Keynote Speaker & Author
Advocate. Storyteller. Survivor.
In 1980, Dora Rodriguez was one of thirteen people found alive after a catastrophic crossing of the Sonoran Desert. Forty-five years later, she stands on stages across the country turning that story into a call for compassion, policy change, and action.
Who Is Dora
A voice forged in the desert, carried to stages across the country.
In a life-saving attempt to flee El Salvador's civil war in 1980, Dora Rodriguez was one of thirteen survivors found near death while crossing the border through the Sonoran Desert. By bravely sharing her story and through her unwavering support for migrants' rights, Dora's voice has become one of the most trusted in the sanctuary movement that began in Tucson, Arizona.
Through speaking engagements, workshops, and media appearances, Dora helps audiences understand the human realities behind immigration headlines — and what it actually takes to build a more humane response. She lives in Tucson with her husband, is a proud mother of five and grandmother, and serves as Founder and Director of Salvavision, a nonprofit offering direct aid to migrants and deportees.
Read Dora's Full Story
The Memoir
Dora: A Daughter of Unforgiving Terrain
Dora's memoir, co-written with Abbey Carpenter, traces her childhood in Santa Ana, El Salvador, the catastrophic 1980 crossing that nearly killed her, and her rise as a humanitarian leader in the U.S. borderlands. Recognized by the Pima County Public Library's Southwest Books of the Year and praised by authors including Javier Zamora and Francisco Cantú.
Get the Book"I was given the opportunity to be here, and I took that to heart — I came for a reason."— Dora Rodriguez
A keynote that moves audiences — and moves them to act.
Dora speaks to universities, faith communities, libraries, conferences, and nonprofits across the country. Every talk is shaped to the audience.
- 01
Survival & the Human Cost of the Border
A firsthand account of the 1980 desert crossing and what it reveals about U.S. immigration policy today.
- 02
From Trauma to Purpose
How Dora built a four-decade career in social work and advocacy out of unimaginable loss.
- 03
Sanctuary, Then and Now
The origins of the Tucson sanctuary movement and its relevance to today's immigration debates.
- 04
Building Salvavision: Grassroots Humanitarian Aid
Lessons from founding and running a nonprofit serving migrants and deportees on the ground.
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Trusted by national press to tell this story right.
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