Carmen’s Story

I came to the United States at the age of 20. I was very fortunate to arrive in this country with a visa, here I met my husband. The first challenge we had as a mixed marriage was not being able to buy a house. He did not have the opportunity to find a good job not having a driver's license, living in fear that at any moment they will stop you and take you to the police station and take your car away for not having a license, the fear that you will be deported to our country at any time. It is a life full of fear, frustration and anxiety.

The saddest thing was when my husband’s parents passed away, the sadness he experienced when he couldn't go to the funeral. The saddest thing was that he never saw them again, nor hugged them for more than 20 years. He suffered with sadness and despair of not being able to be with them at the end of their lives.

I had to see the challenges, fears and anxiety of my sisters who,  like me, we have mixed-status marriages. The saddest thing was seeing how one of my sisters collapsed when her husband was deported, seeing that the children suffered from the absence of her father, like my sister, had to take them to therapy because the children did not want to eat. They did not even want to go out to play with their friends. It was very sad to see her as she was consumed in pain.

I have been a volunteer in my community for more than 4 years, and I have been able to see and live together with families the pain, suffering and despair of how their families are separated, either the mother or the father, also how they were returned to their country. I’ve seen how the children suffer because they know their parents have no home or work when they arrive back in their country.

It is pure sadness to see that many people are discriminated against and abused for not having a work authorization, when they are essential workers for this country, who contribute to the economy and pay their taxes year after year, being good citizens.

In this covid-19 pandemic, it was widely recognized that we are essential workers. We are the ones who work in factories, who pack, make and distribute everything for a better life and so that people fortunate enough to work from home have everything shipped directly to their houses. The non-immigrants received all kinds of help in this pandemic, unemployment and financial aid (stimulus).

Everyone deserves an Immigration Reform to have a full, happy life without fear of being separated and living far from family. They deserve a better job with a better salary, better opportunities in all aspects of life.

We are essential and valuable workers for this country.