Lorella Praeli was born in Ica, Peru. At the age of two she suffered a car accident in which she was pinned by a car that resulted in the loss of her right leg. Lorella Praeli needed to receive immediate treatment that was not available in her country of Peru so Lorella's father flew to Orlando, Florida to find treatment. At Shriners hospital their case was rejected, but believed that if they met his daughter, they would not turn her away.

At age 4, Lorella Praeli received treatment from Shriners hospital, but the trek to Orlando from Peru multiple times a year so that Lorella could learn to walk with a prosthetic became a challenge. Eventually, her parents made the decision to make a permanent move to the United States of America so that she could be closer to her demanding treaments.

Undocumented Immigrant

When Praeli was 10, her mother brought her and her sister Maria to live in the U.S. permanently.

They settled in the small town of New Milford, Connecticut, where Praeli’s mother Chela had a sister, Mirtha. The adjustment for Chela was profound: she sacrificed her job as a psychiatrist in Peru to become a housekeeper in Connecticut.

Lorella Praeli acclimated well and excelled at school. In her first year in the U.S., she advanced from a second grade reading level to a fifth grade level within the course of a single school year — moving into step with her English-speaking peers seamlessly despite the language difference.

A a pre-teen, Praeli was aggressively cyber-bullied — targeted not only for her physical difference, but as a person of color and an immigrant.

One particular middle school episode was deeply traumatic, but ultimately emboldening — it's a period Praeli credits with spurring her to claim her voice.

In high school, she went on to become closely involved with the Anti-Defamation League's "Names Can Really Hurt Us" program. She worked to promote bullying awareness and reconciliation. Praeli graduated top of her senior class and received a full scholarship to Quinnipiac University. But despite the academic successes, transition from high school to college marked a period of intense shame.

The transition from High school to College became one of her biggest challenges as the fact that she is undocument became a reality that she wasn't aware of.

She needed a social security number to complete her FAFSA application, and her mother had kept that detail from her throughout the years, in an effort to protect her daughter.

The revelation initially sent Praeli into a deep, consuming cycle of shame.

The stigma of being an "illegal immigrant" and an "alien" had seeped in during her time in U.S., and the truth about her own status threw her into doubt about her ability to pursue her education and her career without risk of discovery or deportation.

College became an exercise in hiding.

When Praeli eventually "came out" during a spontaneous access at a Connecticut Democrats press conference, she emerged an entirely changed person.

Soon after, she became an activist.

Praeli first fought to secure "in state" tuition rates for undocumented DREAMers in Connecticut — a success that led her to become the Director of Advocacy and Policy for United We Dream (the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country).

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals)

As UWD's Director of Advocacy and Policy, she went on to work as a conduit between the Latino community and the Obama Administration, championing the landmark creation of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents).

In November 2014, Praeli and her mother stood arm-in-arm in an audience of DREAMers and DREAMer supporters in Las Vegas, as President Barack Obama announced the expansion of DACA and the creation of DAPA.

In May 2015, Praeli was invited to join Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, as the Director of Latino Outreach. She marvels at her own triumph — at the incredible journey she has taken from undocumented immigrant to an effective policy shaper on the national stage.

She considers to call herself a DREAMer (even though she received her green card when she married in 2012), and identifies closely with their struggle and their vision.

Her dream for the 11 million undocumented families in the U.S. is that they come to feel "embraced by America" — and find relief in the adopted country they call home.

2016 Democratic National Convention Speech

On July 28th, 2016, Praeli was invited to give a speech at the DNC.

Her introduction onto the stage began with Hillary Clinton speaking about Praeli's life and accomplishments as an undocumented immigrant, and by stating that president Barack Obama presented her with a citizenship of the United States of America.