Tina Gets Emotional About Growing Up As A DACA Kid In New York

Transcend · 07-27-2023, 03:32 PM

This one hit really close to home for me. All the struggles she had prior to and after DACA, I am sure all of us experienced. Really strong on her part to reveal her status to the public for awareness. We need more stories like this for real change to happen.

Quote:

NEWS
Tina (Fka HoodCelebrityy) Gets Emotional About Growing Up As A DACA Kid In New York
avatar
BY CLAUDINE BAUGH
JULY 27, 2023 10:47 AM

Tina (Formerly Hoodcelebrityy)
Jamaican singer Tina, formerly known as HoodCelebrityy, was moved to tears as she discussed her life growing up as a DACA kid in the Bronx, New York.

DACA, an acronym for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a policy that protects around 800,000 young people — known as “DREAMers” — who entered the United States unlawfully as children. Though it does not confer official legal status or a path to citizenship, it does provide the opportunity to obtain a driver’s license, a social security number, and a work permit, as per Boundless.

Speaking recently with Angela Yee on Way Up with Angela Yee, the Walking Trophy singer, who moved to the Bronx when she was 12 years old, spoke about growing up in the US where she wasn’t afforded the same privileges as her peers.

“I’m a DACA kid, so I came to America with no papers,” Tina explained.

“I didn’t know anything about my situation until I was like, maybe like 16 going on 17. When I was trying, you know like we had school trips, some of them were going away trips, and my mom was like, ‘You can’t go’. I’d try to travel with my friends, everybody will talk [about] going away, and she was like ‘yeah, you can’t do that.’ And that was when I was like ‘Oh shoot, this is different.”

The Portmore-born singer remained largely silent about her status for years, spurred by her family’s fear of deportation, a fate her own brother had suffered when he was returned to Jamaica.

“I talk about that a lot [now] before I used to be embarrassed to talk about it. I’mma be honest. More like embarrassed and scared at the same time cause my family always be like ‘Don’t tell nobody your business, ’cause they could get you deported’. So it wasn’t something I used to talk about before but I’m big on that situation,” she said of the DACA program and immigration issues.

“Talking about it makes me get emotional because I know what I’ve been through. Like, I got my brother that was deported back to Jamaica, you know,” she said before breaking down in tears...

Link to article and video: https://www.dancehallmag.com/2023/07...-new-york.html

VJB2 · 07-27-2023, 05:03 PM

Relatable. I still struggle every day mentally with the fact that some of my closest friends still don’t know because I never told them and fear it’s too late now. That, and the fact that I grew up being told to always keep quiet about it no matter what. Sigh…

FLDreamerrr · 07-27-2023, 09:06 PM

I remember I was in a relationship once and lived with the girl for almost a year and never told her cause of how she might’ve reacted. Then when we broke up, it came out and I was so relieved of not having to hide it I stopped hiding it from future relationships and made my life so much easier

anitagreencard · 07-28-2023, 12:08 PM

Some of my closest friends are completely unaware of my situation. Not sure if i'll ever be able to tell them. It's embarrassing af.

vft1008 · 07-28-2023, 11:02 PM

The US is giving more time and care to aliens from outer space than us. We ain't ever getting legalized. Those confirmed aliens from outer space probably already have green cards.

VJB2 · 07-29-2023, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anitagreencard

Some of my closest friends are completely unaware of my situation. Not sure if i'll ever be able to tell them. It's embarrassing af.

Yeah, I feel terrible on a daily basis. Part of me thinks that we’re mature people and they’ll understand and forgive me, but part of me remembers I felt this way years ago and my friends at the time ended up distancing themselves from me when they found out I couldn’t travel or do certain things they wanted to.

It’s a mental cycle…

lachupacabra · 09-19-2023, 09:23 AM

I'll probably come out to my best friend when I get my green card. There were times I wanted to tell my friend but it was too dangerous and embarrassing to tell

mrfreed · 09-20-2023, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VJB2

Yeah, I feel terrible on a daily basis. Part of me thinks that we’re mature people and they’ll understand and forgive me, but part of me remembers I felt this way years ago and my friends at the time ended up distancing themselves from me when they found out I couldn’t travel or do certain things they wanted to.

It’s a mental cycle…

You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Despite all the obstacles, we have come this far; we have accomplished a lot. They have nothing to forgive you. You haven't done anything to them. If they react negatively , loss is on them.

Never never be embarrassed about who you are.

They need you!

Forum links

Resources

Join our list

National calendar of events

March

Tina Gets Emotional About Growing Up As A DACA Kid In New York