Che Guerrero, a Philadelphia-based comedian, grew up undocumented and uses his comedic chops to teach others about it, writes Marcella Baietto for CBS News Philadelphia.
His main motivation is sharing details about what it means to grow up undocumented.
“People usually think that being undocumented means you don’t have papers at all,” Guerrero said. “You fall in and out of status all the time … Sometimes I do shows where people go ‘I never thought about laughing about this, about not having a social, about how crazy it is to not have a driver’s license.’”
Guerrero was born in the Dominican Republic before he and his family came to New York City when he was 6, in search of a better life.
He wasn’t fully aware of his immigration status until he couldn’t be accepted for a college scholarship.
Stand-up comedy is what allowed him to make a living when college was not an option.
“I’ve gotten to the point where even my family understands how important this work is and they’re very, very proud of me and I’m proud of them for the work that they’ve done to come to this place,” Guerrero said.
Philadelphia has become a home for him for the way it perfectly balances him as both a person and comedian.
Read more about Che Guerrero and his comedy in CBS News Philadelphia.
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