‘Light for Liberty’: A Rally to Protest Trump’s Immigration Policies

EDITOR’S NOTE: Nearly 200 people turned out Friday night for “Light for Liberty,” an event at West Hollywood Park to protest the Trump Administration’s actions against undocumented immigrants. The event, organized by ROAR Resistance on a suggestion from Karen Eyres, attracted all members of the West Hollywood City Council, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and local activists for immigrants rights. But perhaps the most moving speech was that by Sepi Shyne, a local lawyer, which is published below:

My name is Sepi Shyne and I am a resident of West Hollywood. I want to share with you a story of a little girl who followed the American dream. 

I was born in Iran in 1977. When I was two years old, there was a revolution by Islamic fundamentalists that wiped away women’s rights and democracy in the blink of an eye. When I was three years old, Iran went to war with Iraq and daily sounds of missiles and bombs were traumatizing every single day. 

My dad was thrown in jail for a while because he spoke up against the new Islamic Regime. 

When I was five years old, my dad decided that it was time to flee Iran to seek liberty and safety in the United States. The night that we left Iran was terrifying at the airport. The Iranian government was not allowing anyone to take jewelry out of the country, so my mom had hidden her wedding ring somewhere in her body. 

I was clinging to my mom and my best friend, a small stuffed elephant who I called Filoo, which mean little elephant.  At the airport, they were separating women and children from men.

Sound familiar?

The Mujahedin women carrying machine guns under their chador’s were searching women and children behind closed doors.

My mom got so nervous that she went to the bathroom, took out her wedding ring and flushed it down the toilet. They wanted to tear open Filoo to look for gold but my tears convinced them otherwise. After the searches, we were finally on the long journey to the States. 

It was scary and difficult being an undocumented immigrant on many levels. 

My parents left everything in Iran and did not fully financially prepare to be here so we were starting from scratch. I had to be really careful at school to not let on that I was undocumented. It wasn’t until I was 16 that I finally got my green card and I was able to work legally. Hallelujah!
I have worked since then. I put myself through college and law school. I became a citizen in the last year of law school and I have literally voted in every single election since, and as a Democrat. 

I have so many stories to share about growing up in the United States as a little Iranian girl during the ’80’s especially during and after hostage crisis, coming out as a lesbian and post 9/11. 

I have been bullied, gay bashed, experienced so much Islamophobia, homophobia and racism that I can go on for hours.

I can relate to the many immigrants who are just trying to seek
safety here and escape violence. They are coming a different route, but we have a shared story. Their experience is even scarier. I take it very personally because I know what it is like to be a little girl clinging to her parents who are just trying to save her life.

Despite the challenges that I faced as an immigrant, being here and becoming a resident and then a citizen gave me many freedoms that people in other countries do not have: the freedom to follow the American Dream; the freedom to speak against the current administration without the fear of being thrown in jail. The freedom to marry my wife. 

I take these freedoms as a privilege and a duty. 

We who enjoy these freedoms all have a duty to be beacons of light for liberty for those who do not have it! 

So stand up, speak up, vote and do what you can to be that light.