students - youth

I am 22 yrs old. I came from Mexico at the age of 5 in the year 1990. I never knew that i was different from my other friends until my sister's senior year. She was so worried that she would not be able to attend college and it was breaking her heart. She was always a great student ans graduated magna cum laude ranking 7th in her class. Although she managed to attend the university she is still coming across many obstacles. She graduated the university with a BA in chemical engineering once again magna cum laude, but with out the possibility of getting a job. Like her I graduated high school and currently in college. It saddens me to know that I wont be able to work and have the life that I want.

Where to start? This is all one life, yet it seems that we have to divide it between when we were treated as equals, as humans, and when when we now have to face so much discrimmination and so many barriers when we only want to benefit this country. I came here when I was 9 years old. I was coming to the US to learn English, so that I could show all my friends that I was bilingual. We went through the process of getting a passport and a visa to come to this country. Restless hours of standing in line, but it was all going to be worth it because we were coming to the United States.
I started going to school, and picked up the language pretty quickly. Before I knew it it was difficult to remmember words in spanish even though I knew them all. I have no accent when I speak English. I dress like everybody else. I look like everybody else, I work as hard as everybody else, maybe even harder. I was treated as everybody else, as the American child I would become. No one would be able to tell the difference unless they were told, I am undocumented, and then everything changes.
Everything seemed fine, and normal, like I had an equal chance at the outer world.
I applied to all the schools I wanted to attend, even though I knew what my financial staus would be.I thought "this is the land of opportunity, there has to be an opportunity for ME". And I went on with this mind set for the rest of my high school senior year.
I was one out of 4 people that got accepted to UCLA out of my entire school. I thought that this was like a dream come true, "maybe this IS the land of opportunity". BUT IT ISN'T....NOT YET!!!!
As the date gets closer and closer when I will have to decide whether I have enough funds to attend UCLA or will have to resort to a community college, it becomes more and more stressful. HOW could this be?... that one of the greatest minds, cannot have the chance to attend a university that many apply but few get in?
Why is there such injustice when all we want to do is put our little grain of sand in the country that raised us.
I still do not know my decision of where I will attend next fall. As I see some of my peers getting everything payed for when their grades never reached mine, it is painful.
This is said to be the land of opporunity where those who work hard will get the greatest benefits, yet this has not been the case with me.
We need a fair refrom NOW!!!
And then and only then this country can call itself the land of opportunity and the free!

The first time I came to the U.S., I was only 5 years old. I was supposed to stay for just a couple of months, but had to stay an extra two years because of the war in my home country. After the war ended, I went back home.

I only stayed there for three years before I realized how much I missed the United States and the more appealing life style I could have there than I ever would have if I stayed in my country. So I decided to go back to the U.S. at the age of ten. I received my tourist visa and came to live with my aunt and uncle.

I was having an amazing time here. I was a straight "A" student, I had many friends and I loved the numerous opportunities this country gave me. Finally it came time to get my drivers license, but after standing in line for two hours, I wasn't able to get it because of my expired passport and no SSN. Just then I realized that I was an illegal immigrant because I overstayed my visa. I didn't know I was illegal until that moment and it crushed me. No driving, not being able to work and as high school approached its end, I started worrying about how I would be able to get into college.

Luckily, out of the 5 schools I applied to, two did not ask for copies of a green card and the like. I was excited to be able to attend college, but knew everyday would get harder and harder since I wouldn't be able to participate in the common activities college students do. Everyday people asked me why I couldn't drive, or they asked where I was working and everyday I just told them it was complicated and I didn't want to talk about it and made up stories of why I couldn't work. I only told a few close friends of my situation which helped clear my thoughts, but it was still tough.

After four years of hard work, I graduated with honors in May 2007. I am 22 years old, with a degree in finance but no job, without a means of getting anywhere, and with the constant worry that I will be in this state forever. I pray to God everyday that Congress will pass an immigration bill soon and that I will be able to live the life I have always wanted here in the U.S. My situation falls under the DREAM Act section of the comprehensive immigration bill the Senate is trying to pass. If they pass the bill, my life, along with millions of others, would be changed forever and for the better.

The challenge of being an undocumented college student

I am just a human being with eagerness for intellectual growth.I want to get an education to help my family and help this nation.With education come limitations, this is true for students who lack documentation. Because I lack 9 digits I cannot legally work, get a driver’s license, get financial aid, or get an internship without being asked about a background check. It is not the background check I fear because my criminal record is quite clear.My fear is that they’ll find that I am not supposed to be here. Constantly, I am being reminded about my situation. When I apply to scholarships I must make sure they don’t ask for proof of legal documentation. How many times have I felt discouraged? How many times have I felt like giving up?
To be quite frank, many, many times…So what keeps me going? What is my motivation? My drive to keep going is other students in my situation. And future college students who also want to strive for their education. My fellow college classmates who are putting their best effort. They have not given up, so my question is, why should I? I have a family, friends, and classmates who look up to me, so my decision is that I cannot give up for them and for me, I dream of one day being able to work and serve the United States which I call home. So what do I ask of you? To please support the Dream Act!

California State University San Marcos, Junior Student
Major: Human Development Emphasis in counseling services, career goal to be a Marriage Family Therapist and Art Therapist

This poem was written at a time of uncertainty, of almost losing hope, when I asked myself, and after I get my degree and cannot legally work, what? What is next? What will I do? Will I keep being a housecleaner, instead of being allowed to work in my chosen career and do what I am passionate about? Will I ever go to grad school and get masters in marriage and family therapy, or one day be an art therapist and help my clinets cope with their mental illness through art techniques.

