Isla Gomez

I just work.

I just work and go to school and the cycle repeats every single day.

I kind of took this as a sign of like, I need to get up and kind of do my own thing, build my life.

I can't depend on my parents.

Like, they're always there for moral support, phone call away.

But I need to grow up.

I put my foot on the ground and say, well, I'm going to make the best of it.

So I was in class. I was about to turn in all my work to the teacher. So I was already starting to pack up my things slowly. And I got a call from my mom. She seemed very down. And she was like, it's like when you hear somebody, they're trying not to cry, but like they're really like holding it in. And I could hear in her voice. And that's when I started to get a little bit worried.

So I was in class. I was about to turn in all my work to the teacher. So I was already starting to pack up my things slowly. And I got a call from my mom. She seemed very down. And she was like, it's like when you hear somebody, they're trying not to cry, but like they're really like holding it in. And I could hear in her voice. And that's when I started to get a little bit worried.

She told me that like your father got detained. And then that's when it was just like, it felt like somebody put a little like 10,000 blocks of like bricks on my chest. I was just hearing mumbles. I felt like I was building up so many emotions and it was all gonna come out and I didn't want anybody to see me like that.

She told me that like your father got detained. And then that's when it was just like, it felt like somebody put a little like 10,000 blocks of like bricks on my chest. I was just hearing mumbles. I felt like I was building up so many emotions and it was all gonna come out and I didn't want anybody to see me like that.

So I just gave my paper to my teacher and I like ran out the classroom and I tried to get in my car as fast as possible. And it's just like, you just start envisioning the worst. Like, he's in this terrible place. This is a hardworking man. No criminal record. Like, you guys just took him.

So I just gave my paper to my teacher and I like ran out the classroom and I tried to get in my car as fast as possible. And it's just like, you just start envisioning the worst. Like, he's in this terrible place. This is a hardworking man. No criminal record. Like, you guys just took him.

Massachusetts.

Massachusetts.

My dad, he's Fabricio Gomez. He is 47 years old, and he works at a construction company of his own.

My dad, he's Fabricio Gomez. He is 47 years old, and he works at a construction company of his own.

There was a time when my father left Brazil. Sorry, I'm just asking like these questions for my mom because I never really went like in depth of. So my mom said it was due to the violence down there and like he couldn't make a living for himself, let alone have a family down there.

There was a time when my father left Brazil. Sorry, I'm just asking like these questions for my mom because I never really went like in depth of. So my mom said it was due to the violence down there and like he couldn't make a living for himself, let alone have a family down there.

They actually walked into each other and they were like, oh my God, like I remember you, blah, blah, blah.