Daniela Leal is a researcher, illustrator, and migration justice advocate

Country of Origin: Honduras

Daniela moved to Canada in 2016 to pursue higher education and earned a degree in Cultural Studies and International Development from Trent University.

Her work is rooted in both academic research and lived experience, blending storytelling, fieldwork, and activism to critically examine migration from Honduras and broader Central America.

Daniela’s research focuses on the cultural normalization of migration in Honduran society, especially the systemic pressures—such as gang violence, patriarchal structures, and state corruption—that drive people to leave.

Through her thesis and public engagements, she asks difficult but necessary questions: Would people still want to leave Honduras even without external pressures? What does it mean for migration to become part of a national identity? Committed to dignified migration and human agency, Daniela challenges dominant narratives that romanticize migration or frame it as the only option.

She believes in creating conditions where people can lead fulfilling lives in their home countries, and where migration is a choice—not a desperate necessity. Her activism extends into community-based education, including cultural orientation sessions for Canadian students working in Honduras and collaboration with grassroots organizations like Horizons of Friendship.

These efforts reflect her commitment to shifting perspectives in both the Global South and North, advocating for more just, reflective, and human-centered approaches to migration.