This is the only country I know as home and have embraced by valuing my education, by learning English, doing community service, and being a hard working student. I was taught at school that the one day my hard work will pay off. I want to continue to believe that. I have chosen not to lose hope and hold on to that DREAM to one day be allowed to be a contributing member of this country’s economy and have similar opportunities as my fellow classmates. similar to many students in my situation I only ask for an opportunity…I am tired of a future of uncertainty, but regardless of my situation I will continue to work toward getting my education, to one day be that contributing member of society that I have longed to be.

I strongly support an comprehensive immigration reform because every one in this country deserves to be given the opportunity at the American dream. People that work daily in meager low paying jobs with no benifits are not asking to be handed money or food. They are simply are asking to be treated equally as their employers, neighbors, teacher, classmates, and everyone surrounding them. Every day I wish that I had the opportunity to drive to class with out the fear, driving to work, and to apply to graduate school without paying out-of-state tuition which is impossible to pay. There is a crucial need for a solution to the problem that America is facing and the solution is there. Please, Senate,Congress, House of Representatives keep america safe by bringing people out of the shadows and deal with the problem. Putting off the problem for some one else to solve is never going to happen. I urge you to listen to us and help America prevail against terrorism. Thank You and God Bless.

My name is Arthur and I am 20 years old illegal immigrant.My mom brought me to America in 2001 with a visitor VISA and ever since the day I stepped my feet on this land I fell in love with it.Weeks after we landed, my mom went back to her home country and left me in America with my sister and her boyfriend. I attended my first two years of high school while living with them. There, I earned honor roll and perfect attendance and participated in extra curricular activities. While living in my sister's household a lot of bad and good things happened to me.Her boyfriend,father of all her three kids, forced me into heavy labor around the house and often used abusive language towards me.He also made me come with him to steal construction materials from Home Depot and under development neighborhoods. If I refused to go,he would often threat me saying that I would have to go back to my home country.Unfortunately my sister saw everything that was going on and did absolutely nothing.One day in the summer of 2003, they made me quit school and head back to my home country.

The only good thing that happened to me while living with them was that I met one of their neighbor,a true American family.I became really good friends with one of their kids and we often spent time together playing soccer.I became really close to the whole family and they often invited to their house and other family activities.In the other hand, my sister and her boyfriend opposed me and told me to end my relationship with their family,but I didn't.

After leaving America,me and this American family kept in touch for a while until they invited me to go back and live with them in their house.They also became by law my legal guardians until I was 18 years old.At that time we had no clue that I was here with my visitor VISA and that I only could stay in America for short periods of time.I found out that I illegally living in the United States in the summer of 2004 after I got my driver's license.The DMV sent me a letter saying that my Social Security number was wrong.When I asked my mom about it,they said my sister issued me a fake SSN.My heart was broken into pieces and I did not know what to do.My American family agreed to let me live with them even though I was an illegal immigrant.

In 2005 I graduated from high school but could not attend college due to my legal status.During the fall of the same year, I requested a private meeting with the Den of a local Technical College.I explained to him my situation and he agreed to let me attend his school as an international student.Little did I know, but international students pay around $1500 per quarter instead of $400 that resident students pay.I did not know what to do since I do not have a real job and only work part time.I struggled but thanks to God I am able to save enough money to take at least one class per quarter.Believe or not, my girlfriend's family(American) also help me out a lot with school tuition and other things.

Today,I am few weeks away from turning 21.I can not drive,work,get health insurance,and other things legal residents can.One day, I plan on having an family in the United States;also I plan on getting an Associate degree in business first,then move on to a 4 year school expand my education.Thanks to God,and my American family I get up everyday strong,taking one day at the time waiting for the best day of my life to come;the day I officially become an American citizen.Finally,for all the people that read my story,just remember to never give up.

First my mom came here from Guatamala because she wanted to have a better life. She got a fake visa, and later my dad got one to and joined her. Then they stayed here and worked for six years and then decided to have my sister and me come here. So we drove to Mexico with my grandmother, and the three of us got fake visas in Mexico. And then we went on an airplane and come to New York, and then we went to Branford where my dad had an apartment. Then we bought a house from an Ecuadorian who sold us the house even though he knew we had a fake visa.

My dad was ten and lived in a poor village in Guatemala, and his parents were friends with my mom's parents. One day when the friends came to visit, they brought their daughter with them, and that's when my dad fell in love with my mom. It was the first and only love for my dad and mom, and they are still together and in love. Ten years later, they married and moved to the United States with false visas. So when my mom had me, I was born here.
In the United States my father was driving while drinking and was stopped by the police. Then his visa was taken from him, and he was never able to leave the country to see his family. But one day, my dad bought a huge construction truck that holds sand and cement. He filled it with all our stuff, and we hid in the back of it. I was eight months old at the time. We managed to drive all the way to Guatemala to see our family without ever being caught. My parents went back to the U.S., and I stayed in Guatemala and was raised by my grandma.
At age seven, I came back to the U.S. to join my parents, and I carried a fake document that I still use today. And now I'm in love with my new country.

Ten years ago my father sneaked into New York from Ecuador. He swam across a river to come to the U.S. He lived in New York and my mom stayed in Ecuador. When I was two years old, my mom came here,and I stayed in Ecuador with my grandmother and her family. Then I went to live with a family in Peru for five months because they were going to give me a visa. They had five other kids there that were coming on the plane with me. They found me a visa of a little boy with short hair, and so I had to cut my hair to look like the little boy and pretend that I was six when I was eight. Now I am nine and have been in America for one year.