My Life As An Undocumented Immigrant Essay

The Back of a Nonexistent Line
In the film Documented and The New York Times article “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant,” Jose Antonio Vargas describes his experience as an undocumented immigrant in the United States and provides a passionate argument for creating a pathway to citizenship for others like Vargas, who are undocumented as well. Although both the film and article give the viewers and readers an insight into Vargas’ difficult journey, a particular scene in the film sends an unspoken message about the United States as a whole. In Documented, the scene in which Jose Antonio Vargas attends a Mitt Romney campaign rally is detrimental to the immigration debate because it demonstrates the need for Americans to be educated about undocumented

It has specific requirements that many undocumented immigrants cannot meet. The most difficult requirement for undocumented immigrants to bypass to be considered for citizenship is that one must be a legal permanent resident (green card holder) for at least five years. There are only three ways to become a legal permanent resident: be admitted as a refugee, be sponsored by an eligible employer, or be sponsored by a close family member such as one’s parents or children. Undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States since they were children cannot be admitted as refugees, many of their employers do not offer sponsorships, nor do many have close family members that can sponsor them. In the case that they can be sponsored by an employer or family member, undocumented immigrants can wait up to a decade or two before their application is even considered. Many Americans are uneducated about the process of legalization which is why they find it easy to say things like “Are you in line?” The truth is, there is no line and undocumented immigrants like Vargas are fighting every single day for a “line” to be