President Obama's Immigration Changes- Where to go to Apply for Deferred Action

Recently President Obama made some adjustments to immigration, allowing for undocumented youth to apply for deferred action. Meaning that those who are under the age of 31 and were brought into this country illegally or overstayed their visa have an opportunity to apply for a temporary pass for a two year period and an opportunity to apply for work authorization. The USCIS explains that, "Deferred action is a discretionary determination  to defer removal action of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion. Deferred action does not confer lawful status upon an individual" 

Although this law does not create a substantial or lasting solution to the current problem that many youth face, it is a step in the right direction, it provides some hope to a brighter future. For those who may be seeking information on the application process just visit the USCIS website. This provides you with a step by step process to help you collect all documents needed, all the forms you will need to fill out, as well as the mailing and payment process. 

You can also view a video on the process on YouTube.

Something Real

This blog post is about an emotional conversation between a young lady and I. The young lady from the interview is extremely bright, she is strong, she is brave, she is determined, most of all she is admirable. She was an honor student in high school and an athlete, not different from your everyday American teenager. She is currently enrolled in college and has big dreams for her future. When you look at this young lady you would never imagine her to be undocumented. She fits none of the stereotypes of "illegal", but her story is not unique, these so-called "illegals" are quite often children or young adults brought here at very young ages. The young lady from the interview is by far one of the strongest people I have met, she pushes past the difficult situation she is in as she works and hopes for a better tomorrow. She knows what is best for herself and she knows what she wants for her future, she is independent and strong, here this is her story:

(me): Let's begin with the simple questions, how old were you when your parents brought you here?

(interviewee): I was just an infant.

(me): And do you know the whole story of how you got here, or the whole story of your situation"

(interviewee): No, no one ever tells me everything that I want to know, so I don't even know like how exactly I got here.

(me): So when did you find out that you are undocumented?

(interviewee): Well, we were going to LA to visit my uncle, and I think I was in middle school. Before we left my mom started getting really worried and was telling me to say my name was something else and that I was born at some hospital and all this stuff if anyone asked me anything. So I just figured it out on my own, everything just kind of clicked and I realized why she was telling me all this. But no one ever actually sat me down and talked about it.

(me): How did you feel when you realized it?

(interviewee): I was really confused.

(me): When did you realize the severity of it all?

(interviewee): I think it was my freshman year, I started thinking about what it would be like when I got older, when i turned like 17 or 18 and all the things I wouldn't be able to do. It was everything from not going to a rated "R" movie, to driving, to college. I wouldn't be able to do any of it.

(me): Tell me a little about your life, about your daily struggles.

(interviewee): It is really frustrating because you just have to constantly lie, you have to lie non-stop all the time to everyone you know. You have to be telling lie after lie making sure they are consistent, and that you tell everyone the same thing. You just lay in bed at night thinking about all your lies and how to keep building off of them, how to make them sound convincing, making sure they make sense so that no one will question them. It is strange because sometimes you even begin to believe your own lies because you are constantly thinking about them. It is weird because some days you wake up and don't realize that you are illegal and everything is fine and happy, but then when you do realize it you get really sad and it is just really hard.

(me): What about life with your friends, want to talk about that? Do any of them know?

(interviewee): Only two friends know, it is just really hard because that is a lot of pressure to put on someone, and I just don't want to tell them and have them treat me different. I don't want it to come in the way of our friendship, I also get scared that they could use it against me if ever we got in a fight or something. It is just really hard though because whenever they want to do something or go somewhere like a casino or even just a rated "R" movie I can't go, and I just have to make up lies about why I don't have an ID or a birth certificate I can use.

(me): What about school? Does it make life easier or harder?

