Not just a piece of paper: growing up with undocumented parents in the USA

Not just a piece of paper: growing up with undocumented parents in the USA

Kimberly's father grew up in Mexico in a very small, tent -like structure. He spent the majority of his youth work and never visited the high school. Her mother also lived in poverty. The couple wanted to start a family, but was convinced that Mexico could not offer their children the future they deserve.

The decision to emigrate

22 years ago, when her mother was pregnant with Kimber's older sister, the couple made a long and tiring journey across the border to the USA. Kimberly, who asks for anonymity, was born in the United States and, together with her two sisters, is an educated US citizen. However, her parents continue to live without papers; For more than two decades, they have been working under the radar in poorly paid jobs that keep America going - as cleaning staff, in childcare and in construction.

The fear of deportation

Although Kimberly says that her parents are currently safe, she is worried that this could change at any time. Since US President Donald Trump started with his hard line against illegal immigration and mass deportation, life has felt “unreal” and “like a nightmare” for her-and she fears the loss of her parents. "Now that I see how Trump handles the whole thing, I think, maybe it won't go out well," she told CNN.

"What I see now is that we lose a piece of humanity. Nobody thinks or sees you as a person, they only consider you a thing," she says. "My parents may have no papers or legal documents to live here, but they are still people ... a piece of paper doesn't make you human."

a life in fear

Kimberly and her sisters often imagined her whole life, how officials from the US immigration authority knock on doors and pull out families. "I remember when I was a child to sit in the car and constantly look back to see if police cars were on the road. There were times when people were stopped without knowing where the police car came from," she says.

"My family and I were always on alert to ensure that we not only drive safely, but also look as normal as possible." As a child, she could see that her parents were nervous even though they tried to hide it. "It was the most difficult to see how my parents reacted to the situation, because as parents you have to look strong and give the children the feeling that everything is fine so that they don't frighten themselves. But I could see their emotions very clearly."

hard work and support

Over the years, her family tried to live with other Mexicans in areas to support each other and to integrate them better. Her parents worked for a long time and often came home late. Your employers had given them the documents to pay taxes and Kimberly emphasized that their parents have always contributed to the US economy despite their undocumented status.

When the girls were old enough to stay alone after school, her mother began doing two jobs. "We may have spent two hours before my mother came home, then she cooked dinner and took care of us before she went to the second shift while we did and learned our homework," she says.

The concern for the future

Your parents thought about making an application for Green Cards, but heard that this could take years and that they could be deported during the process - a risk that they could not take with three small daughters. Today Kimberly says that she is worried that her parents could be recorded in an immigration raid and brought to a deportation center - or even deported - without any notice. In such cases it would be difficult for you to communicate with you and ensure that you arrive healthy in Mexico.

Hope for a better future

“Now that I see what happens to ICE, it is exactly the way I imagined it as a child," said Kimberly. "My greatest concern was that my parents would have the feeling that everything they did for us would have been in vain, it wasn't because my sisters and I received a great training."

If it should happen, she would consider moving to Mexico to be with you - a reluctant return after you have lived so much of the American dream that her parents had had for her. "There were many moments when my parents thought about returning to Mexico. We, my younger sisters and I, could only cry and say our parents that we didn't want to go back," she recalls.

Now, as a student, she is preparing to do everything to take care of her parents, no matter what happens. "I study chemistry and am about to start my clinical training ... So I hope that one day I will be able to take care of my parents as they did for me."

“I am really grateful that I was able to do this training and build my skills. Even if we have to return to Mexico at some point, I know that I will be prepared for everything and that I now know how I can work for things and that I was able to build up a lot more confidence here, and I hope that this trust remains with me."