hi, new here, my story for any that are interested
 

hello there, i gota say, everything i've read by everybody here is very interesting, i can relate to all of you and i respect you guys for being as enthusiatic as you are about this issue.
Well my story is a long one...
My name is juan or john since americans cant pronounce juan (one), i am 20 years old, i live in california, i am spanish mexican.
I was brought here when i was about 8 years old from yes...mexico. I didn't know of my "situation" until i was 15 i think?...i had just taken driver's ed class in school and all i needed to do was go to the dmv and get my permit. Then my parents told me i couldnt cuss no social, etc. I'm sure many of you can relate, growing up and seeing your classmates and friends around you getting jobs and liscences while you stand there and watch. Then i have to tell my friends some reason explaining why i am not working or have no drivers liscence, like i'm not working cuss i'm a fulltime student which i am, but i still wana work so damn bad, just the guilt trip of having to lie to work, i know i have to get over it, cuss i have to work. I help my dad out with his business and have worked several small jobs, for family or such but yeah...i want my own weekly income. Then for the liscence thing, well i used to say i just didnt get around to it but now eh they dont ask xP. I personally HATE driving though, under these conditions...i've heard too many horrible stories; i have a valid mexican liscence though and insurance...but still...
Nobody but my family and girlfriend know about my "situation". I live in a veryyyy white neighborhood and personally i dont think my friends would be able to relate to me and most likely look down to me or see me differently if i told them i was "illegal" in this country (such an ugly word). But well, living here has it's plus because i live in a nice and peaceful neighborhood. I feel so lucky for that, to live in such a place where crime is rare, not everybody in my situation has that privilege. And we do have some money, that is why i can study as i do and get by in college without having to work a stable job...but university is gona be a different story.
My girlfriend is actually the one that told me about this act xP. I cant marry her for legal status because she is finnish/german. I met her here 3 years ago when she was studying here abroad, she lives in germany right now, studying, she just visitied a month ago, but it kills me that i can't go see her.
I wana do this thing right though, i've always had that ideal that doing things right is the best way to do them. I thought about just going back to mexico on my own and trying to come back legally but i was told that i would have to wait at least 10 years before i could return to the country and i could not stand to be with out my family for that long.
It kills me, that after everything i've done...no drugs, no trouble with the law, my academic achievements...i have a 3.5 gpa, i speak english, spanish fluently, and i also know a good amount of german and some finnish. I play several instruments my specialties being classical/flamenco guitar, electric guitar, and keyboard. I am a business administration major, and minors in music, website design and philosophy. All that for no significant value to my status in this country. I feel like a slave to this place, trapped. I can understand the logic behind the people against illegal immigrants, and the truth is that we are at their mercy, after all this is legally their home. Yeah they can't relate to this situation and they can't comprehend why immigrating here ment life or death to some people, but the bottom line is that this is their legal home and it doesnt matter whether they are heartless or not, they decide whether they want us or not. I hate this though, i hate being in this situation, i want to be truly free, i'd rather be poor and free than better off financially illegally and imprisoned here all my life. I refuse to live all my life like this. Personally i am giving this life here five years before i just leave, and unfortunately don't see my family for at least 10 years. I hope it doesn't come to that, but i can't wait here for a bone to be thrown at us, most of us don't have that time. What value is opportunity here for us, if we have so many doors closed to us? I want to travel, i want to work legally, i want to be all i can be(not in the army), i want to study abroad, i want to have all the rights free american's have in this country, all the rights they take for granted. I dont care if they give me a class F- residency or whatever, i don't even care if they don't grant me citizenship, i just want legal status in this country that grants me all the rights a free man should receive.
Ah...but well, sorry for the long post...i've been needing to get that out for a while...thanks for reading.

Feel free to post anything you'd like! We are all on the same boat. I kinda knew that something wasn't right when I couldn't get that small scholarship when I was nominated a valedictorian in the 8th grade. Then I just did not think about it (ah those were the days!) until the time came to apply for driver's ed. Then I did not think it was a big deal (I mean why even bother have a car at this point?) but the time came again when near the end of junior year they gathered all of the rising seniors to talk about college and financial aid. Then my world broke down, then I had to go tell my counselors about my situation and I am glad I did.

Now I am at a similar stage but this time things will fare better I hope. I am about to finish my BA and go onto grad school but even then who knows... for the time I just keep on getting the most out of it and then the time will come when I will know the truth, that is, if it was meant for me to be here at all.

Hang in there!

Welcome! A lot of people are in the boat as you here.

Welcome to the forum!!! Glad your gf told you about the Dream Act.

Re: hi, new here, my story for any that are interested
 

Actually, you shouldn't understand or accept their position. Just because there is a loud and vocal minority, it doesn't necessarily mean they speak for all Americans. Most Americans support CIR and support the DREAM Act, despite our opposition's skewed polling results. It also doesn't mean that they are right.

Remember, they and their grandparents were once discriminated against when they arrived in this country. This is also a country built on immigrants. President James Madison said so himself.

The majority once supported slavery and the majority once propagated racism and discrimination against black people. It take s a greater struggle to correct these wrongs and the rejection of those wrong ideas is the first step in that struggle.

Re: hi, new here, my story for any that are interested
 

Please correct me if im wrong, as I am not a history buff, but I dont think there were or are any laws against racism or slavery though, so its not exactly the same. Technically, under current laws, we are considered illegal and thats it. I get what your saying though. :wink:

Re: hi, new here, my story for any that are interested
 

Yes, there were laws against racism. The 14th, 15th and 16th amendments greatly expanded the electoral power of African Americans, allowing them to vote. Yet the South did well in preventing African Americans from voting. The South lynched African Americans for voting, and I'm pretty sure there are laws against murder since the beginning of time.

Re: hi, new here, my story for any that are interested
 

I think you misunderstood my post. Those amendments were added after. What I am saying is as we stand now, the current constitution would also have to be amended for illegal aliens.

Re: hi, new here, my story for any that are interested
 

I didn't misunderstand. Those amendments were added after the Civil War. Yet during Reconstruction, the South prevented African Americans from voting. You said racism wasn't against the law. Denying the right to vote because of skin color is racism and the U.S. constitution was amended to prohibit racism in the right to vote. So yes, there were laws against racism, not just state laws but constitutional amendments.

Its not necessary to enact a Constitutional amendment for our benefit. We just need the federal government to enact CIR and/or DREAM Act. The federal law would be applicable throughout the United States.

Re: hi, new here, my story for any that are interested
 

It appears to me that we just hijacked reapers thread.

I said I was not sure if racism was against the law. Your are correct, it was. Well, as much as white supremacists (alicrap) want the Constitution dismantled, i guess it is the only thing that is protecting us.

We "just" need to pass CIR or DREAM? Doesn't sound too easy to me... :P