How To Become An Unocumented Immigrant

After reading the article “Come Out Illegal”, by Maggie Jones, it tells a story about this girl name Leslie. Leslie is a senior at the University of California at Los Angeles. She is a marathon runner, has three-part time jobs and plans to go to grad school which is awesome. She is also an undocumented immigrant. She came into the U.S. when she was 6 years old and as she got older she knew of the different things that she would

My dad worked in a bakery in South Gate for a few years and two years later my mom and my sister came to the U.S. The fact that I come from an immigrant family, I am aware of the struggles that many immigrants face. Someone who is undocumented faces different

Reflecting on my development as a first-generation immigrant, I can attribute a large portion of my characteristics and aspirations to my experiences growing up and to the role model whom I have admired, my mother. More specifically, being exposed to the tireless work ethic of a single parent who had to overcome the dual pressures of assimilation and poverty has imparted in me a respect for the ideals of continual self-improvement and advancement. My mother’s sacrifices have always been to better our family’s situation and to provide me with the best education opportunities. Recognizing my mother’s hard worked and what she has given up for me, I put my best foot forward in every situation to honor her. Looking back at the hardships such as racial discrimination and language barriers my mother had to transcend, as

Being an Immigrant can lead to physical and emotional strains, whether it involves searching for health care, leaving your family behind, or fighting to becoming a legal citizen. Cesar Millan and “Anna” are two people that struck my sight on illegal immigration, this helped me see in other people’s eyes on what they had to go through to get here and to do what they had to do that could get them killed. Their stories and their connections I wrote in three main categories that I saw with illegal immigration to: Pathways to citizenship, Health care and, Family. Cesar Millan pathway to citizenship, some people say that he just “jumped over the border” but he couldn’t just do that, he is someone that turned from the negatives from coming to the U.S. and made a positive comeback using resiliency.

In my family I am not only the oldest child- I am also a first generation student and currently the only person in my immediate family to hold a degree of any kind. I feel incredibly proud of this accomplishment because being a first generation student means having a limited amount of support from family members. Often times I was required to rely on researching the internet or interviewing professionals for answers to my college related questions. This skill was especially useful when I was offered a position at LCC’s five-star, NAEYC accredited center. As an Assistant Teacher, families rely on me for information regarding their child’s development and our center.

I interviewed both my parents, who both arrived in Los Angeles in the 1970s and experienced tough journeys arriving in the United States. They also provided testimony of their experiences working in various jobs/industries in Los Angeles. I chose to conduct interviews with my parents because I feel that their experiences will enhance my paper and their accounts are important, especially because I am analyzing how Mexican immigrants have contributed to the Los Angeles economy. Their stories and experiences serve as oral accounts, which I will be able to have once my parents are no longer with me. These interviews were held and conducted in my home.

The Risk and Effects of the Undocumented Families For my research paper I want to take a few minutes of your time to share some information on the risk and effects of the undocumented families. Regardless of the risk factors, like deportation, trauma, or even death undocumented families will risk anything for a chance of freedom and a better life. For instance, how some of these individuals risk everything and anything to get a chance at a better life. One risk that might be considered first is the traveling to the United States.

For example, my parents will not allow me to work at a grocery store or fast food restaurant, so I will likely never experience what Barbara Ehrenreich did in Florida. I’m not allowed to work during the school year due to my parents do not want me having to worry about school, sports, and a job. This situation leaves me to work for the short three months of summer and make the money I earn during the summer last the rest of the year to pay for gas and activities with friends. My parents have always been hard working just as Mike Rose’s parents, but I am hoping I am the child with the glow in Potato Eaters, I hope to be the one who takes a path other than the blue collar road my parents have paved for me. With the limiting of my options for work I have the job of working in my uncle’s mechanic shop in eastern Washington, however I am away from my friends for 90% of the summer and make $5.00 an hour, 50 hours a week, around $2,750 a summer, which I must make last the other nine months of the year.

This would never have been possible if not for the "push" my family gave me towards education and hard

On my fourth birthday I received America as my present. This 2,000 mile journey, from Costa Rica to New Jersey, was made possible when my parents were granted their much awaited tourist visas. However my parents unwittingly allowed the biggest setback to occur in our lives by letting those visas they desperately wanted slip their minds, and eventually expire. My journey to America has forever changed the course of my life, and with help of my religious and education-focused upbringing, these two things have affected my views on reality, knowledge, and ethics. Since moving to the United States, I have spent almost my entire time living here with the label “undocumented”.

When I was a year old, my mother and I left everything behind in Mexico to start a new life here in the United States. Of course, being young, I had no idea of the tremendous consequences that would be implicated upon my family and my future. She came here so we could have a chance to live the American Dream and escape the poverty and crime there was in Mexico. It was a hard decision my mother made at the time but it was the best for the both of us. When I look back on my childhood I wondered to myself how did I get through it, cause I guess you can say that I really never had a childhood like the other kids.

Whenever the topic of immigration comes up, I am always affected by it. When I was five, my parents decided to move to America to find a better life. The country that we were currently living in, which was Ukraine, had a horrible government and an awful society. My family looked up to America as a new beginning, and a place that was full of hope and possibilities. We soon found out, however, that entering the USA and becoming a citizen was actually harder than it looked.

Aside our difference in status, we were the same, American, with one dream: going to college. At times I questioned the possibility of furthering my education. Even with the enactment of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a policy created by the Obama administration that allowed eligible DREAMERS to come out of the shadows

One of the biggest life changing moments that has ever happened to me was when the president of the United States Obama gave the privilege to minor Aliens the DREAM Act. What is this Act, in other words, it is a permit for younger teens about the age of 15 thru the age of 30 years of age can apply for a temporary legal status if their parents are undocumented the minor/adult can apply for this act and can maybe in the future apply for citizenship. The outcome of the DREAM Act has really made a huge impact in my life because without this DREAM act I wouldn't be here right now. This DREAM Act has really changed my life starting with not having to fear of getting deported and being able to continue with my education and having my own personal

Looking at my mom and dad’s situation from a Gladwellian lens showed me that hard work is exactly what I needed to achieve my goal in attending college and to become a better track and field