Yanira Rivera, a 19-year-old honors student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, faced a common challenge among undocumented youth: finding summer employment. Despite her academic excellence and commitment, Rivera’s immigration status made her ineligible for many opportunities. She relayed her experience in an interview with the New York Daily News, saying, “I felt like I was kind of losing hope, and I was losing my liking for education… My mentality was, here I am trying to further my education so I can find opportunities and can get up there. But it was very frustrating because there was always that restriction.”
However, Rivera’s prospects changed when she discovered Beyond Rising, a five-week summer internship program tailored for undocumented youth in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn. Run by the nonprofit Oyate Group, Beyond Rising offers a lifeline to students traditionally excluded from other jobs due to their immigration status. This summer, the program is serving 50 participants, more than double its initial cohort in 2022.
The demand for such opportunities is skyrocketing. This year, applications numbered 1,800, up from 500 last summer. “The demand has always been there, for sure,” said Tomas Ramos, founder and president of Oyate Group. “Has it increased because of the influx of migrants? One can assume so. But obviously, from last year to this year, our applications have gone up tremendously.”
In comparison, the city-run Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is the nation’s largest, aiming to serve 100,000 youth this summer with a $236 million budget. While SYEP is expanding opportunities for undocumented youth, the numbers remain limited. The SYEP Pathways program, designed for those who can’t enroll in the traditional program, offers only 1,900 slots this summer.
Beyond Rising also offers practical benefits. Participants earn $500 for 30 hours of work per week, paid through reloadable debit cards. For Rivera, this income is essential. “People actually value my work for who I am, and they’re not stuck on the fact I wasn’t born here,” she said.
As the demand for such programs continues to grow, initiatives like Beyond Rising are crucial in providing undocumented youth with the opportunities they deserve.
