I feel unwanted and trapped in a country that I’ve lived in for most of my life, but doesn’t want me here. I can’t travel, I can’t apply for certain jobs, I can’t receive financial aid, and I’m looked at as a criminal.
Here's a little bit about my life. I was born and raised in Ecuador until I was eight years old. Mami and Papi were my grandparents growing up, because I didn’t know my biological parents until I met them when I came to the United States. My parents applied for legal status back from when I was in Ecuador, but because of their language barrier and lack of education; their lawyer turned out to be a fraud. I am 22 years old now, and the process is still ongoing.I’m trying hard not to lose my culture, my traditions, and the language. Perhaps, this is why I became interested in studying Spanish with a concentration in literature and culture. The University at Albany offers many opportunities for Journalism and Spanish majors to travel and study abroad, which is great. However, there’s a big but, I can’t travel.
It sucks right? Yeah, I know. But I don’t blame my parents for bringing me here. They also struggle as undocumented immigrants themselves. If anything, I’m thankful because I’m becoming someone in this country thanks to them. In Ecuador, I probably would've started a family and discontinued my education. That’s a normal life for a young girl there.
However, I wish I could travel. I want to expand my knowledge and experience new adventures. Yet, I’ve come to realize that this is my life and I have to deal with it, at least until a law passes that can help me. So far, my only choice for legal status is getting married (which is not even a choice at this point in my life).
Although I feel a disadvantage, this status has also helped me grow. I’m not just an undocumented immigrant, I’m also a woman. These two factors are already against me. It makes me work harder not only for myself but to prove everyone that judges undocumented immigrants wrong. We are not ‘criminals or drug dealers,’ at least not all of us. I’m a college student soon to be a graduate.
So what’s it like to be an undocumented college student? It’s unfortunate but invigorating. I used to be scared to tell my story, shy and embarrassed. This is no longer the case. I’m going to embrace this imperfect status because it makes me appreciate the opportunities coming my way and work harder to achieve my goals. I have one more semester and I will officially be another #ImmiGrad joining the workforce, and although it hasn’t been easy, I sure am proud of it.