Illegal: One immigrant's life or death journey to the American dream

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Laz Ayala escaped war-torn El Salvador as a 14-year-old in 1981. He smuggled over the Mexican border into the United States curled up in the trunk of an old Cadillac. A new life waited in San Bernardino, California, with his Sister, father and brother. Laz had to succeed in school while learning English, with the threat of deportation looming. This is a story about immigration and the American dream.

Today Laz is a successful real estate entrepreneur, developer, and philanthropist. From a Dreamer to living his dream, Laz Ayala tells the story about how he came to America, and his mission to humanize immigrants and reform immigration policy.

Author Bio

Laz Ayala is a principal at KDA Homes, a real estate development and construction company based in Ashland, Oregon. He has been a real estate entrepreneur for more than 30 years. He is an active civic leader and has served on various boards of non-profit organizations, including Southern Oregon University Foundation as a trustee. In 2013 he established the Lazaro Ayala Opportunity Scholarship Fund at Southern Oregon University to assist DACA/Dreamer students. He is a member of the Medford Chamber of Commerce and the Medford Rogue Rotary Club. Illegal, a feature-length documentary film based on his journey, had its world premiere at the Winter Film Awards 9th Annual International Film Festival in New York City in February of 2020.