(interviewee): Both. School makes it easier because it gives me something to do since I can't work. I want to go to school anyway, I want to graduate from college so I am glad I get to go to school thanks to the DREAM Act in California. It is also better because I get an ID from school, so I have some sort of identification to carry. But at the same time it is hard because I don't drive so I have to get dropped off and people ask me why I don't drive. Also I can't get financial aid and people always tell me to get it and ask why I don't have it. I wish I could get it, but the state won't help because that part of the DREAM Act didn't pass. I understand why, and I am fine with it, I mean I don't think it should have to pass, but at the same time I just feel bad for people like me because it isn't like we chose this life you know? And I know I can try to get private scholarships and stuff but  it is always through some groups like La Raza and they want you to join them and I just don't want to be filling out any paper work or anything. It is weird but I just don't want a paper trail of me anywhere, I just get scared.

(me): Any other difficulties in your everyday life that you want to talk about?

(interviewee): Well when you are around other people you just have to be really cautious all the time, you have to learn how to read people, you have to watch every word you say, every move you make, every friend you pick. You just have to constantly watch people, it makes it hard to make new friends because I just don't want to have one more person to lie to or to worry about. You are just always thinking about other people and how the things those people do can affect you and what you do, you have to make sure you are not doing stupid things or risky things with risky people because you don't want to get in trouble.

(me): So you are over 18 right? How does that affect your situation?

(interviewee): Yes, and it is a lot worse for me now that I am older because everyone else around me is doing things I can't do but they expect me to do them because they don't know. They are always asking me questions and it is hard to keep making up lies for why I can't do those things they do. It makes me mad though when I see people my age who don't do anything but they can, it just bothers me because I wish I could do things like work, and people just take it for granted. I hate that people think I am just lazy, I don't want to look lazy, but there is nothing I can do about it, I can't drive, I can't work, and I can only go to certain schools.

(me): And you have a younger sibling right?

(interviewee): Yes, a younger sister, but she was born here so she can do all the things I can't and that makes my situation worse. It makes me look bad because she can drive and work but I can't, so it makes me look even more lazy. I get mad at her because she doesn't even appreciate what she has, she doesn't care about the opportunity she has to do something with her life. It is difficult to see all the things she can do but I can't.

(me): How do you cope with this burden on a daily basis?

(interviewee): Well I use sarcasm a lot, that way people never can tell if I am being serious or joking and they just kind of laugh everything off. It is helpful at avoiding those difficult questions people ask. Also I realized that I have like developed this OCD kind of thing, or like ritual activities I do, I need things done in a certain way and if something throws it off then I might decide not to go out and do something that day because I worry that it was a bad sign that something bad might happen if I go out. It seems so strange but it is like it gives me some say or something, it is weird but I always do it. It is like a way that I express my anxiety or something, I don't know.

(me): If you fix your situation, or rather, when you fix your situation, any chance you will help other people like yourself?

(interviewee): I know this sounds horrible to say, but I don't want anything to do with this after it is over. And maybe people won't understand this but I just live with it everyday I don't think I could face it everyday after it is over. It is sad but I try to make sure I am not in the sun too long so I don't get darker, and I don't want to know Spanish because people think I should, I don't care that people think I am Filipino because I actually would rather have them think that, I don't want to embrace my Mexican-ness. I don't want to do all those things because it just draws more attention to me and then people think that because I am Mexican that I am illegal, I just want to be under the radar, I don't want to appear illegal. I hide a vaccine shot I got in Mexico because everyone knows when they see it that I am Mexican. I just want to escape this whole part of my life, when it ends I want to forget it, I would do anything to fix it, but I can't. It is horrible to say these things, and I don't want to say them, but I can't help it.

