With Thanksgiving just three days away, I would like to take the opportunity to thank for several things which have come my way (some actually very recently) and to put forth hope for the best that may come in the future.
First and foremost, I am more than grateful that my papers have finally arrived! All of the nail-biting and teeth-clenching aside, I have received my most-desired DACA renewal just three days before expiration. It has been shortened almost 2 weeks in duration (the new one will not expire on the 27th, but on the 14th of November 2016), however, I am more than grateful to have received it. For the next several months my sleepless nights are over.
I am thankful for being able to work in this country legally. For being able to wake up every morning and head to work with my head held high, knowing that I am not committing any illegal action. That I am a part of the work force just like any ordinary American, drinking my coffee in the mornings, taking lunch breaks in the cafeteria, working in the comfort of my own little cubicle, with my desk, and chair, and phone and computer… All of which contribute to a feeling of routine and ultimately… of belonging. Because working as an illegal immigrant and getting paid under the table does not provide one with any comfort and stability. It does, however, provide one with fear of losing one’s source of income, and the following struggle of trying to find a new job with everyone turning you down for lack of a social security number… It provides one with the constant terror of being discovered as an illegal immigrant and the worry of facing deportation… And the work load thrown on one’s back by unfair employers who strive to squeeze every last drop of effort out of an illegal employee which becomes standardized routine for many, yet remains (at least in my eyes) inhumane. I am thankful for my job.
I am thankful for my right to educate myself. Before I received my social security card and employment authorization card, I was considered an illegal alien. I was attending public school since age ten and since it was public I was not concerned by my lack of papers. K-12 education is mandatory for everyone. Complications started arising after I graduated from high school. I graduated with a B average, which isn’t a bad grade in my opinion, and I was headed to a very good business/finance college in Manhattan. However, due to my immigration status, I was not only ineligible for any financial aid, but I also had to pay the tuition of an “international student” although I was in the country for many years already. Neither my parents or I could afford it. So I was forced to say goodbye to my lifelong dream of attending college, a dream and priority I’ve had since I was a little kid. I put that dream aside for approximately three years. Now, upon receiving my social security & employment authorization, I am still not eligible for any financial aid. However, I am not forced to pay horrendous tuition. At least now I qualify for in-state, in-district tuition, which is one-third of the initial amount. With my father’s aid and my part-time income I am able to pay my tuition each semester and afford my textbooks and supplies as well. I am thankful for my school.
I am also thankful for my health. Although for now I am not eligible for any kind of health insurance in the U.S., I am happy that I at least do not have any tremendous health concerns to worry about. A toothache here, a stomachache there, but generally it goes away on its own. At least while I’m young. I am hoping that health insurance for immigrants will also become an important aspect in immigration reform and that with time I will be provided with the comfort of knowing that just in case I am ever in need of treatment or even surgery, I will be covered. Because for now… I am walking on a thin line, hoping I can keep my balance and not tip.
This Thanksgiving I have a ton of reasons to be thankful for. Several I have mentioned just above… I also have a ton of reasons to be hopeful. With President Obama’s recent speech came hope that there will be some sort of reform in the immigration issue. I am impatiently awaiting any sort of positive action, and my greatest wish is to see immigrants like my sister and me, who have been here for years, who have never been arrested or committed any acts of violence, who work, study, and strive to make something of themselves, to be provided with permanent legal status. I hope for nothing more. Then I will finally be able to sleep well at night knowing that I am not here on temporary terms, but that I am here to stay, and that this is my home.
– Pau
The DACA Children 