LAS VEGAS (AP) – Astrid Silva didn’t hear her name when the president of the United States first said it Thursday night.
But she couldn’t miss the cheers from a crowded room in Las Vegas where she and others listened to Barack Obama tell a story – her story – about a 4-year-old girl with a cross, a doll and a frilly dress who came to the country illegally with her family.
The young woman who has led immigration reform efforts buried her face in her father’s shoulder, standing side-by-side against a wall, as the president mentioned the time when Silva couldn’t return to Mexico to be at her grandmother’s funeral.
The 26-year-old’s tears didn’t abate as she went from interview to interview in front of cameras and microphones in a crowded Las Vegas office to tell her story once more, seconds after Obama finished telling the country about his plan to offer protections to nearly 5 million immigrants, including deferring deportations for some.
Her father, Cesar Silva, watched from a few feet away as his daughter took center stage.