Advocates

MARCUS RASHFORD

23 • Championing change

BY LEWIS HAMILTON

In 2020, Marcus Rashford took his many talents beyond the football field—where he is a star player for Manchester United and England’s national team—to respond to a national crisis: child hunger. “I know what it feels like to be hungry,” he wrote last June as part of a campaign that succeeded in pushing the government to provide meals for students in need during summer vacation. By standing up for the most vulnerable in our society, and using his platform and influence to create positive change, Marcus inspired countless others to join him on this mission and cemented his status as a role model. In a year that showed us the power of working together toward a common goal, he was a galvanizing force behind uniting people across the U.K. in the effort to ensure that no child goes hungry. His determination, resilience and persistence have been truly inspiring. I cannot wait to see how he continues this important work.

Hamilton is a seven-time Formula One world champion

DAIRON ELISONDO ROJAS

29 • Serving asylum seekers

BY JOAQUIN CASTRO

In Matamoros, Mexico, thousands of people seeking asylum in the U.S. are stranded in a squalid encampment. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, living conditions in the overcrowded tent city were dangerous. Cartels operate with impunity. The lack of sanitation and exposure to the elements spread illness. Families have grown desperate and drowned trying to swim to Texas.

In a sea of despair, a Cuban doctor is a ray of hope. Dairon Elisondo Rojas, himself an asylum seeker, provides lifesaving care amid the continued effects of the Trump Administration’s inhumane immigration policy. He and his girlfriend trekked across Latin America to escape political persecution after he courageously criticized the Maduro regime while working in Venezuela. Forced to remain in Mexico as an American judge decides his fate, Elisondo Rojas saw a sign that said MÉDICO and asked, “How can I help?” He now helps mothers hear their baby’s heartbeat for the first time and treats up to 50 patients every day, mostly children.

Elisondo Rojas aspires to practice medicine in the U.S. and to contribute his skills to our nation like generations of immigrants before him—but he can only help if we let him.

Castro is a Democratic Congressman from Texas

Jang Hye-yeong

33 • PUSHING FOR EQUALITY

When Jang Hye-yeong realized that the