RAMON ARGANDONA
Country of Origin: Peru
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Occupation: Father, immigrant rights activist, union leader, and hospital maintenance worker
My name is Ramon Argandona. I came to the United States 17 years ago from Peru for a better future. When I first arrived, I was undocumented so I understand the struggles new immigrants face. About 10 years ago I had the honor to become a U.S. citizen. I am also fortunate to be part of a union that cares about immigration reform and was invited by my Local President, Dian Palmer, to become a member leader on immigration issues.
I travelled to Washington D.C for rallies and to lobby for immigration reform, and more recently for DAPA and DACA. I am very active in local organizations like the Workers Rights Center, Centro Hispano of Madison, Wisconsin, a coalition of local churches, and VOCES de la Frontera so that I can help the 11 million undocumented immigrants have the same wonderful opportunities I’ve had as a new American.
I am involved because it is so important to stop anti-immigrant politicians who fail to recognize how much work we do and the economic contributions we make to our society by paying taxes and starting small businesses.
I work in a large hospital in maintenance with many other immigrants. The building cannot operate without our efforts every day.
My wife is American born and supports immigration reform. My daughter is going to graduate with a degree in Psychology later this year from the University of Wisconsin. She is active in her community as well. She sits on the board of student organizations that support immigration reform. The time is now to tell our stories about how we work together to truly make America great. ¡Sí se Puede!