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I strongly support an comprehensive immigration reform because every one in this country deserves to be given the opportunity at the American dream. People that work daily in meager low paying jobs with no benifits are not asking to be handed money or food. They are simply are asking to be treated equally as their employers, neighbors, teacher, classmates, and everyone surrounding them. Every day I wish that I had the opportunity to drive to class with out the fear, driving to work, and to apply to graduate school without paying out-of-state tuition which is impossible to pay. There is a crucial need for a solution to the problem that America is facing and the solution is there. Please, Senate,Congress, House of Representatives keep america safe by bringing people out of the shadows and deal with the problem. Putting off the problem for some one else to solve is never going to happen. I urge you to listen to us and help America prevail against terrorism. Thank You and God Bless.

My name is Arthur and I am 20 years old illegal immigrant.My mom brought me to America in 2001 with a visitor VISA and ever since the day I stepped my feet on this land I fell in love with it.Weeks after we landed, my mom went back to her home country and left me in America with my sister and her boyfriend. I attended my first two years of high school while living with them. There, I earned honor roll and perfect attendance and participated in extra curricular activities. While living in my sister's household a lot of bad and good things happened to me.Her boyfriend,father of all her three kids, forced me into heavy labor around the house and often used abusive language towards me.He also made me come with him to steal construction materials from Home Depot and under development neighborhoods. If I refused to go,he would often threat me saying that I would have to go back to my home country.Unfortunately my sister saw everything that was going on and did absolutely nothing.One day in the summer of 2003, they made me quit school and head back to my home country.

The only good thing that happened to me while living with them was that I met one of their neighbor,a true American family.I became really good friends with one of their kids and we often spent time together playing soccer.I became really close to the whole family and they often invited to their house and other family activities.In the other hand, my sister and her boyfriend opposed me and told me to end my relationship with their family,but I didn't.

After leaving America,me and this American family kept in touch for a while until they invited me to go back and live with them in their house.They also became by law my legal guardians until I was 18 years old.At that time we had no clue that I was here with my visitor VISA and that I only could stay in America for short periods of time.I found out that I illegally living in the United States in the summer of 2004 after I got my driver's license.The DMV sent me a letter saying that my Social Security number was wrong.When I asked my mom about it,they said my sister issued me a fake SSN.My heart was broken into pieces and I did not know what to do.My American family agreed to let me live with them even though I was an illegal immigrant.

In 2005 I graduated from high school but could not attend college due to my legal status.During the fall of the same year, I requested a private meeting with the Den of a local Technical College.I explained to him my situation and he agreed to let me attend his school as an international student.Little did I know, but international students pay around $1500 per quarter instead of $400 that resident students pay.I did not know what to do since I do not have a real job and only work part time.I struggled but thanks to God I am able to save enough money to take at least one class per quarter.Believe or not, my girlfriend's family(American) also help me out a lot with school tuition and other things.

Today,I am few weeks away from turning 21.I can not drive,work,get health insurance,and other things legal residents can.One day, I plan on having an family in the United States;also I plan on getting an Associate degree in business first,then move on to a 4 year school expand my education.Thanks to God,and my American family I get up everyday strong,taking one day at the time waiting for the best day of my life to come;the day I officially become an American citizen.Finally,for all the people that read my story,just remember to never give up.

La fe sigue viva...

