frustrated of being UNABLE to do things

Hey guys. as we all know, being undocumented prevents us from doing a lot of things and I try to stay positive by finding a way to get by.

no driver license - cannot drive. oh well, I'll ride a bicycle to school
no visa - cannot get out of the country. I love CA, so I'll stay here...
No work permit - cannot work. I'll study even harder!!!
etc.

Then 2 weeks ago, I randomly talked to a professor who offered me to work in his research lab after a 10 minute chat about food. As a bio major, this was like a gift from the heaven and I was so excited about it.

To volunteer work in his lab (with no pay), I had to fill out paper work and once i told the administrator that I was undocumented, she said that she cannot proceed further any more. I was tearing up and had to leave before sniffing, trying my best to hold the sadness in.

My professor told me that he'll need to talk to the department about my situation, but it looks bleak. I try to think positively of my situation and live the way I do my best, but it just gets me. Being undocumented is a limit holder on every one of us and I just find it so damn frustrating that I can't help but to curse the whole situation.

i understand your situation, and we are on the same boat NOW. VERY SAD!!!!!!!!! AND UNFAIR!!!!!!!!!!!

What? you dont need anything to work at a lab, atleast not in the colleges i have been to. The only people who need are the ones that are getting paid. There is absolutely no reason why they wouldnt allow you to work in the lab. The lab is insured up to a certain amount of students that can do research. You should ask your professor again. Also if the documentation they needed doesnt ask for that info, dont provide it.

Yeah, its quite a predicament isn't it? Not being able to do as we please is very very difficult to deal with especially for people of our age. We're a bunch that is in constant need of movement and change. That's what makes us dynamic. Unfortunately we're finding ourselves in the wrong place in the wrong time. Good to see you're coping well with your own situation. Regarding your unpaid volunteer opportunity, I really see no problem. Go to your professor and explain to him honestly how he would benefit in his research by mentoring you. Make sure he understands how much he will benefit. This is where your knowledge of him and whatever research topic in biology he is interested in comes to play. Keep reiterating these things to him and he will automatically go out of his way to have you volunteering for him. Good luck!

thank you for your replies. I decided to not expect anything; yeah, I'll make sure to let him see that i'm working hard and interested in his research (which I am).

Then I realized that I am not the only one; we all are suffering but still getting by. That by itself, is a tenacious will incomparable to many people.

You should be able to do research (for free) at a university without any documentation. I did so for 2 years.

What kind of documentation did you have to fill out that made your status a problem?

we all feel you ... i cannot tell you the number of times i felt that way. God help us all. Keep up your spirit and think about the good things we DO have that others may not. Thats all i can say. peace.

My Dean straight up told me I couldn't work even on a voluntary basis on anything lab related because the school would be unable to 'insure' me w/o hiring me....sux..but that's reality

keep your head up bro and stay positive. When the day finally comes it will feel so good.

I feel you. I am more pissed off than sad though. Cursing at every image of Obama helps though. :- )