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What would you do? If you were 16, grew up in America, play on your high school's football team, think you're American, and then go apply for your first job and discover that you don't have a social security number because you're illegal? All your friends are American, none of them are from your country of birth, which you've never been to since you were 18 months old anyway. You don't speak Spanish since you're not close with your parents. In fact you dislike your parents because they're "not cool": they're out of touch with American culture. They've actually kind of made you not like Mexicans. You got an A in U.S. Civics and History but you know squat about Mexico or what Cinco de Mayo is. You don't like the Hispanic gangs composed of illegal border-jumpers, but now you discover that your parents jumped the border themselves and didn't tell you about it! Your legal name is Carlos but everyone and yourself know you as "Ned". You don't know anyone in Mexico or even which part of Mexico your parents were from.
You have one more year of high school, hoping to ask this girl Debbie you like out for junior prom. You're kind of a jock but you're still serious about school and the rock band you're a drummer for. You're on the school's debate team and you've always been arguing for immigrants to assimilate and speak English and be a part of American society rather than going around and forming ethnic ghettos. You're also one of those people who argue for keeping God in the Pledge of Allegiance, and for pulling "our country, the U.S." out of the UN. The school counselor has high hopes for you to get into the top state school for college. What's the best thing to do and when should you do it?
What would you do? If you were 16, grew up in America, play on your high school's football team, think you're American, and then go apply for your first job and discover that you don't have a social security number because you're illegal? All your friends are American, none of them are from your country of birth, which you've never been to since you were 18 months old anyway. You don't speak Spanish since you're not close with your parents. In fact you dislike your parents because they're "not cool": they're out of touch with American culture. They've actually kind of made you not like Mexicans. You got an A in U.S. Civics and History but you know squat about Mexico or what Cinco de Mayo is. You don't like the Hispanic gangs composed of illegal border-jumpers, but now you discover that your parents jumped the border themselves and didn't tell you about it! Your legal name is Carlos but everyone and yourself know you as "Ned". You don't know anyone in Mexico or even which part of Mexico your parents were from.
You have one more year of high school, hoping to ask this girl Debbie you like out for junior prom. You're kind of a jock but you're still serious about school and the rock band you're a drummer for. You're on the school's debate team and you've always been arguing for immigrants to assimilate and speak English and be a part of American society rather than going around and forming ethnic ghettos. You're also one of those people who argue for keeping God in the Pledge of Allegiance, and for pulling "our country, the U.S." out of the UN. The school counselor has high hopes for you to get into the top state school for college. What's the best thing to do and when should you do it?
I'd talk to a lawyer and fast. Otherwise; "Ned" would need to go back to Mexico before he's picked up and kicked out of the US. Better to go back willingly cause Ned wouldn't have to deal with a 10 year ban to come back.
I was born here to two U.S. citizens. So, I could never discover I was actually an illegal alien. However, it's September 1st and DACA applications were available on August 15th. "Ned" should have already applied for DACA like millions of others.
I was born here to two U.S. citizens. So, I could never discover I was actually an illegal alien. However, it's September 1st and DACA applications were available on August 15th. "Ned" should have already applied for DACA like millions of others.
I would drive without a license or insurance even thought I can get a Mexican driver's license. I'd lie about my citizenship on college applications. I'd either buy a social security number or forge one. I'd praise my parents for their bravery in freely breaking multiple American laws instead of castigating them for crimes like non-payment of taxes, forgery and driving drunk. I would pretend didn't speak Spanish even though it really is almost impossible to believe that I don't speak my parent's native language. I'd work off the books, call Americans nasty names if they dared ask me to leave, father lots of out of out of wedlock children and collect welfare in their names. I would whine that American didn't do enough for me even though Americans gave me a fabulous education my parents did not pay for.
Then I would tell Americans that Mexico is the world's greatest place but anyone who asks me to leave is a racist.
Because it's really disgusting that Americans dare to think American citizens should matter more to them and their government than the needs and desires of Mexican nationals!
I'd be interested to know about my own country. I'd decide it might be smart to learn it's language and check out some of the universities over there. I might pick La Universidad de Guadalajara or else the Autonoma in Mexico City -- really nice campus. I'd want to take advantage of some of the anthropology and archeology courses back in my country --- check out some of the pyramids. I'd really want to see the pyramids at Palenque and Oaxaca.
I'd want to take some Mexican history classes also, see how the Indians in Cholula celebrate El Dia de los Muertos with all the marigolds. I'd want to check out Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, definitely Puebla also. I'd want to visit the museums, Chapultepec park, see the Ballet Folklorico in the Bellas Artes.
It would be interesting to go to a university, try life in Mexico, and later decide whether I'd want to apply for legal immigration to the USA but maybe I'd prefer my own country. If you never tried it, you don't know if you might like it.
I'd be interested to know about my own country. I'd decide it might be smart to learn it's language and check out some of the universities over there. I might pick La Universidad de Guadalajara or else the Autonoma in Mexico City -- really nice campus. I'd want to take advantage of some of the anthropology and archeology courses back in my country --- check out some of the pyramids. I'd really want to see the pyramids at Palenque and Oaxaca.
I'd want to take some Mexican history classes also, see how the Indians in Cholula celebrate El Dia de los Muertos with all the marigolds. I'd want to check out Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, definitely Puebla also. I'd want to visit the museums, Chapultepec park, see the Ballet Folklorico in the Bellas Artes.
It would be interesting to go to a university, try life in Mexico, and later decide whether I'd want to apply for legal immigration to the USA but maybe I'd prefer my own country. If you never tried it, you don't know if you might like it.
I doubt you would do any of that. You're 16 and you'd fight tooth and nail to stay exactly where you are.
1. Go to my country of origin on my own and apply to enter legally.
2. Disown my criminal parents
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