Miriam came to the U.S at a very young age and believes that people need to change the way they think about immigrants. Her personal story is moving and inspiring at the same time.

Miriam Martinez is a 16-year-old who was born in Mexico. She came to the United States with her family at age six and was raised in Chicago, IL. As years passed, life became more and more complicated for her. She was getting bullied at school for not speaking the same language, for not being born in the United States, and for not being able to go out because she feared she might be deported. This was just the beginning of what she had to go through. By sharing her story, she hopes to convince people that everyone is a human no matter where they come from and that the time for immigration reform is now.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx