in the mail and I showed it
to my parents, they cried somuch.
Nika Lawrie (17:38):
Yeah, I was going to say did you cry?
Because I would have cried.
Yeah, I want to cry for you now.
I was even there for them.
Marina Piña (17:45):
Going back to that moment.
They cried.
Got even more excited, myparents, at that moment, than
when I became a US citizen.
Oh my gosh, Like the US citizenpart I think not that they were
not happy about it, yeah, butthey're like well more of a
given.
(18:05):
You know she's been on the park.
I think they truly got moreexcited when I received my back.
Nika Lawrie (18:12):
I think also it gives them a little bit of sense
of security for their child too.
You know it's silly, that it's,you know, just a card, a piece
of paper, basically right, butit gives you access to so many
other things that you wouldn'thave had access to outside of
(18:33):
that.
And I think, as a parentlooking at your child, all you
want is success and happinessand safety for your child, and
so I can see them, you know,looking at that moment as almost
like a sigh of relief, in aweird way.
Marina Piña (18:53):
So the irony of it right, because I was so embedded
in the movement I was anactivist or very active in those
years of my life and I was inthe front lines, basically you
know, here in New Mexico, ofthat movement, along with many
others, and the irony is that Idid not apply for DACA until one
(19:17):
year later that it was intoeffect, because I don't know
like I felt like, okay, you know, like I can I give those rights
presentation, I know my rights,I know what I can do.
(19:43):
So I think it was more of theyou know, like leaving taking
care of others before you takecare of yourself, and then a
movement lawyer.
You know they helped me, theyhelped me work through the
process and you know they helpedme.
They helped me go through theprocess and I think that's also
(20:04):
part of you know, like the beinginvolved and people willing to
help and also like being able tohelp right.
Yeah, so I had all these angelsthat you know were in my life
(20:25):
in the right time, in the rightmoment.
That came because of the workthat I was doing, because of the
connections and building therelationships.
Like community organizing isvery relational.
Yeah, like building thosepersonal relationships.
Community organizing is veryrelational Building those
personal relationships, buildingtransformational relationships,
(20:48):
not transactional, and thatcontinues to be part of my job
those communities that arereally going to sustain you
during hard times and duringgood times too.
Nika Lawrie (21:09):
Yeah, definitely, I was going to ask you what does
you said you know I was on thefront line of this advocacy work
what does the front line?
I'm doing air quotes for thepeople listening?
What does that look like?
You know, I fully understandthe building those community
relationships and they're youknow it's like building lasting
friendships, it's really thatconnection.
But what else does it look like?
What was the fight?
(21:29):
What was the process?
Marina Piña (21:33):
Yes, so I became an activist when I was 16.
And it was really on the frontlines until four years or so ago
.
So 32, I'm totally disclosingalmost 20 years I was doing
(22:06):
along with community members ororganizing people here in New
Mexico.
That meant for me traveling allover the state, building
community, organizing localgroups, and these groups were
(22:27):
mainly immigrant women and theirfamilies, with allies as well.
Right, we need those allies,those key leaders in the
community that are able to workwith us to get to a goal.
But our groups were mainlyimmigrant women and their
(22:49):
families and they're key to youknow, grew up in the movement
just the way that I did.
That I did just the way myyounger brother did, and really
that meant going to city council, maybe trying to pass
resolutions in support ofdriver's licenses for immigrants
(23:09):
, trying to pass resolutions insupport of the DREAM Act right,
which which is pretty much intofor those who many of them got
DACA, but we still need morethan a work permit.
It meant meeting with lawenforcement at the local level
(23:32):
and making sure they are notcollaborating with immigration,
making sure the county jails arenot collaborating with
immigration, making sure thecounty jails are not
collaborating with immigration,and this was not just meeting,
but also keeping themaccountable, trying to pass
local laws that would not allowthem to do so, gaining champions
(23:52):
right and by champions I meancity councilors, who were
champions or advocacy or issues.
It meant having protests inMarch, yeah, you know.
And also like meeting incommunity with food and
(24:15):
celebrating the wins that wehave, coming to the state
capitol and loving ourlegislators being really active.
And that's something that Ireally want to give credit to my
mother, because she taught meshe doesn't speak English and
she taught me that it doesn'tspeak English.
(24:36):
And she taught me that itdoesn't matter if you don't
speak.
You know the language, in thiscase, english.
You still can advocate foryourself, you still can go out
there and try to keep themaccountable, you can still fight
for human rights and you canmake things happen right.
And that I learned definitelyfrom my mother like do not stay
(25:00):
quiet just because you know youdon't speak the language or
because we have certain barriersor certain adversities,
absolutely.
Nika Lawrie (25:08):
I think you know just the basics of treating
humans with decency and fightingfor basic human rights.
That crosses all languages.
You know it shouldn't be anEnglish-only.
You know process right, and soyou know having that compassion
and willingness to care forother humans, even if you didn't
(25:30):
grow up in the same communitiestogether, is just basic.
You know it shouldn't be acultural thing.
