How Obama’s speech affects students lives

On Nov. 20, President Obama spoke to the nation and outlined a plan he would enact through executive action to provide undocumented immigrants who have lived in the country for more than five years a path to citizenship. Here, two students explain how American citizenship affects their lives.

Proud to be an American

Going through life knowing that at any moment your parent could be deported was one of the toughest things I went through, although I never talked about it. I never thought about what could happen when I heard stories of other families being torn apart due to deportation; it never occurred to me that it was a possibility.

My father was an immigrant from Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. He came to the United States to make a better life for himself as well as his future family. When I was between the ages of 13 and 16 my father took me out and told me about his situation; I was shocked and scared of what could happen.

My father only had a work permit; he didn’t have a green card; so he couldn’t leave the country. I had always wondered why he never went back to Mexico when his father passed away and now it made sense; he couldn’t go back because he wouldn’t be able to come home.

As the years went by we struggled with that fact that it was taking such a long time to get his residence papers; it took over 20 years after retaining an attorney. Five years after getting his residency, he was able to apply for citizenship.

My mother spent months quizzing my dad on the questions he needed to pass the oral exam. As the day of the exam neared, we were all nervous but confident in my dad. He did it! There was breath of relief when he passed and the day came where we got to see him become a citizen. It was one of the best days of my life, I was so proud of my dad.

After he became a citizen he took me back to his home town. It is a trip I will never forget. I got to leave the country with my dad and visit his place of birth. We stayed in the house that his father built for them when he was a kid.

As we stayed in Mexico, he showed me where he played, went to school, the pastures of where he would watch the cows and the best part was when he took me to his favorite restaurant as a kid. I dreamed of the day we could do this and in the back of my head I was always scared it wouldn’t happen, but I never stopped believing in the fighter that is inside my father.

Today it is the most wonderful thing that I am thankful for. We can now live life to the extreme fullest with confidence knowing that my hero will never be taken away from me.

Hiding in the Shadows

Growing up with two undocumented parents, there always was a constant fear that our family would be separated.
Through my grandmother, my dad was able to obtain citizenship in 2011. We spent numerous nights studying American history and English. When he passed his citizenship exam, we were immensely proud and felt a huge relief.

Unfortunately, the road to legalization is not as simple for my mother. When she first attempted crossing the border in 1994, she used a fake passport, just like my dad did a few weeks earlier without incident. But unlike my dad, she was caught, her fingerprints were taken, and she was sent back to Mexico. The second time, my mother met with my now godfather, and used the Coyotes to jump the border.

My mother has not been in Mexico in 21 years and she has no family here in the states, besides my brother and I. Currently, she works 10-13 hours daily, getting paid less than minimum wage.
We’ve consulted several lawyers and attended immigration workshops regarding my mother’s status. My mother could get residence and then citizenship, through my dad, brother or me, but the main issue is the fingerprints that were taken.

If any paperwork were to be submitted, my mother could be punished for crossing illegally by being deported for a year or more. My mother is the one who takes care of my little brother and has always said, if she gets deported, she will be taking him with her. This would literally and emotionally tear my family apart.

With President Obama’s recent speech regarding immigration, it gives me and my family new hope. My mother would qualify for all these requirements, but then again, what is a “criminal background?” Is it crimes committed here in America or does it include the actual illegal crossing?

Until my family can verify this with a lawyer, my mother will probably continue to hide in the so-called “shadows.” There is a small ray of hope, but we won’t give up and hopefully one day we can live without the constant fear of separation.