This amazing young woman did not choose this for herself. However, she has to carry this burden every day with the fear of making one wrong move. She knows the severity of her situation, she knows she has very limited options at this point, and can only continue moving forward with hopes that changes will soon arise. It is a tragedy that she has been forced to separate herself from her cultural roots to avoid unwanted attention. The even greater tragedy is this story is not rare, she is the face of countless other young people in this country who carry the same secret with them daily. These are the people that we categorize as criminal, that we see as financial burdens on our country, that we should deport, that we feel threatened by. We are bombarded with images and ideas of "illegals" as greedy rule breakers who have no respect for the law or others, we never get to see undocumented persons as anything but criminal. This is not a problem of our country being flooded with illegals who break through the border, but rather a problem of governmental failure to address long-standing issues with our immigration policies. This affects human life on a daily basis and we need to take notice and push for change, the majority of undocumented persons are not criminals, we need to open our eyes, minds, and hearts to see the truth. The only difference between you and this young lady is that you were fortunate enough to be born on this side of the fence and given a nine digit number that allows you all the privileges and opportunities you could ask for.

Ask yourself, what can i do?
Share these types of stories.

Tell Me A Story

   
     There has been much talk in politics about how many undocumented students we have in public schools. There has been debate over how to handle it, and how it even came about that we have so many undocumented students enrolled in school. The Immigration Policy Center explains that approximately 65,000 undocumented students a year who finish school but cannot go to college or enter the workforce. The DREAM ACT was a possible solution to that problem, proposing that undocumented youth be granted amnesty if they were brought into this country illegally as a child, with the stipulation that they attend college or join the military.
 
 Some people embraced this proposal, seeing it as a fit solution to a difficult situation. These youth broke no laws by their own accord, they were brought here as infants, toddlers, or children by parents or guardians. Some came legally with visas and just overstayed them, many of them have no idea of their situation until high school. Many of those who hoped for the DREAM ACT to pass were these undocumented youth, it was their one chance to have a life in this country. Meanwhile, some of those opposing it lacked any understanding of the situation and only saw it as amnesty for illegals, or were on the complete other side and saw it as a way of forcing Hispanic youth (and other immigrant groups) into the military.

 
 Both sides essentially ruined the entire opportunity for these undocumented youth, there were radicals on one side claiming this would open the flood gates and eventually legalize all undocumented persons. Some claiming they are all criminals and should just be deported no matter the circumstance. While on the other side we had organizations and groups like La Raza upset over the fact that these undocumented youth would have to join the service or go to college, claiming this was unjust or unfair. However neither side realized that 1). the bill was about youth who did not break the laws themselves and 2). most of these youth want nothing more than to go to school or get a steady job.
 
Neither of these positions ever stopped and took a step back from their own emotions and heated debates to ask the real people it was going to affect. They all stood with mouths wide open spewing out their opinions of how other peoples lives should be handled. I asked someone who was undocumented how he felt about this entire situation.

Interview:



(me): How do you feel about the DREAM ACT?

(interviewee): I think it was a good effort.

(me): Do you wish it had passed? Not just for your sake, but for other students who are just like you?

(interviewee): Well, of course, it is not only me in this situation, but my sister as well, and it is sad because she has an even more promising future, I would do anything to make her life easier.

(me): Tell me a little about your sister.

(interviewee): She is super smart, she has a great attitude despite her situation, she graduated with honors in high school, and she still has big dreams for her future.

(me): Do you think people really understand what it is like for people in your situation?

(interviewee): No, because they think that it is a choice, we didn't choose to come here this way, and a lot of other people didn't either. We didn't come here to take advantage, we came here for opportunity. People don't understand that even a simple jay-walking ticket or after-curfew citation could end the little freedom we have. Something that residents take for granted.

(me): Who do you blame for the DREAM ACT not passing?

(interviewee): I blame both sides. My side for making us look like radical protesting ungrateful nuisances, most of whom are people who aren't even undocumented, people who just think they are fighting for us, when they have no idea what we even want. They speak for us without even asking us. I also blame the other side for thinking that we are just criminals and should be treated as such. They think we have no desire to be successful, that we just want to take advantage of this country, or even take it back, haha.

(me): It seems like you feel like your voice was lost amid everyone else's fighting, that things are too political and not even really about the issue?