Marina Piña (25:37):
Exactly, you know, it shouldn't be a cultural thing
exactly, and I also think thatthat actually helped our mental
health, like being part knowingthat you can do something yeah
yeah, knowing that we havepeople out, we can do something
together yeah absolutely, it'sso healing what do you wish
(25:58):
people knew about?
Nika Lawrie (26:02):
either your experience as an immigrant
coming here, or the fight thatpeople aren't often um aware of
or don't discuss what.
What is something?
Marina Piña (26:13):
um just that you wish people knew more about that
is a good question, just thatyou wish people knew more about
that is a good question, puttingyou on the spot.
Sorry, I think.
Well, immigrant families,individuals, community members
(26:40):
we do not live in a vacuum,right, like being an immigrant
is not, doesn't completelydefine us, right.
We are part of communities, weare part of the local church, we
take our kids to the schools,we're part of our workplaces, we
(27:03):
pay taxes, we create safercommunities and that is data
supports that we are, you know,bigger than our identity as
immigrants.
Uh, and then also, at the sametime, for me at least, I cannot
(27:24):
speak for the entire immigrantcommunity, but like that has
been pretty much the work, uh,my work, or my professional work
, if you will, it's driven by mypersonal values and my personal
values are pretty much alignedwith my identity as an immigrant
(27:49):
.
Just what any other regularfamily in the country wants, you
know better opportunities,safer communities, healthy, to
(28:11):
be in good health and to workand contribute to have access to
rest.
Yeah, and you know, just amoment of rest and really
bettering our communities andbeing very active.
We're not passive at all in ourcommunities, we're very active.
Nika Lawrie (28:44):
And then the last thing I would say is that not
all but many people may see usas liabilities and we are
breaking assets to ourcommunities.
Can't imagine thinking ofsomebody who's gone through the
process of leaving their homeand their country and their
family and their culturalconnections behind for
opportunity to be that brave andto go through that much turmoil
(29:08):
to come here and be considereda liability like that's just
mind-boggling to me.
I think you know the peoplethat I've met that have gone
through similar experiences asyou have come and, you know,
heavily contributed to thecommunity.
They, you know they are hardworkers.
(29:30):
They are kind, compassionatecommunity members.
They, you know, pay their taxes.
They, you know, get involved inthe community, they support
each other.
They create their owncommunities to help each other
thrive.
Like it's so rare that you hearabout, you know.
You know you hear about thescare stories all the time of
(29:52):
the immigrant came and killedthe girl and you know we've
arrested him and left.
I mean that happens anywhere.
You know a white man is just aslikely to do that, as you know,
a Mexican man that came andimmigrated here and so it's, I
don't know.
Just the word liability hits mereally hard because it makes me
angry and sad at the same timeyeah, and that we are not
(30:19):
victims.
Marina Piña (30:20):
Right, don't victimize our community yeah you
know.
But we have amazing, great,brilliant people um and we're
just very lucky to be part ofthe immigrant community.
Nika Lawrie (30:37):
That's how I feel own personal experiences with
navigating the healthcare system.
I know you and I are reallyconnected talking about how
(30:58):
difficult it is for people tonavigate the healthcare system,
especially as we work togetherto support the mission that the
New Mexico Healthcare Authorityis working on the different
marketing campaigns and programsthat they're offering to the
people of New Mexico.
But I want to hear about yourpersonal experience of trying to
(31:19):
navigate that system and howyou've learned from that system.
Can you share a little bitabout your story?
Marina Piña (31:26):
Yes.
So first because my family,except my father he was a legal
permanent resident wereundocumented.
We didn't have access to healthinsurance right.
So we would go to the localclinic, but not so much as
(31:49):
regular checkup, but just whenwe were truly sick.
I remember at 16, I gotsmallpox.
Horrible time to get smallpox,the most horrible experience.
Yeah.
You know, that's what got me tothe local clinic Uninsured and
(32:10):
probably costing a lot of moneyto the clinic.
If we had access to healthinsurance, just as any other
things that we might be able toaccess, we would get them right,
we would comply which is partof being in the community and
(32:31):
have that insurance right.
So that's just a little bit.
There's also misinformationthat, as an undocumented
immigrant, you have access tosafety net programs or social
programs.
Not really, that is not thecase.
(32:52):
Right, we live in many mixedstatus family.
My own family was mixed statusand you may have undocumented
parents with US citizen childrenand because they are US citizen
children and rightly so, theyqualify they may qualify for it.
Qualify for it.
(33:21):
I also more recentlyexperienced navigating the
health system when my father, in2022, was diagnosed with
stomach cancer.
Nika Lawrie (33:25):
I'm really sorry.
Marina Piña (33:27):
And we went through one year and a half of his
process.
You know he went throughseveral chemos before surgery
and then surgery and then chemoafter surgery and he was going
to his checkups and then in oneof the you know last checkups
(33:54):
that he had the cancermetastasized and came back and
it was really out of stage fourwhere nothing really could be
done.
You know, from the time wherehe was given that diagnosis to
(34:15):
the time when he passed away in2023, it was a three-week period
, right and very hard.
We also had never experiencedwhat an end-of-life process was,
what an end of life process was.
(34:36):
Palliative care is somethingthat I mentioned with his
doctors, where this isvocabulary that we do not have
and I can be the languagebarrier.
Nika Lawrie (34:49):
I was going to specifically ask you about what
is the language barrier?
Marina Piña (35:07):
like when navigating that kind of just a
devastating situation case.
Spanish speakers, healthcareworkforce, you know they had,
like this, machines that wouldtranslate for you very
transactional, very cold.
We really need to continuefinding ways to humanize the
(35:32):
healthcare experience forcommunities that are
disenfranchised, marginalized,underserved, under-resourced,
and then for everybody.
Right, when we make it betterfor the lowest hanging fruit, we
make it better for everybody.
Yeah.
(35:52):
Right, yeah, so that was areally hard process.
I am very surprised that I'mnot crying, right now.
Nika Lawrie (36:01):
I'm sorry.
I know it's hard.
Marina Piña (36:03):
Yeah, no, he was an amazing human being.
He fought until the last minute.
He kept saying which I feellike I need to tattoo this to
myself, like this phrase inSpanish hasta que tope Right,
like until the end.
We fight until the end, and wedid.
We did, but we had to.
(36:25):
I am the most fluent bilingualperson in my family of origin.
Now I have my own family, myown kiddo, my husband who.
I love and support me throughall of this.
But in my family of origin I am, you know, the only fluent
(36:50):
bilingual who has moreexperience, perhaps, navigating
different systems.
But then, at the same time, Iwant to make sure to say that
again, like the fact that mymother didn't speak, doesn't
speak English, didn't stop herfrom navigating the system.
(37:11):
I mean she's I don't know if Ican say certain words here, but
Go for it.
I mean she's a pretty badasshuman being, right?
So definitely she took the lead.
I was there, you know, as asupportive point.
But navigating that was verydifficult point.
(37:34):
But navigating that was verydifficult.
But even before my dad got thediagnosis, I would say that
getting to that point wascontinues to be a failure in the
healthcare system where he, asa Mexican, 60, in his 60s, he
(37:56):
died when he was 66.
Very young, way too young, yeah, and having a full-time job,
having health insurance, being alegal permanent resident in
this country, for so manyfactors didn't have regular
checkups, for so many factorsdidn't have regular checkups.
(38:17):
The pandemic really exacerbatedthat with, you know, like
delays in appointments.
Yeah.
So that was a factor.
And you know, skipping one dayof work for him would mean
having your paycheck, you know,come short.
(38:37):
So you know why would I missone day to go to check, have
this checkup done.
Right.
If I'm feeling okay.
Yeah.
Right, so I, I sometimes this isI debated whether to say this
or not with you, nika, but I dostrongly feel like my father, in
(39:02):
the bigger sense, didn't die ofcancer.
He died due to poverty, right,due to systems that make it more
difficult for people who are inpoverty.
Nika Lawrie (39:18):
Yeah, you're going to make me cry too.
Marina Piña (39:23):
Yeah, I didn't know I was going to miss you, yeah.
Nika Lawrie (39:30):
I hear you and I agree, and it's not okay.
I'm not sure what I can say,you know, in this situation, but
it's not okay and I agree andwe got to fight to change it for
sure.
Definitely yeah.
Marina Piña (39:46):
And then, at the same time, again going back to
the, not expecting my ownexperience and my family's
experience, we fought until theend.
We filed complaints.
When we had to file complaintswith the healthcare facility,
(40:07):
95% of the time they were great,but we had to be there
Advocating for our dad.
He did his best, he was awarrior, he fought until the end
and he did it with dignity.
And, out of everything, what Ireally keep in my heart is that
(40:37):
he had or he died with dignity.
My mother finally accepted that.
The care of the nurses, youknow, besides the one experience
(41:13):
that wasn't particularlypleasant, but we were able to
handle it because we advocatedfor it, and like my family is so
great.
And that is just one story, likeone in a thousand, like we have
many uh around the country.
Nika Lawrie (41:27):
I'm going to have to bring you back for other
stories, and we'll we'll bringothers in as well to share their
stories, cause I think it's so,so important.
But I want to be um courteousand conscious of your time.
I, before I have one lastquestion for you.
Before I ask you that lastquestion, um, I just want to
commend you for the work thatyou're currently doing to make
the system better for peoplelike yourselves, all people
(41:50):
across the state, and really theripple effect that that has for
people across the entirecountry as well.
So thank you for the workyou're doing, thank you for the
work that you've done in thepast advocating for immigrants
and your community to have abetter life here, and your story
is just inspiring.
So thank you for the workyou're doing.
Marina Piña (42:09):
I just Thank you.
Nika Lawrie (42:13):
Absolutely so.
My last question for you,Marina, is if the world was
listening and you could shareone simple but powerful message
with them, what would it be?
Marina Piña (42:34):
one step at a time, for whatever you know it's in
your heart.
If that's a cost, if that'sbettering your family, your
community, take action.
Nika Lawrie (42:49):
Absolutely.
I love that.
Thank you, Marina.
Thank you so much for coming onthe show today.
I'm so grateful to have youhere.
I really appreciate it.
Marina Piña (42:58):
Thank you so much.
I appreciate your time and yourlisteners Absolutely.
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