80°
DARIEN, Conn. The plight of transgender illegal immigrants is probably a mystery to most people. But Darien native Isabel Castro is working on a documentary that will share the tale of three transgender women from Mexico who fled to Los Angeles.
Crossing Over focuses on Francis Murillo, Brenda Gonzalez and Abigail Madariaga. All three come from rural areas of Mexico and suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of family, friends and police because they are transgender.
Their story is fascinating. The cultural and social pressures in Mexico just made it impossible for them to live there, Castro said.
A student at New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts, Castro heard the story of these women from a lawyer she consulted with on a journalism paper. She traveled to Los Angeles with other students and shot some footage for a documentary that she is hoping to expand.
Castro started a Kickstarter page to raise money to finish her project. She is trying to raise $4,000 in 40 days to help pay for a crew, travel and equipment to shoot a documentary about 45 minutes long.
Castro says she is not a proponent of illegal immigrants but believes that reforms must be made to help people move here who are unable to live in their own countries. She is interested in documenting the reasons people immigrate to the United States and the troubles they face here.
Because these women are both illegal immigrants and transsexual, its a double whammy. Many of them turn to prostitution, and several contract HIV or AIDS.
The three women in the documentary have all found stable jobs, but it was not easy. Madariaga became addicted to drugs while working as a prostitute, and Gonzalez contracted HIV. Both have been granted political asylum, but Murillo still has a final hearing scheduled in February. If she is denied, she will be deported to Mexico.
Castro is hoping to raise enough money to travel to Los Angeles two or three times and finish the film by summer. She and her colleagues will pitch it to film festivals to try to raise awareness of the struggles of transgender immigrants.
What do you think of the plight of transgender illegal immigrants? Tell us in the comments below.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Darien and receive free news updates.