(interviewee): Yes, I would say lost, or even just that it is one of too many. I would say things did go off issue when it became a thing of race instead of allegiance. It is not like we are Mexicans wanting to be Mexicans living in America. We are Mexican Americans who want to be recognized as such, we want to be seen as Mexican-Americans, or even American-Mexicans, because there are some of us who don't even speak any Spanish.

(me): Well, that sounds pretty powerful, any last things you want to say?

(interviewee): I want everyone to stop speaking for us when they don't even bother to ask what we want and how we want it. I hope someday soon we can have another DREAM ACT and have it pass, to help all those kids out there who want nothing more than to live a fulfilling life in this great country.

Recent Arrest for Mexico Murders

A recent arrest was made for one of the men supposedly involved in the dumping of 49 bodies in Nuevo Laredo. The Mexican army has arrested Elizondo Ramirez for his involvement and they are still searching for another man who was with Ramirez and  filmed the dumping of the bodies on the side of the highway. Ramirez was working for the Zeta drug cartel, however despite the messages left at the site claiming the mass murder to be the work of the Zetas, there have been signs found throughout Mexico denying their involvement. (Fox) The mutilated bodies of the 49 victims were found in an area that is part of "The Triangle of Death"

     This area is know to be particularly dangerous due to the routes used for trafficking drugs and other items. This areas has been fought over between drug cartels, where each cartel attempts to outdo the other, resulting in these mass murders. It is still uncertain who the victims are, they could be kidnapped immigrants, or they could be members of a rival cartel. There are reports that "mass body dumpings have increased around Mexico in the last six months" (Fox). It is evident that this violence is not going to end anytime soon, especially without the work of both the Mexican government working with the U.S. government.
    I decided it would be relevant to follow-up on this story simply because it is such a strong representation of the situation in Mexico. I do not wish to depict the entire country of Mexico as being full of poverty and violence at every corner, however it is relevant to point out the extreme violence that does occur. This violence is not something that every citizen of Mexico will deal with, however, it is violence that can be found in every state there.

     We know small amounts of violence compared to the violence experienced in other countries on a regular basis. We have school shootings and it quickly turns into National or even international news. That kind of violence is something that shocks and astounds the average American citizen. But that kind of violence of mass mindless murder is something that immigrants from other countries fled from, that is why they came here.
     We are relatively sheltered from violence, we are not told details of murders, nor are we shown images of dead bodies on our news channels. We cannot relate to this kind of violence, and perhaps this is why we do not understand the illegal immigrants coming from Mexico. We cannot understand their purpose for running across the border illegally, unless they were criminals trying to hide something from border patrol or the police.
    We cannot understand desperation because we have not experienced it. We cannot understand the man who is willing to risk his life crossing the desert to work picking fruit or doing day labor jobs. We assume that they are fleeing their country because they are criminals, bringing their crime here, stealing our jobs, and taking our opportunities.
    I was recently viewing an episode of Border Wars on National Geographic channel and was concerned by the way the in which the border patrol agents referred to or treated the illegal immigrants as if they were animals. Some agents commented on a raid and claimed that they "herded them up" before they began arresting people. It was dehumanizing in a way, they "hunted" them down, one officer even jumped on a man from behind, a man who was already under spotlight with other officers on their way. The one agent crept up from behind and leaped on top of the man as he was sitting on a hill, the man was banged up and hurt, the agent was young and aggressive and acted as if he was just as hurt as the man they arrested. The actions were inappropriate and unnecessary, and it was a clear demonstration of the attitude many agents and civilians hold toward these immigrants that they cannot relate to.
     On the same episode there was a "suspicious" man in a van trying to drive across the border, a female officer stopped him and had him removed from the vehicle so it could be searched. The man was detained while the search went on, the officers could find nothing wrong with the van, or with the man and their final comment about their mistake was "well we will catch him next time". This was making a bold statement that although they could come up with nothing wrong, no criminal activity, that he was still a criminal and they would figure him out on the next trip through.
    I would like to say that this shocked me, but honestly it didn't. This attitude is one that many American hold toward even those who cross the Mexican border legally, they are all considered illegals, and thus all considered criminals. It is sad really that we make these assumptions and associations that even if we didn't see them committing a crime at the moment, we "know" they are committing them when we are not looking.
     We need to rid ourselves of the image of all Hispanics being Mexican and all Mexicans being illegals and all illegals being outright criminals, it just shows our lack of intelligence and understanding toward other human beings. This image is what many think of when they think of Mexicans, and it is sad that this is all we can associate an entire country of people with.
    We are willing to relate and help and understand the struggles of other people across the globe and yet we cannot do the same for our neighbors. When mass brutal murders are occurring so close to U.S. borders we need to take a deeper look at what is happening and how we can be more productive ourselves in minimizing the problems that lead up to such brutality, instead of just building a bigger fence so we cannot see the bodies on the other side, or how we contributed to the death of those bodies, and the deaths of hundreds of bodies trying to escape a world that we helped create.

