Unocumented Interviews

From my family, my parents, my sister and a few uncles are undocumented. The majority of my uncles got lucky when they came to the U.S. because when they came around the late or early 1980s they were granted residency. On the other hand, if my dad would have come earlier maybe he would have become a citizen as well. My dad came to the U.S. earlier than my mother and sister. When he got help and collected the money to crossed the border, all my uncles lived in the same apartment at South Gate. My dad worked in a bakery in South Gate for a few years and two years later my mom and my sister came to the U.S. The fact that I come from an immigrant family, I am aware of the struggles that many immigrants face. Someone who is undocumented faces different

My first interviewee was my sister Alejandra and my second interviewee was a friend name Fernando. Alejandra is currently a senior at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) studying social work and child development and Fernando is a junior studying Latin American Studies at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). They both are undocumented students who are trying to pursue a higher education. The difference between Fernando and Alejandra is that they both came to the U.S. at a different age. Fernando was aware of the dangers, he remembers what he went through and he knows what he was sacrificing. But Alejandra came at a young age and had no know ledged of the dangers and how risky it was for her and her mother to crossed the border. Alejandra does not remember how her life in Mexico was; she doesn’t know what she was leaving behind. Although they both have different backgrounds, they both shared one thing in common: the “American dream” the right to have equal opportunities to achieve success regardless of immigration status. Although they both have not achieved the “American dream” they acknowledge how grateful and privileged they are. They appreciate the hard work their parents have done for them and for their family and for this county. They both understand how they are victimized by the system and from those with authority. They understand the educational pipeline makes it impossible for many to earn a higher degree, especially those who are first generation college