Today, I received heartbreaking news. Moises Mendoza, the freelance journalist who was the first person to tell my story when I was stranded in American Samoa as a stateless person, has passed away.
Moises was more than a journalist. He was a compassionate, courageous human being who chose to listen when I was invisible to the world. He saw my SOS messages, reached out to me, and wrote the first article about my situation—“Stranded in Samoa: The U.S. refuses to take back this stateless man,” published in GlobalPost. Because of him, my story reached the world. It spread across international media, even reaching CNN, and gave me something I desperately needed at that time: a voice.
His work helped shine a light on injustice and gave me strength to continue fighting for my freedom and my return. I truly believe that without his courage and humanity, my ordeal could have lasted much longer.
Afterward, Moises continued his path of service, becoming a diplomat and representing the United States at the United Nations—still fighting, in his own way, for people whose voices are often unheard.
Moises was a beautiful soul. I never had the chance to reconnect with him the way I hoped, but I will always carry deep gratitude for what he did for me. He changed my life.
Rest in peace, my friend. You will never be forgotten.#Gratitude #RestInPeace #JournalismMatters #HumanRights #Stateless #AmericanSamoa