49 Bodies Found on Mexican Border

    Recently police discovered 49 bodies on the border between San Juan Mexico and McAllen Texas. These bodies were mostly male, and many of the bodies were missing arms, feet, or legs, and they were decapitated. These brutal murders are thought to be drug cartel murders, resulting from rival cartels fighting over territory. (Fox News). These types of murders are not uncommon, they have been occurring over the years across Mexico. Fox Reports that "Drug violence has killed more than 47,500 people since Calderon launched a stepped-up offense when he took office in December 2006".
    When we see this type of activity in some "third world" countries we often feel like we need to do something to stop it, nearly fifty thousand murders related to drug crime is something that we cannot ignore, and yet we are ignoring it. We report on the drug problems in Mexico and the crime associated with it, but we do not try to seek ways to help stop this, nor do we recognize this as a possible reason for people to want to leave Mexico to live here. I wish to point out what the definition of refugee is "a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution". I argue that there are many people fleeing the country of Mexico for reasons we do not understand because we are not living in the middle of a huge drug war claiming thousands of lives.

     My claim is not to say that all people coming to this country from Mexico are fleeing for their lives, I simply wish to recognize it as a possible cause from some. Others may come to seek financial stability because their likelihoods have been destroyed by programs such as NAFTA, or because they wish to provide their families with education and opportunity that they are unable to provide in their home country. However, we must recognize the drug war as a real war, people who live in areas int he United States where gang activity is high will often claim the areas as "war-zones", simply because the danger is real, the murder and death is real, and the fear is there 24/7.
    Many of us cannot relate to this, if in the United States we found almost 50 decapitated bodies near the highway we wouldn't know how to process it. We have no idea what that kind of life is like, to find bodies brutally murdered in the streets, to find mass graves, to have entire cities being controlled by cartel operations. We don't know this life, this world, but we are contributors to it.
     I will never forget a quote I heard on either the National Geographic show Border Wars or the History channel show Gangland, a man stated that "we always say Mexico is the country with the drug problems, but in reality it is the United States with the drug problems, because without us to purchase the drugs there would be no need to sell them". This has stuck in my mind so strongly, a point that never is spoken on any news media channel, a point that is never presented in the debate of border security, a point we choose to ignore because it is easier to place the blame on Mexico and their corruption.
    It is much easier to say that drug cartels sneak drugs into this country, that they commit murders, that they create violence, that they fuel the gang activity that is overflowing into our country, that they create the need for further enforcement at the borders, and it is easy to imply that all illegals coming into this country are somehow associated with the criminal activity of these cartels even when they are not. However, it is not easy to accept our own role in this image, as the root cause of the problem, as the ones demanding the supply of drugs which in turn creates the cartels and the violence that accompanies them. We disconnect ourselves from the issue and tell ourselves a little marijuana is okay because it does not hurt anyone, quickly failing to recognize where those drugs came from and the many bodies that were hurt or killed for that leaf.

