Over Christmas break, Juan Carlos and I decided to talk to an immigration lawyer about the process of getting him permanent residency as my spouse someday. Much to our surprise we were told that, under the current law, it would be impossible for him to get papers, even after we get married. Because of the way he entered the U.S., he is not able to move from an "illegal" status to a "legal" one. We were told all we could do is wait for the law to change. The only thing I could think of for weeks after we found out were all of our dreams that would never be able to come true if there was no way for him to get papers. I think we had modest dreams all in all- a comfortable home, a healthy family, and the ability to live in the US and travel to Mexico every year or every couple years to visit his hometown and family there. We never planned to make a lot of money or live extravagantly. We were perfectly satisfied to live simply, so long as we could be with our families and spend time in places we considered "home".
It's strange how the things I never thought twice about growing up- being able to live at "home" and live with or near my family- become privileges overnight. There are so many things I've taken for granted (and still do) and it's a somewhat shocking experience to reach a point in life when I only long for what seems like a basic desire once again. Unless the law changes, Juan Carlos and I would not be able to live in my home country together legally. The implications? Months and years away from my family, financial hardship (especially as I have extensive school loans to pay off) and most importantly, the fact that Juan Carlos would not be able to see his family members residing in the US, including his mother and two brothers, at all until and unless they were to return to Mexico (and risk their lives getting back).
In spite of the grave implications of the situation, we refuse to let go of hope. I realize that, regardless of the law, we can still have a wonderful life, even if it's not the way I always envisioned it or the way my family always envisioned it for me. My education will give me more options regardless of where I go, and I love Mexico and I could probably have a satisfying life there. Meanwhile, I have not given up hope that the law may change. I have taken policy advocacy courses to learn how to be more active in working toward a change in legislation. I am also trying to encourage other students on campus, my friends, and my family to write letters in favor of comprehensive immigration reform that would provide a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants. I am trying to address the misconceptions and misunderstandings that people have in terms of the threat of immigration to this country, as well as bring the face of humanity back to a debate that has long forgotten it.
If you are interested in working with me on this, please let me know and I will be happy to provide you with more resources on advocacy or the issue of immigration. Some great films on it include: De Nadie, El Norte, Farmingville, Los Mojados, Rights on the Line: Vigilantes at the Border, Borderwars, and (yet to be seen by me) Dying to Live (a film made by the Center for Latino Spirituality and Culture at the University of Notre Dame)...
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