For all the talk of living in the shadows and fearing deportation each and every day, the 6-year-old who has emerged as the face of the amnesty movement (even if people don’t realize it) isn’t shy about showing her face. Let’s face it: she’s adorable. Still, if she truly lives every day in fear, is it too much to ask that the parents who put her in the position she’s in speak for themselves now and then?
The little girl from Los Angeles and her family popped up at the Women’s March in D.C. Saturday, where she led the crowd in a chant of “Si se puede!”
Watch 6-year-old Sophie Cruz give one of the best speeches of the #WomensMarch https://t.co/DD044cKQus pic.twitter.com/wVu1vKTPuk
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) January 21, 2017
Sophie Cruz tells children not to be afraid: "There are still many people that have their hearts filled with love" https://t.co/AZJtkF6v6I
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 21, 2017
You guys in the media know you’re being played, right?
Sophie Cruz, 6, stood with her family and urged people to continue fighting for the rights of immigrants. https://t.co/AhkcxCfFuK
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 22, 2017
Fighting for the rights of immigrants? Like all other citizens, immigrants do enjoy the rights of American citizenship … unless, of course, they’re here illegally. Guess USA TODAY didn’t have enough characters to add that detail to its tweet.
Sofie Cruz at the Women's March in DC is my hero
— Sal ? (@sal19) January 21, 2017
That moment when a young child gives an infinitely better speech, IN 2 LANGUAGES, than the President #sophiecruz #WomensMarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/jRSLWg4DZU
— weasal *i'll assume it was something clever* (@Weasal) January 21, 2017
#SofieCruz you are amazing!!! You bring the #ChainofLight #WomensMarchOnWashington #WomensMarch
— Brigid McManamon (@Brigadune) January 21, 2017
Recommended
When 6 year old activist Sofie Cruz spoke at the #WomensMarchOnWashington I just could not keep it together. So young! So strong! So brave!
— Inspired By My Mom (@InspiredByMyMom) January 21, 2017
There’s a rule about leaving the kids out of it, but that applies to children of politicians who are trying to live private lives. Sophie Cruz (sometimes spelled Sofie) has very much been pushed into the spotlight and doesn’t seem to mind the public relations gig one bit. She’s kind of a pro at it.
Sophie Cruz is our Activist of the Year for her advocacy for undocumented families. https://t.co/x4tHFDmUB1 pic.twitter.com/Y5ZrhTk1Vp
— Define American ?? (@DefineAmerican) January 21, 2017
Sophie Cruz is too young to vote, but she's out to #GetLoud for the health of her community! #Vota! pic.twitter.com/APwbt23Ngt
— California Endowment (@CalEndow) November 8, 2016
We’ve gone over this before, but a quick refresher. At 5, Sophie made headlines as the girl who got past the barricades and/or broke through/breached/eluded security during the pope’s visit in 2015 to hand-deliver a plea for amnesty for her family. Even PBS eventually reported that the spontaneous encounter had been planned for a year by an activist group that “pulled off a similar public relations coup” in Rome a year earlier with a 10-year-old girl.
Since that encounter, Sophie has appeared in a video by FWD.us, an advocacy group backed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, visited the Supreme Court, and dropped in on President Obama for Cinco de Mayo (though her parents, both illegals, weren’t invited in). Joe Biden was even there to pinch those cheeks, because of course he was.
Today, @POTUS and @VP met young activist Sophie Cruz at the White House #CincoDeMayo reception. Photo by @petesouza. pic.twitter.com/DOWbrsZ30M
— La Casa Blanca NARA (@LaCasaBlanca44) May 6, 2016
Considering Sophie had submitted a question for the debates last fall where she again said, “My heart is very sad, because I’m scared that ICE is going to deport my undocumented mommy and daddy,” she didn’t look it at the Women’s March.
Sophie Cruz's immigration question about her parents wasn't asked at the debate, but she's not giving up https://t.co/VYE2f5Zr5P
— UPLIFTT (@upliftt) October 12, 2016
This amazing Mexican-American girl is getting more political than ever?
She’s 6.
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