    It is easy to call those who illegally cross our borders as criminals, to simply say they broke our laws and they need to be deported, but it will never stop unless we think about why they might be risking their lives to cross a desert to be here. It must be pretty bad back at home when you are willing to risk your life to come and work as near slaves for very little in wages, living in constant fear of being sent back, if that doesn't sound like a refugee then what does? Mexico is dealing with a full blow drug war, this is eveident with the report that " In less than a month, the mutilated bodies of 14 men were left in a van in downtown Nuevo Laredo, 23 people were found hanged or decapitated in the same border city and 18 dismembered bodies were left near Mexico's second-largest city, Guadalajara."
    In order to get control of the illegal immigration in this country we must recognize the signs of why it is occurring and why it is occurring from some countries more than others. We need to look at today's headlines about the 49 bodies found along the border and think about how it is interconnected with illegal immigration and realize that there are many more layers to it than may appear.

What Politics Fail to Address

    It is important to bring to light the politics of the immigration debate. I wish to present Mitt Romney's stance on immigration as well as President Obama's stance and compare the two, but most importantly I wish to present what both these political figures fail to address within the immigration issue. It is important to understand candidates intentions and goals before electing them, but it is also important to educate yourself on the issues as well. Many people have strong opinions about immigration, particularly illegal immigration, however, not many people fully explore the reasons and historical context that leads to illegal immigration.

     Mitt Romney has a strong stance against illegal immigration, he sees it as unfair to those who have been waiting in line to come into this country legally. He states on his website that he “will protect legal immigration and the 4.5 million who are waiting in line to enter the United States legally by taking a strong stand against illegal immigration.” However, he fails to address the bigger issue at hand, not everyone in all countries have the same opportunities to even get in line to come here. It isn't some big clipboard that just anyone can sign. Just as it is in The United States, the wealthy have an upper hand in almost every situation. It is no secret that there is an immense amount of corruption within the country of Mexico, so why would it be impossible to think that there would be corruption within the processes of obtaining U.S. Visas or Green Cards? Before we make sweeping allegations of those who “cut the line” as being unlawful or criminal or unfair people, we must explore reasons as to why some countries have such high tendencies toward illegal immigration activities. We need to realize that usually when there is smoke there is fire, meaning that there is most likely a cause for Mexico’s large amount of illegal immigration.

            Romney also claims that one of his main goals is to “secure the border” by building “a high-tech fence and provide the necessary number of border patrol to finally secure our southern border.” Part of the problem with this statement is that is only addresses the “Southern Border”, it is completely naïve to think that only “bad things” or “criminals” come from the southern border, this is clearly a racial stigma that the U.S. needs to escape. There are historical purposes that have caused the increase of illegal immigration from the southern border that are never addressed within the political atmosphere. This is due to the fact that the U.S. would be forced to admit responsibility for illegal immigration, after all we were the ones who implemented it in the first place with The Bracero Program. This program ran from the 1940’s to the 1960’s, when the U.S. did not have enough workers to farm the land and they trained in thousands of Mexicans to work the land, picking crops. Despite promises to many workers to have a life in this country, when the U.S. no longer needed the workers they “were ousted from their jobs by workers coming out of wartime industries and by returning servicemen” (PBS). Many of these workers were forcibly loaded onto trains and sent back to Mexico.

            There is also the issue of  NAFTA, and the effects it has had on poor agricultural communities in Mexico, many villages lost their land and livelihoods to American companies or the Mexican government working with American companies. These people were left in situations of desperation, either starving or fleeing to the United States to find work. It is unfair for us to make bold statements against illegal immigration without recognizing our role in the issue, and addressing ways in which we can compensate for the havoc we have helped create. 

