Dont lose hope.

Hi Dreamers.

My name is Peter. I came here when I was 11 years old. Illegally. I didn’t know anything of my status at the time. How could I have known? I was 11. My mother was just looking for a better life for us. She had a hard upbringing, tragic stories to tell from her side. She’s worked hard all her life. I don’t mean sitting on her desk doing paperwork. I speak of cleaning houses, working in factories all night, etc, just so she could make the rent. Whatever your situation is, always remember your parents brought you here in hopes you would have a better life then they did.

It wasn’t until high school did I realize something was wrong with me. All my friends got these state ID's and I couldn’t get it. Then they got cars and I couldn’t even drive. I was tremendously disappointed. I was 17-18 at the time. The age that some of you are. I know how you feel. The feeling of being left behind. Having to hide your status because you’re embarrassed, having to lie to your close friends, your best friends. Can’t go out to the movies because you’re afraid you will be asked for ID, and you have no ID to show. I made the best of the situation like most of you are trying to do.

Here is my story.

I spoke of my mother having a hard past that she ran away from her home country to come to the United States. When she was a young she had daughters. Her family kicked her out of the house and her sisters and brothers took her away from her daughters. It was a hard time for her. Being young and not knowing where your daughters were. She was kicked out and made homeless at the age of 16. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was on her. This was a 3rd world country. So it’s extra hard. No one to help you and no one to lean on. I don’t know how she did it. She eventually met someone and had me a few years later. She vowed to never let us be separated. She clung to me and brought me wherever she could. Having the fear that the same thing would happen to me as it did with her daughters.

Eventually her family migrated to Canada. They left her behind and now she was truly alone. She got whatever money she had at the time and left her country to go to some Caribbean island nation and get a good job. She leaves our home country because my father turns out to be abusive and she wants a better life. She brings me with her to the island. She works hard, very vague time for me. I was so young. I don’t remember much. Somehow she gets a Visa to Canada. She has a good life in Curasao(Carribean Island) but decides to leave and try to come to America. Back then in the 80’s, America was the dream. To come to America and make it.

So she comes to Canada. We have nothing at the time. She decides to see her family. She’s in her early 30’s and of course…they turn their backs on her. We had nothing. I remember her putting cardboard boxes around me in this abandoned home porch just to shelter me from the cold. It was that bad. Even then, she pushed me to go to school. I still got my education and learned my ABC’s from Sesame Street. She would take me to Niagara Falls and tell me that America is on that side of the river. One day we will go. Eventually she saw nothing in Canada. Her family once again wasn’t around to help her. I don’t know how she did it, but she got in contact with someone and that someone got her in contact with someone else to take her across the border in the cab of a Semi truck. For a certain amount of $. I remember the truck ride. It was a cold night. Middle of winter. I must have fallen asleep through the ride. Next thing I remember is waking up in NYC.

Immediately my mother did her thing. Going about looking for work. Putting me in a city school. Which I did not like. I much rather have stayed in my Canadian school. So much kinder, safer. It was only a matter of months before she got a job in long island where she brought me to live in with a family. They needed a maid and they were kind. Got to think of me as their own and put me into school. Which were way better then NYC schools in my opinion. They had dogs, a yard and I eventually got my own room. She wasn’t paid much at the time I think because I was part of the deal. But she didn’t mind. Eventually she stopped doing the job, over some sort of argument and left. Taking me with her. I didn’t want to leave…I liked it there. But it was time to go. She had saved up her money and made enough contacts to get her own apartment. It was nothing like the house I was in, but it was our place. I once again switched schools to this place in long island where I started in middle school and continued to high school. We still didn’t have anything.

She got in contact with her daughters. Who were in America. She met them and it was a reunion of sorts. They hardly knew her. Didn’t trust her. They thought the family who betrayed my mother were good people. Took them a while to learn the truth. My mother to this day is working to mend the link lost between her daughters . Its was hard for my sisters to accept her. She wasn’t around for their childhood. My sisters had come here legally with their father. My mother’s first husband. They had GC’s and eventually got Citizenship. They sponsored my mother. They had eventually warmed up to my mother and are trying to be even closer. This was around the time I was a sophomore in high school. Nothing happened for a while.

Around the age of 17, I was worried what will I do with my life, college, etc. We went to see all these lawyers. I had sisters that came here legally, and under some law that expired in 1998 for families, they were able to sponsor my mother. Just sponsor. Nothing else. All we had now was to hope we got something.

Thankfully, I was blessed with a mother who had a great personality. That goes a long way. If you can get people to like you and trust you, you can go very far even without anything. Her jobs throughout the years got better; she also got better paying jobs. Of course it was still paycheck to paycheck but she would get really good jobs because people would recommend her to others and she became known as hardworking trustworthy woman in this area. Everywhere she went, someone knew her, she always had a good conversation with them. She had all the disadvantages but was able to make something of herself even without a GC. She had stable jobs being nannies, to taking care of seniors, to housecleaning. Her schedule was always filled.

