This 18-year-old met her father on the US-Mexico border right after her graduation ceremony
It was an emotional moment for Sarai Ruiz and her father. The 18-year-old attended her High School graduation without her father, Esteban Ruiz by her side. Her father was deported from the US when Sarai was only four and wasn’t allowed to re-enter the US.
Right after the graduation ceremony, the 18-year-old took fate in her own hands and decided to meet her father at the Mexico-US border. Adorned in her graduation cap and robe, Sarai walked to the Puente de Las Americas (Gateway to the Americas Bridge) on the US-Mexico border.
The minute she saw her father, Sarai broke down. Her father’s reaction was pretty similar. The video of this tearful embrace went viral on social media within a few hours. It garnered more than a million views.
"I gave him a hug and I just started to cry a lot," she said. "It's like I fulfilled the dreams of both my mom and dad to find better opportunities that they didn't have,” she added.
When her father was deported, Sarai moved around a lot to stay close to him. Her father often assured her that nobody but God will ever separate them.
She said that every word of her father rings true now. "A border's not going to separate us, not a bridge, not being able to cross...[It's] not going to change that fact that we're still family."
Ruiz was born in Wisconsin and spent the first few years of her life with both her parents before her father was deported. She then spent a good amount of her life with her mother. They moved to Laredo, Texas when Ruiz was eleven.
Even though her father was separated from her, her mother didn’t let fate meddle with their quest to live together as a family. Finally, Ruiz and her mom settled in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico to stay with her father.
However, Ruiz had to cross the border every day to attend her school—Hector J. Garcia Early College High School which is in Texas. Even so, she always wanted her whole family to attend her graduation ceremony.
"My whole life, I had always thought that my whole family was going to be there. Unfortunately, my dad couldn't be there because he can't cross (the border),” she told a news source.
The ceremony was attended by Ruiz’s mother, and watching other kids’ accompanied by both their parents really hit Ruiz hard. As a result, she decided to take the step.
Nevertheless, her celebration with her father was rather special and exclusive. With more than 2 million views within two days of the upload speaks about how deeply people connected with her story.
Even her principal couldn’t resist but say a few words of admiration for Ruiz.
“She (Sarai) represents the true grit and spirit of the American dream; people fighting for an opportunity to improve their lives, their family, and their community,” he said proudly. “When, as educators, we see stories like this, we need to remember the all of our students deserve that we work hard for them.”
Ruiz will continue with her studies at the University of Texas at Austin in fall. However, her special graduation celebration with her father will inspire us for a long time!
