She is now a legal citizen residing in Arizona, and I live here, in Liberty Twp.
Nearly everyone I grew up with was a minority from Guatemala, Mexico or China. I loved all the different cultures from around the world and I’m happy my mother decided to risk her life and leave her family to provide a better life for me.
I’m sure there are a lot of people who shouldn’t be here, whether they are legal or not; but no one should be profiled just because they are a different color. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve never come across someone who judges me or my family. Everyone with whom I’ve surrounded myself is always very supportive.
I’m 32, and I consider myself a hard-working person. I have worked two jobs at the same time to make ends meet, and I am currently a full-time student, working on my bachelor’s degree.
I have never asked for government assistance in all the time I’ve lived in the States. I’ve never even gotten a speeding or parking ticket. I strive to ensure my children get the education they deserve. I pay my taxes and volunteer in the community.
I’m a single mother of two boys. One of them is a citizen and one is not, and I’m currently in the process of getting my older son’s “green card.” I’ve been following the news about the recent Arizona immigration law and wanted to comment on it.
When I came to the United States with my son, we walked through the line. We were in line to speak with an immigration team member when they decided to open all the gates and let everyone come in. They didn’t care — there were so many people in the lines that they decided to let people in. Nobody can really blame all those “illegal people” for coming in — the door was wide open. Wouldn’t you come in to the house of better opportunity, if the door was opened for you?
I’ve been in the process of getting my son’s legal status fixed for the past nine years. A couple of years ago, I decided to check in with immigration to see if there was any progress. I was notified that he had been approved for his visa. Great news, but I wished I had been notified. With immigration, you really need to check in at all times.
There is a heavy cost to immigrating legally. I’ve spent more than $3,000 thus far. It is very time-consuming and there are long waits involved, sometimes even an hour just to get a phone call answered.
It’s a huge undertaking. There is a lot of stress, time and money involved just to have a paper stating that you are a legal citizen. My son is looking forward to getting his papers; he’s like any normal teenager who has dreams and aspirations. Right now all he wants is to be able to work so that he can save enough money to buy a car.
We deeply want to live the American dream.
Jackie Castro is a legal permanent resident who resides in Liberty Twp. and works for Cox Ohio Media as a media consultant.