Mientras en el Senado el debate acerca de la propuesta de Reforma Migratoria parece haber pasado al archivo del olvido, en medio de la población existe una mezcla de preocupación y de ilusión. Se puede traducir en desconcierto, pero las ganas de informarse saltan a la vista cuando asistimos a los foros de inmigración ‘Siempre Unidos’, que la Asociación Campesina, la Coalición de Inmigrantes y el periódico La Raza Hispana vienen ofreciendo en distintos puntos de Florida Central.
Es loable ver el trabajo del staff de la Asociación Campesina y de los líderes comunitarios como Tirso Moreno, el padre Roberto Morales, la hermana Ann Kendrick, Juan Pablo Chávez y mención aparte para los abogados Charles Conroy John Barry, unos verdaderos paladines de la lucha social, quienes además cumplen esta labor sin la más mínima intención de lucrar con la necesidad de los indocumentados.
Debemos resaltar también la labor de los medios de comunicación hispanos que apoyan sin ningún tipo de restricciones esta causa como lo canales de television Chanel 13 en Español, Azteca América, Univisión, Telemundo, las estaciones radiales La Que Buena, La Ley, Onda Mexicana y Furia Mexicana.
Es que tal como se lo comentaba a Sharon Miranda , Ancla del Chanel 13 en Español y a Alonso García, conductor del programa Viva Orlando, que transmite Azteca América, en esta lucha no me anima más que servir a la comunidad, sin ningún vestigio de querer comercializar con el tema.
Simplemente porque cuando en 1999 llegué a los Estados Unidos, después de muchos años de haber trabajado como periodista en mi país, tuve que realizar distintas actividades en las que se me presentó la oportunidad de aprender de decenas de personas como yo, que emigraron de México, Centroamérica, Sudamérica. Trabajé haciendo labores de jardinería para la empresa ‘Forever Green’ en la que conocí de cerca la realidad de mis hermanos inmigrantes y supe de sus necesidades, de sus ilusiones, de sus tristezas, de sus sueños, de sus temores, sus recuerdos de la tierra añorada, de sus cariños, de sus historias, mientras recorríamos en camiones las calles de Miami, la Ciudad del Sol.
Era gente de rostro curtido por el tiempo, bronceados por el intenso sol, con callos en las manos y quizás en el corazón. Los habían de todas las edades, de todos los colores, hombres y mujeres. Eramos las Naciones Unidas sólo que ropas de obreros.
No fue un tiempo fácil, recuerdo que el calor era agobiante, sudaba mucho y eso me permitia esconder que mientras picaba la tierra lloraba, porque se me venían a la mente la imagen de de mis hijos, al mayor lo dejé de 8 años y al pequeño de 8 meses de nacido. No hubo nada más fuerte que la situación económica de mi país, la que me empujó a tomar la decisión de emigrar en busca de oportunidades. Las cuales agradezco a Dios se me presentaron.
Económicamente no soy un nuevo rico, y estoy lejos de serlo, el Sueño Americano, es aún un sueño para mi, sigo siendo un tipo producto de la clase media , alguien que tiene que trabajar para conseguir el pago de la renta, del auto, mantener a la familia, alguien que tiene que lidiar con las alzas de la canasta básica, de la gasolina, del alquiler de vivienda y la falta de programas de salud accesibles para el bolsillo de quienes comenzamos en estas tierras.
Sin embargo, me siento millonario en el corazón, porque doy rienda suelta a mi vocación de servicio por una causa que la siento mía, es mía, por lo que viví, y porque veo reflejado en cada uno de los padres que son separados de sus familias ese inmenso dolor que es tener a los hijos lejos.
A mis pequeños los volvi a ver después de seis años. El mayor ya era un adolescente de 14 y el menor había cumplido 6 cuando pude sentirlos nuevamente entre mis brazos y gozar del cariño de ellos sin tener que recurrir a la fría tecnología.
Emigré por voluntad propia, pero era necesario hacerlo, no podia permitir que ellos vivieran para siempre una historia de carencias y de inseguridad, por eso me la jugué y tuve que pagar el precio de conformarme verlos crecer oyendo sus voces por teléfono, a través de fotos ó por cámaras de internet.
Ese tiempo es irrecuperable, pero Dios cura heridas y nos da fortaleza para recomponer el camino. Estoy seguro que si juntáramos las lágrimas de todos los inmigrantes haríamos un nuevo océano.
Definitivamente creo en la justicia divina y en la capacidad de raciocinio de los hombres para interponer a sus intereses personales el futuro de 12 milllones de personas que merecen un trato digno, que contribuyen a la economía del país, siendo una notable fuerza laboral, que también aportan valores morales y culturales, como la unión familiar, lazos que en el caso de los latinoamericanos son como una filosofía de vida.
Esto no es izquierda, no es derecha, aunque los políticos lo vean así, no es cuestión de géneros, ni de razas, ni de nacionalidades. La única bandera que debería flamear es el amor al prójimo, tal como nos enseño el más grande de los hombres, y darle un trato de seres humanos a personas como yo, como usted.

-Gerardo Mejía-
Periodista de La Raza Hispana
Orlando,FL

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.-

I was born in Mexico City, and I am fully aware of that. At the age of nine, my mother had finally gotten visas for me, my older brother, and my father. We boarded on a bus to get to the United States, and three days later we got here to Los Angeles- CA. Here, my family was finally reunited due to the fact that prior to this day part of my family had already come and stayed in the U.S.
From age nine and on, until the present, I was taught and raised with the American costumes and way of life. It only took me a year to learn English- scholarly speaking I had always achieved high grades prior to moving, so coming to the United States didn’t affect that habit of mine. (Tough not a very good speller- you might notice such) And so I went through life- finished elementary school, later middle school, graduated from high school fifth in my class and am now currently enrolled in college. Still I attain high grades.
I never realized the impact of being an immigrant until my junior year in high school (for the day my visa expired, I became an immigrant to this country). I was deciding my future and found that since college is expensive, I wouldn’t be able to afford any further education. I am lucky to have an older brother of mine help me pay my tuition as it is for the present, otherwise who knows what would have happened to me. As an immigrant there are a number of things one can’t do- and the daily activities of everyday life emphasizes such. As an immigrant, there are things one always worries about; family needs, survival needs- the future is always uncertain. With all this in mind it is no wonder that not until today, did I not see the transformation that has come to pass over the years.
You see, when I heard of Dreams Across America, and that they were asking for peoples stories I was inspired to write one of my own. But when I first began to write this I came to too many stops, as well as too many questions that I hadn’t really thought about much. Why did I come to the U.S.? Why did I stay? Was there ever a plan for me to be legalized, aside an immigration reform? As a child I never paid much attention to these facts- and as I grew older, the same facts kept diminishing over time. But now I wondered- and was about to ask my mother for solid answers when I realized the very answer. The truth is that knowing the answers wouldn’t matter (if any at all). If there was a plan or not- it doesn’t matter; I do admit that my one and only fatal mistake that I share with my fellow immigrants is that we open handedly accepted a new way of life.
You see, trough out all these years- this, myself, and everything around me became my life. Just like everybody else, living here, breathing this air, being part of this culture, this became my life. And just like everybody else, one can not just ask someone to change their way of life just because one is labeled an “immigrant”. To restrict someone from being who they are because they are “immigrant”, to stop their way of life is inhuman. And that is why I am writing this, because trough this I can help protect my way of life- because trough this immigration reform, all those who have become part of the American culture; whose life has become what it is today can be freed from that label that endangers their way of life.
Now at the age of 20, a year from ending college- all options are vanishing. When I graduate, there is nothing for me, plainly because I carry that label of “immigrant”. I’ve grown here and become part of this culture- no other culture is out there for me- yet I am being stopped from continuing my life because of this label. It is a shame, that the only thing that makes me less ‘worthy’ per say is because I am missing a nine digit number along with an ID/document that says that I am a citizen of this country – and nothing else.