Silva, Astrid

Astrid Silva was born in the state of Durango, Mexico. In 1992, she was barely four years old when immigrated with her mother to the United States. After a few months in Los Angeles, California, her father found a better work situation and relocated the family to Las Vegas, Nevada. Astrid attended Doris Hancock Elementary School, Garside Middle School, and was a 2006 graduate of the Advanced Technology Academy (A-Tech).

After facing many barriers as an undocumented student, she earned three associate degrees from the College of Southern Nevada and earned a bachelor’s degree in History/Pre-Law from Nevada State College. A chance encounter, after a personal tragedy, put her in touch with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2009. It was through her personal story that she was able to connect with other young people that were in the same situation as her. She began to get more involved in immigration politics, in particular those regarding the DREAM Act.

She was involved in forming DREAM Big Vegas, which was a club that aimed to educate the community about the problems faced by DREAMers and their families. As she started doing media appearances, she became the poster child for the DREAM Act in Nevada, and eventually went on to receive national recognition for her role in advocating for DREAMers. She has been a speaker at the Democratic National Convention and has been named a rising Civil Rights leader by the Los Angeles Times.

She serves as the Executive Director for DREAM Big Nevada, a continuation of the work started by DREAM Big Vegas, whose focus is on providing the immediate needs of the undocumented immigrant community with the long-term needs. She continues to educate people about DACA, and to create a bridge of understanding between people inside and outside the immigrant community.