We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Raquel Fernandez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Raquel below.

Raquel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

My defining moment came when I was about 10 years old. I went to an immigration rally in Greensboro, North Carolina with my mom. My mom is a pastor and she had the chance to speak at the event. At the last minute, she asked me to say a few words in English since she addressed the crowd in Spanish. I was so nervous. I didn’t know the power of stories at the time. I felt that no one would care to listen to what I, a child, had to say. My mom told me to share the story of my friend, Lizzie. I grabbed the mic and started talking… I told them how my best friend had to move because her dad was undocumented. He did not have many opportunities in North Carolina, a very conservative state at the time. Lizzie was a loyal friend. I loved that she thought for herself, and we always had a good time. Her mom babysat my brothers and me for a while. We spent countless days watching shows and eating popcorn together. Unfortunately, Lizzie and her parents had to relocate several times. When she moved to Georgia, we would write to each other. She was my first “pen pal” (a ’90s kid thing). Eventually, they could not stay in Georgia because of her dad’s lack of immigration status. So, they moved to Mexico and we lost touch. I was deeply saddened and couldn’t understand why something like immigration status kept friends and family apart. My parents were also undocumented and I lived in fear that we would have to move to their native Venezuela one day. I don’t remember much about the day I shared Lizzie’s story at the rally, but I remember my mom being very proud of me. She told me she noticed the impact of my words on people’s faces. She encouraged me to keep advocating for first-generation immigrants like her and Lizzie. She told me that there are lawyers who help people obtain status. That’s where my immigration law journey started. Now, I’m an immigration lawyer who has had the pleasure of helping many families reunite, even my own. Also, thanks to the power of social media, Lizzie and I reconnected many years ago on Facebook and we have stayed in touch!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Raquel Fernandez. I’m a second-generation immigrant born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I’m proud of my Latin/Venezuelan roots. I speak Spanish and English fluently and help immigrants of all ages as an immigration lawyer. I became a licensed lawyer in 2017 at the age of 25. I recently left my 9 to 5, and began focusing all of my energy on media advocacy. As a content creator, I love to advocate for immigrants on social media. My journey as a content creator started on TikTok in 2020. Today, I have amassed nearly 1 million followers across the board. I graduated from TikTok’s “Casa TikTok,” a scaled, Latin creator community of over 650 creators. I recently joined Meta’s “The Network by Dale Tu,” an initiative that exists to champion, celebrate, and elevate visionary Latinx and Hispanic creators.

I have combined my passions, immigration and social media, to reach those who are afraid to set up a legal consultation and find solutions to their immigration dilemmas. I also volunteer at the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Carolinas Chapter, serving as their social media liaison. I won AILA’s Chapter Advocacy Video Competition, which led me to Washington, D.C. for AILA’s National Day of Action on April 27, 2023! A highlight of the trip was meeting my Representative Kathy Manning! We spoke to members of Congress about common sense immigration solutions. It was truly a full circle moment. I remember going to DC for an immigration reform rally as a senior in college (10 years ago), knowing I was meant to join this cause. While immigration reform may seem unreachable, we press on… The main thing I want my followers and clients to know is, their lives and stories truly make a difference!

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Absolutely not. Never regret how you started your journey because it led you to where you are now. Even if you’re doing something completely unrelated on the surface, it all connects. You can gain valuable experiences from any career or job. I knew I wanted to be an immigration lawyer from a young age. I am happy to look back on every internship and every job knowing I learned something from the experience, whether good or bad. The bad experiences might even be the catapult to your greatest success.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I recently pivoted in my career, as mentioned previously. I was working a traditional “9 to 5” job, as an immigration lawyer. I was content with my job and my co-workers, but an external factor came into play. My mom’s health suddenly became a concern for her and my family. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer earlier this year. It was shocking because very few people in our family had ever had cancer. Hearing that word alone is frightening. I knew I wanted to have the time to focus on her… take her to her doctor’s appointments, and spend as much time as needed, as she recovered from her surgery. So, I quit my job. It was a tough decision and one I prayed over constantly. When I made the decision, I knew it was right for me. I had received generous offers from other immigration law firms across the U.S. at the time, but I stayed firm in my decision. As I spent time with my mom, I also felt called to focus my energy on my career as a content creator… a huge risk, but one I’m so glad I took. My husband was abundantly supportive. He whole-heartedly encouraged me to follow my new dream. One where I could be my own boss. One that feels limitless and free. There comes a time in each of our lives when we have to decide whether to take the safe road, or pivot towards a new dream. This was mine. The best news is my mom is 100% cancer free! My biggest joy is having the flexibility to enjoy my family. This is just the beginning for me, so I look forward to sharing more good news in the future regarding my new journey!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raquelgoforth/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/attorneyraquel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abogadaraquel
• Twitter: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMejRXRPo/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/abogadaraquel