            The Obama administration has done little to help those who are in this country illegally, and has done little to help resolve the issue as well. I searched through the Obama website and had great difficultly locating his stance on immigration issues, this is particularly troubling to me. If he is not clear and upfront about his stance then we can assume he is going to do little to resolve anything, he is essentially ignoring the issue at hand that affects so many lives. This is astonishing to me considering the depth of the issue and the emotional ties to it, it is clearly a clever way to escape deep criticism from either side. This failure to recognize the issue fully is hurtful to those who are here illegally, especially the youth, we cannot ignore their existence in this country. Although this may seem like the politically easy route to take, it is an unjust route as well, it is a clear demonstration of many politicians’ desire to hold office for lengths of time instead of desiring to make this country better and stronger. We elect politicians to resolve problems, not avoid them, and Obama has clearly been avoiding the problem, which is equivalent to making it worse.

            No matter your personal or emotional ties to the issue, you must recognize that the issue has deep historical and cultural ties, it is something we created and it is something we need to own up to and take responsibility for instead of putting it all on the individuals. We need to make bigger changes and adjustments than “high-tech border fences”, we need to find the root causes and address them , this is the only way to create a true lasting solution. 

An Interview

As my first blog stated my main goal is to bring to light the real lives of undocumented people in this country and to break the stereotype of them being viewed as criminals and illegals. I would like to present a side of the immigration debate that actually discusses the lives of immigrants. The first interview I conducted was with a 22 year old male who would like to remain anonymous. The interview went as follows:

(me): How long have you lived in The United States?

(interviewee): Um, I would say for about 20 years.

(me): How old were you when you found out you were not in this country legally?

(interviewee): Let's see, during the first wildfires in San Diego, what year was that, oh 2003, when I was in eighth grade, I was thirteen.

(me): So before that time you had no idea you were here illegally? How did you feel when they told you?

(interviewee):No, I had no idea, I never even thought about it really. I didn't know how to feel, I didn't realize how big of a deal it really was, but I knew that I was probably not going to live my life the same way as everybody else.

(me:) So who told you? Why at that time?

(interviewee):Both my parents told me, I had actually brought it up because a week or two before that we had border patrol come to our school and just tell us about what they do, just like when the police and firemen would come to our school.

(me): So border patrol came to your school to talk about illegal aliens? Did you think at that time that you could be one? Why would you ask your parents about it?

(interviewee): Not necessarily about illegal aliens, they just showed us their vehicles and talked more about drugs and enforcing the borders. One of the other students brought up illegals being caught and asked if they had ever caught any illegals. After he answered the question then a couple kids asked me and my other friend if we were illegal because we were the only Mexicans in the class. So I went home and asked my parents because the kids asked me and I didn't know.

(me): That sounds like it was a difficult thing to deal with, did you have a lot of restrictions through high school, like not being able to do certain things that other kids did?

(interviewee): It was, but I didn't want anyone to suspect anything, so I just went ahead and did things that put me at risk, but when I knew the stakes were too high I would say I could go but at the last minute cancel.

(me): So you risked yourself just so that you could fit in? Did anyone know about your situation aside from your family?

(interviewee): Of course because I also had to deal with being a teenager with low self-esteem and wanting to be cool. No, no one knew besides my family.

(me): So when your high school graduation rolled around what did you do?

(interviewee): I knew that going to college would be an option but I would have to lie about information and in the end make things worse for myself. So I decided I didn’t want to do that if I ever could get a chance to fix my situation. So I just worked with my father for a while.

(me): So did you ever get a chance to fix your situation? 

(interviewee): Luckily I did. I met a fantastic amazing girl in high school who I fell in love with and she gave me the courage to tackle every obstacle. We married and hired a lawyer and we were able to get me my proper documentation.

(me): Did you ever get a chance to go to school? Or are you planning on going to school now that you can?

(interviewee): Well the possibility is always there now, I do plan on going as soon as we get enough money.

(me): You know they were trying to pass that DREAM ACT when you were younger, if it had passed would you have gone to school or joined the military then? What do you have to say to those on both sides who fought against it?

(interviewee): Oh I definitely would have gone to school or joined the military if  it meant that my situation would have been cleared up. I would say, ughh this is hard, let's see.....you can’t politicize life and make it about personal gains when it involves an entire group of people who have no say. I was just a kid and I didn’t choose that life for myself, I don’t think anyone wants to be illegal, my parents didn’t want to, but they were taken advantage of here in The United States by lawyers who said they were getting us legal status but really they just stole thousands of dollars my parents had worked hard to earn to be able live in this country. 

