It was during my second year of college that my father was deported. It was so painful and frightening to see my family being ripped apart so easily.This event snapped me back to reality from my relatively safe haven at one of the most prestigious public universities in the state. I suddenly found myself alone and struggling to console my mother while trying hard to not fall apart.
How did my family come to be in such a predicament? Because my parents were brave enough to leave EVERYTHING they had back in Mexico so that my sister and I could have a better life. No one chooses to live like this, without stability or status as a member of a society. Life as an outsider is challenging. Take me for example, I am not really a student because I work about 30 hours per week and sometimes I feel like I have a full time job and I study on the side. I am not an adult because I do not have any documents that prove my age. I cannot vote, drive, or travel. On top of this, I am a queer woman of color! Lets just say that if I was not a college student then I would be invisible, I would be just another minimum wage immigrant worker.
Even though I was sent back to step one when my dad was taken away, I continued to work hard and I am grateful for the opportunities that I’ve found in this country. I know that I would not have been able to attend college had my parents decided to stay in Mexico. I am trying to make a life for myself, I am on my own now that I can’t depend on my parents. I am not asking for handouts, I am asking for a chance to reach my full potential and to give back to this country. Please support the DREAM Act.