What is an immigrant’s life like?

Immigration is something that has happened throughout the years and the course of history in many places around the world when people seek better life opportunities, and a better future for their loved ones.

When people hear the word “immigration”, they might just think of undocumented people going from one place to another. Probably the first thing that comes to their mind is people crossing the border, but it is not only that. Immigration also has to do with discrimination, facing challenges and overcoming them. Immigrating also means leaving loved ones behind and having a new family far away from them just to make their life better.

Immigrants try their best to help take their family towards a better future. On San Pedro Street there is a store named “Lucia’s Discount Store” which is owned by immigrant owners. The entire family has gone through many difficulties and have tried their best to overcome them. Manager Lucia, an immigrant from Guatemala that now has papers, said that she feels good for having a store to help out her family.

Many undocumented people have been discriminated for being from another country. For example, Cintia Vega, an eighth grader at Animo Jefferson Charter Middle School said, “Yes I am undocumented. I have been discriminated but it is mostly by people that don’t really like me. They think they can use discrimination against me, but I don’t really feel the difference.”

She also said that people think that they are better than her because they are citizens and she is not. Many people like Cintia have gone through this, and if you are one of those people who make others feel this way you should put yourself in their shoes and think about how you would feel if you were them.

Worker Monica Garcia, an immigrant from Veracruz, Mexico, works at “Burger’s & Mexican Food,” a  restaurant located on San Pedro Street. She said that when she came to this country, she came with a lot of dreams and with goals. Although she was happy to come to this country, she felt really sad leaving her family behind, especially because she left her daughter. She has only visited her twice. One time when her daughter was three years old, and the other when she was six, and now she is ten years old. Another difficulty for her was finding a job, but with the help of her friends, she’s employed and tries her best to move forward. She also said that she has gotten all of her strengths from wanting to help her family. Although she doesn’t have papers, she feels good for the people who have papers because they are able to travel.

Most immigrants do not think of getting their “papers” for fear of getting caught and being deported. However, some people do get them. One great example of someone who became documented is Araceli Hernandez. She first began the process as a teen with the help of her mother. The process took three years to complete and during that time they also got her younger sister, Cecilia, documented as well. Even though Araceli is now documented, she has faced discrimination several times. One instance she remembers clearly was at her first job at a restaurant. She said, “The owner would always pay us [everybody that was hispanic] less than he was supposed to. For example, I was expecting to be paid 150 dollars in cash, but he would pay me about 120 dollars at the most.” She explained how this made a big impact on her because it made it more difficult to support her family as a young mother. Araceli also said that there have been many opportunities that she was allowed to have because she was documented such as qualifying for financial aid to pay for nursing school. As a result, she is now a nurse, and has been one for more than 13 years and now is able to provide for her children.

These are only a few examples of immigrants, who because of their circumstances, have been discriminated at some point. This is why if you are one of those people who insult immigrants and make them feel bad, you should put yourself in their shoes and think about how you would feel if you were them. Immigrants have had many hard times in their lives to be able to have a better future for themselves and their family. Immigrants are also very hopeful that an immigration reform is passed for them to be able to have papers.