(me): Well now California has their own form of the DREAM ACT, do you think this is good?

(interviewee): I think it is very good, I think it is very good for kids and people like me who want an education, who want to be a part of society and give something back. It is a step in the right direction, statewide and nationally, it is a good opposition to states like Alabama and Arizona who have no tolerance for kids and people like me. 

(me): Thank you so much for opening up about this topic, I know it is difficult.

(interviewee): You’re welcome, even though it is hard to speak about it, it is good to put this information out there.

This interview is meant to help us realize that the life of an undocumented isn’t a life that is always chosen. Sometimes things just happen without intention and plans get ruined or changed, an illegal or undocumented isn’t always a “criminal” themselves, they are just a consequence of someone's actions. Parents may bring their children here to provide them a life they cannot have in their home country, we must realize that for some life in the country they were born in in so difficult or dangerous in some cases that living in the U.S. illegally is far better and safer than living at home legally. Next time I will explore some of the politics of the debate, especially concerning where our two Presidential candidates sit.

Who is Undocumented?

Often we have this idea of what an undocumented person looks like, how they behave, the activities they partake in. We often see them as Mexican, as poor, as criminals, but these are ideas that have been fed to us, they are stereotypes of an "illegal" or an "undocumented". However, this is not the truth of the matter, the images that come up in our minds are not what is real. Here is what is real: A seventeen year old girl, brought to the United States without papers at the age of one. She has spent her entire life in this country, knows the language, knows the culture, attended public school and is preparing to graduate. She is an honor student, was in the theater club, and was on the volleyball team. She is excited to graduate, but scared at the same time because she will not be able to attend the University she would have been able to go to with her high achieving grades, she will soon be eighteen and will be a legal adult who has to carry identification, but she has no way of obtaining any because she doesn't have a social security card. She cannot travel, she cannot drive, she cannot get a job, she is stuck. If her parents have managed to earn enough money she may be able to go to community college, at least if she lives in California. You know this girl, she sat next to you in your science class, she helped you make flyers for the school fundraiser, she was one of your best friends. She is certainly not a criminal, she is just one of the many unfortunate children who were brought to this country without any paperwork.
     These are the stories I will be telling you, these are the real lives of undocumented immigrants. Some came here as adults some as children; they may have come because they were struggling to survive in their country or to simply provide a safer and more stable living environment for their families. These people are no more criminal than you or I, we break the law everyday when we drive 70mph instead of 65 mph or answer the phone while we drive. This is why I will be sharing with you a side of the immigration debate that we never get to hear, the side of the immigrant, the people we talk a lot about but never take time to listen to, the people we have such emotional strong feelings about without even taking the time to realize who they are. Now you will know them, and you will understand why they are here, and what struggles they have been dealing with, particularly those who were brought here as children and have had to inherit the difficult situation of being undocumented.
     I will end this post with something to think about, this statement comes from a conversation I had with a friend. She explained to me, "Have you ever driven over the speed limit? I assume yes, because we all have. Now the real question is why did you do it? Many people will say they did it because they were late and they needed to get to work or to school. Are these people criminals? You will probably say, well no, they shouldn't speed but just because they did it a few times doesn't make them a criminal, we don't demand that they go to jail. Yet when you think about it, speeding involves a lot of risk, the potential for a traffic ticket which can cost anywhere from hundreds to upward of a thousand dollars, not to mention the mark against your driving record and the increase in your insurance. Then you have to think about the risk of a car accident, your life, your passengers life, and the lives of the others on the road. That is a lot of risk to not be late, and for what? For a JOB.....sound familiar? Breaking the law, risking so much for what? Ah yes, that's right.....a job, a livelihood, the thing that gives you a future and all the comforts of life. "