And then finally…she received something in the mail. She got her notice of approval to apply for GC in 2002. She was so happy. She would cry in bed because she thought she ruined my future. I tried to say nothing. I pretended like I didn’t see it. This situation can be emotionally heavy on you. She thought that I would get a GC as well. What a proud day it was. She went to lower Manhattan. The center of commerce. Near the Federal Reserve building. She was interviewed and got her GC. The lawyers did not put my name in the papers for some reason. I was over 18 at that age and I could not automatically get it. When we found out I couldn’t get a GC, we went to so many lawyers to hear nothing could be done. That the law only applied to my mother and not me. We did anything and everything we could. Lawyers say this and that but you can never really trust them. I trust the information I get on the internet more than a lawyer. Nothing could be done for me. Happiness turned into sadness once the reality of the situation sunk in. She would have rather I get a GC instead of her.

I then went into depression. If there’s anything that took me down into a death spiral of thinking suicide and all that crap, it was going to the immigration lawyers and having to wait all day to hear what they would say. ALL day to hear nothing could be done. 9/11 had happened and we all know what happened to immigration reform after that. I was depressed. I spent my time in MMO’s to get away from real life. I stopped contact with my real friends. They don’t know where I am or what I am doing I am guessing. I stopped contact with everyone. In a way MMO’s like World of Warcraft, etc. The online socialization kept me sane since I had contact with people. I met people online that became true friends and I could tell them my problems. I couldn’t tell my real friends my problems. I was literally sucked into the internet world. To get away from my real life problems.

I would go to immigration sites and read about these people getting there GC’s. I was happy for them, but I always hoped I was lucky enough to get it as well. I had no hope. Knew I had no future. Read everything I could about the issue. Then found this site. I lurked here for so many years. Reading all your stories. Relating to your emotions, the way you felt. I felt all your pain.

The years went on and thankfully I had a skill for computer field and capitalized on it. I made the most of what I could and invested via my mother’s SS to where I was bringing in income. She would pay the taxes for it. I was 26 and I realized that I can’t do this. I need to do something to get out of this depression and I started being outgoing instead of introverted. I couldn’t live my life like this. I started to look for alternatives. I knew the world was growing outside the U.S with lots of opportunities. My mother is now 54. I just wanted the law to change so I could leave and come back if something happened to my mother. The 10 year ban would have screwed me.

I started to become more outgoing. Not being afraid anymore. I did it because I simply didn’t care. If I was taken to court I would tell them look at me. I speak perfect English, I grew up here I have nothing from where I was born. I am an American. I know more about America then actual Americans do. What else could I do? I was done hiding. I didn’t want to hide or be thought of as a criminal. I have become outgoing and getting to know my sisters daughters and being friendly. Now we come to present time.

We had a snowstorm a few days ago. I was helping dig my mother’s car out of the snow and getting yelled at to hurry up. We finally got it out and I went to go look in the mail box and I had a letter addressed to me from a lawyer I haven’t spoken to in 8 years. My mother went to see some lawyers after she got her GC and they said it would be a long time before anything happened. Letter topic was RE: Lawful Permanent Residence Eligibility. OMG! I was speechless. I couldn’t believe it. “You may now apply for an adjustment of status which would grant you lawful permanent resident status (i.e you would have a green card)” I talked to the lawyer. She said it would take a couple more months but you’re basically in. I am still speechless. I cannot believe it.

Even thou I have been a lurker…this community have been more important to me the last few years then words could express. Without it, I wouldn’t have hope. I would be in a darker place right now. I still read all your posts. Don’t give up hope. I didn’t. I went through all the phases some of you are going through. Its not the end of the world. I know it may seem like it. Something will happen. We have each other to rely on and I will be at the dream act events to show my support and do whatever I can to help you all. We are all Americans. We grew up here. We have our rights.

I know how some of you are feeling, wish it was you. Believe me, ive felt that feeling reading those posts of dreamers getting there GC's. It will happen. I cannot and will not leave u guys behind. I regret taking this long to register to this site and talk to you guys about my situation. I waited until now. I know how painful this waiting is. Some of you are young. 17 and 18. I know its hard to wait for something to happen but something will happen in time. Make sure if you have anyone thats a citizen in your immediate family, have them sponsor you while congress moves at there slow pace.

Thank you for FINALLY sharing your story. Lol. We appreciate your support and inspiration. Also, congrats!!

Aw congrats! Best of luck. Thanks for the support and inspiration. ; )

lucky mofo, i mean congratulations! By the way, I went to NYC public high school too...I feel your pain! Congratulations again, you are the man!

Wow your story really touched me. You had it rough. If only congress actually cared! Gaahhh. But Im glad your dream finally came true. =)

Thanks pal. Yours will come as well. I know it will

Hey Pete, do us proud and show everyone what a dreamie can do with a gc.

Thanks for sharing your story. =)

Umm.. 2101 be the year? whaaa.. you mean 2010 " )

Bahhaha, at this rate 2101 seems to be closer to the year DA will pass though