We met as kindergarteners in Brooklyn and quickly bonded over a shared love of soccer. We’ve played together in too many settings to count, alongside kids from all over the world. For us, soccer has always created common ground. On the pitch, everyone brings their talents and plays a part in a game built on shared effort and accountability. Sure, it can be competitive with rivalries and ups and downs, but the rules are consistent and fair.

 

Now, as high school players, we are witnessing that off the pitch many in our city are facing a system in which the odds are stacked against them. The same country that enabled our own families to seek a new start and pursue opportunity in the United States over the last century is suddenly shifting the ground beneath more recent arrivals, undermining their sense of stability, belonging, and possibility.

 

Guided by a sense of fairness, we founded Together We Rise to meet this moment and show up for the community that has always shown up for us.