A Dreamer's Story

Just another dreamer...

I migrated to this country with my parents and two sisters when I was fifteen years old. We crossed the border between Mexico and the U.S. in Tucson, Arizona. I’m now 32 years old. I have been living here for over seventeen years and my future is still unclear. When I took the journey North with my family, I did not think or was aware that our actions constituted something illegal or breaking the law. My father had made the trek previously and my instincts told me to trust his judgment and decisions. Moving to New York City was not easy for me. If anything, it was a major cultural shock which changed my life. My hometown in Mexico had at the most 20,000 people, a tiny chunk of New York City’s population.

My struggle surviving the American culture started almost immediately. My older brother set me up with a dishwashing job in Manhattan two weeks after my arrival. I worked from 6:00AM until about 3:00PM, and did so for about three years. I felt upset and angry. Sometimes I would feel frustrated because I always enjoyed school and I had been a successful student in grammar school in Mexico. Something inside me longed for learning. After 1 year of my arrival I registered to take ESL classes in a private school. I was only able to afford to attend 1 year. After that, I did not set foot in a classroom for almost five years.

My parents and I moved to Chicago. They dreaded the cold and missed my nieces and nephews. I stayed and soon found my way back to school. I enrolled in a GED program provided by a city college. After one year I presented and successfully passed the GED exam with excellent grades. A Latina woman in that college advised me to pursue more ESL classes and consider taking college credit classes. She encouraged me to apply for a merit based scholarship. I took her advice and in part to my excellent grades and commitment to learn English, I successfully completed my Associate’s Degree in 1998 at that same college. While trying to decide what career path to take I decided to pursue a social service class during my last semester, before graduation. This experience introduced me to the basic principles of social work and human service.

I then applied to two universities and was admitted to both, due in part to my academic achievements. The issue for me at that moment was how would I afford to pay for college? I took a year off from school to save enough money. Once I had enough money to pay in-state tuition I registered at the university. I applied and was accepted for a merit based scholarship, but I was denied due to my status. I had to cover the expenses on my own for my Bachelors degree. I took time off again from school to save money for a graduate program.

I successfully graduated from a Masters program. But, because I attended a private university the costs were much higher than in a public school. I was able to obtain a private loan with a really high interest rate, but this was a minor concern. My real concern is my future. My mother is a legal resident since January, 2000 and she submitted an application for me that same year. I have a graduate degree and despite the fact that I have obtained a career and succeeded academically, I still feel that there is a stigma attached to my degree, and I feel stuck in limbo.

What would anyone else have done if given the choice to follow your family or stay behind and face life alone? I have committed my life to obtain an education because I want to set an example for my family, my community and other immigrants who come here with hope to fulfill a dream.