Dear: Mr. President

Dear: Mr. President,

I have written and re-written this letter more times than I care to think about.  Over the past 23 years I have written this letter not only to you but to the many presidents over the last two decades.  Every time I press delete before I have the nerve to send it but today is different and I need you to know about my love for the country that saw me grow into the woman I am today and the disappointment in what I thought was a system that worked to help people, not tear families apart.  I was 7 years old when my mother and father decided to follow their dream of a better life for their family and although I am 31 years old now part of me is still seven years old.  I had no choice on the matter.  I remember crying because I had to leave my grandmother, my school and my friends but my mother and father were sure we could have a life and more opportunities in the United States. 

You have two daughters of your own and I know you remember when you told them you were running for President of the United States and if you won they would have to leave their home to follow you to the White House.  I don’t know what that conversation sounded like but I am sure it was difficult for them to think about leaving their home even if they didn’t voice their opinions.  They followed you and your wife to the White House because they knew their parents were doing what was best for their family and the entire country, and let’s be frank because they had to do as their parents said.  My dad may not be the President of the Free World and my mother is no First Lady but they had just as much right to do what they thought was good for their family. 

In a perfect world my parents would have had the money and knowledge to get us all visas and immigrate legally but that wasn’t the case at the time and my parents did what they had to.  I can’t tell you how many times I blamed my parents for the inability to live without fear in a country that has a phobia for Mexicans, but not our food.  But as I have grown I realize I have the same dreams for my family and the same desire to succeed. 

Over the past 23 years I have grown from a scared little girl of 7 into a mature woman of 31.  I made my parents proud and took advantage of all the education the U.S. had to offer, after all that’s why they risked everything.  I graduated with honors from my High School, went on to attend and graduate with honors from a local Community College.  Eventually thanks to California Assembly Bill 540 I was able to attend one of the fine colleges in the California State University system.  In 2003 I received a B.A. in Political Science and in 2006 a Masters in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Political Communication.  I have degrees I can’t use and that should be discouraging enough, but my father once said that you could deport me but you could never take away my education and the knowledge and experiences I have lived and he was right.  I didn’t let my “undocumented” status deter me I volunteered with any and every organization that I thought was worthy of my time in my county.  I took action and volunteered on local, state and national political campaigns.  Just because I couldn’t vote didn’t mean I couldn’t influence others to do so.  In 2008 I had the privilege of phone banking for a man who I thought could make some serious change in the country I loved so much and although I do not regret volunteering on your campaign I am seriously disappointed in your lack of commitment to the Latino/a Community, specifically to the millions of Mexican and Mexican-American’s living in the U.S.

In 2009 I met the man of my dream and in 2010 we were united in marriage for what I thought would be the rest of our lives.  Together we made the decision that I would apply for an I-601 visa and hopefully be back in the U.S. to start a beautiful life together.  The way the system is setup now in order for me to apply for this visa I must leave the country and head back to my country of origin, Mexico.  I left my mother, father, sister, brother, nieces and my husband in July 2011 hopeful that I would return to them in a matter of months.  Two years prior my sister had to go through the same process and she was back in 2 ½ months.  I can’t say it wasn’t difficult because she had a loving husband and a 1 year old baby girl she had to leave behind.  For that little girl it was the longest time she ever had to be apart from her mother.  Neither my sister nor her baby ever fully recovered from the separation.  Two years ago it was my mother who had to also go through the process and we were separated from her for over 7 ½ months.  Over six months later and I am still stuck in a country that is just as foreign to me as China.  My husband and I have attempted to contact any and all government offices we are suggested only to find road blocks at every one of them.  No one will give us information on my case except the standard “the computer shows your application is pending review”.  No two offices ever give us the same information and the lack of it is making us crazy. 

The worst part is I am not alone; there are thousands of people just like me who are separated from their families ever day not knowing if they will ever be reunited again.  My husband is a facilities manager and although we are thankful he has a job he doesn’t make enough to support our home in the U.S. and me living in a foreign country.  The immigration process is also a costly one and conveniently enough after six months we have to redo all our medical paperwork, meaning more money we don’t have.  The bills are pilling up; money ran out months ago along with the friends and relatives we have borrowed money from.  The stress on our marriage is overwhelming but we know our love will have to be enough.  My hope and faith are the last things I am letting this system take away from me.  I know someday my husband and I will be reunited again even if its in another life and I am still HOPEful that you are the man who will CHANGE the injustices that are taking place on so many of us “innocent immigrants”.  The DREAM students who nock on your door every year are the casualty of a war on immigrants.  They are innocent bystanders of terrible injustices just like me. 

Today I implore you to follow the words of Dr. King “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”.  The change he brought to the world is still felt today and I know that together we can do the same. But no words ring more true to me everyday than those of Malcom X “We declare our right on this earth to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary”.  I refuse to sit in the back of a bus that treats me like a second class citizen.  The time has come to stop being complaisant and bring about real CHANGE for the thousands of families like mine! 

In strength and solidarity,