Testimonials

Story Submitted By lupe dominguez from ssf

as a first generation mexican-american it saddens me to see how much blame we as a nation are putting on our 12to 13 million fellow humans who do not have the proper documents to secure a place in our society. everyday- our news media has given us stories as well as visual sights as to how many are risking their lives to come to this great country to try to find a better life for them and their families. i am proud of the the fact that my familia have been in these united states of america since before 1878- when new mexico was still a territory. our abuelitos could travel back and forth and not worry about having any papers.both my parents were born in old mexico but came to live in the united states when they were children. they were migrant workers who worked hard to give their 9 children a better life and in 1944 they relocated to san francisco-calif. us children grew up learning and speaking english at school and at home we spoke their native language-spanish. i could say we never had a problem living both cultures. we are proud of the values and traditions of our parents-as well as we are proud to celebrate the 4th of july. our children are all taught the value of a education and they have all gone to college. we are so proud and sure of who we are and if our fellow hermanos are also allowed to be part of this great country-i am sure they will do the same. its up to each person-and it doesnt make a difference where you happen to be born -to want to be part of what happens in our daily lives and to do something about it. i am proud of this movement because it brought people out of the dark and into the light where they were not afraid to show their faces. this great country has always been made of of great people who took the chance to leave what was safe and secure for them and come to a strange land. yes- people say-they are breaking the law-they should have waited their turn- when your children are hungry- you dont think of waiting in line-your do what you have to. i agree that our borders -not just the southern border-but the canadian one as well-have to be secured . i get upset when they say that the new immigrants are not trying to be part of this culture- when i have seen every year less and less american born people attending the parades for veterns day- for the 4th of july or for that matter voting. let america be a better country and find a just and fair way to these many faces who's only crime was to want a better life for their loved ones................

Story Submitted By Karen from Glendale

I am heartbroken to see the tension and division brought about by the current debate on the immigration issues. Everyone has an opinion, but no reasonable solution seems to be forthcoming. In the interim, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation Hispanic Americans like myself find ourselves embroiled in the debate by coworkers, friends and strangers. Why do people expect Hispanic Americans to take sides, like we are expected to defend our "Americanism" by decrying the flow of immigration, legal or illegal. I don't see Italian Americans, Irish Americans, or other "Americans" having to defend their beliefs or demonstrate their patriotism. I don't pretend to know the answers to this highly sensitive debate, but here is what I do know. When I see the Mexican gardener, or laborer, I am reminded of the face of my grandfather, who came to this country, legally or illegally I do not know, but became a resident alien, served our country in the war effort during WWII, and raised his daughters to believe in the American dream. One of his daughters married my father, also a descendant of Mexican origin, who worked in the fields alongside his family while completing his education, and later rose through the ranks of the Phoenix Police Department to become the first Hispanic Police Chief of Phoenix. It is this same work ethic instilled by my grandparents and parents that enabled me to rise to one of the most esteemed positions in my company. It is that same American dream that enabled one of my sons to graduate from M.I.T., one of the most prestigous universities in the country and the other to pursue his dreams of filmmaking in the Cinema School at the University of Southern California. We owe all of this success to the dreams of our grandparents or great grandparents who came to this country in search of opportunity. This is what I see in the faces of those who are coming to this country to earn an honest living. Rather than taking sides why aren't we utilizing that good old American ingenuity and developing reasonable solutions to the immigration problem? It won't be solved by telling people to go back to where they came from. They aren't here on a vacation. Necessity has forced their presence and our style of living in this country welcomes them with open arms. Many of these recent immigrants are doing the work we won't do. And like our ancestors before us, they are the parents of future Americans who will be valuable contributors to American society. Many will become doctors, medical researchers, business owners and entreprenuers. After all, my story is not unusual. It is the story of thousands of my generation and Mexican origin. But it is not the compelling story that people who want to use the immigration debate as a mask for their racism want to hear. They are more comfortable with the stories of drug dealers and coyotes. It is time we put the face of the real America on the front page and it is all of us, be it brown, white or black, and work together to find a reasonable solution to a compelling issue.

Story Submitted By Saul from Amity

I was born (Texas) American and consider myself a proud American. I did 20 years in the U.S. Army am a war veteran and continue working for the federal Government as a civilian. I moved to Arkansas in 1992 after my Army career and find myself aggrevated on a weekly basis. Some people here a racial and ignorant, Mostly because they are uneducated. Several times I have tried going to various churches just to find people in the church as just as racial, I have been told that they feel uncomfortable when I am there. Crazy uh? I have had them ask me why and how did you get a Government job? I have been trying for along time and you people come to this country and take our jobs. It don't understand some people to judge me by my skin color and think I am not American. All the color some people around here is white, I get upset at times but I always seem to understand that they are the ignorant ones.

Story Submitted By Ana from Garland

Most people don't belive I am a Mexican-American (born from mexicans in the USA) my own boyfriend thought i was russian and many confuse me with Anglo. Nothing wrong with being different but they don't understand how hard it is to be trapped in 2 worlds. When home with my family I speak spanish and eat tamales and all the good mexican foods that are always better if they are cooked by Mom or Grandma; when at the office I eat healthy and speak english, mind my manners and no one guesses who I am. Mom always says to learn from both worlds and I think I have. Born In California, now Line in Texas was in the National Guard in the Army branch, I finished college last year and I Can say that I am Living better than some of my friend but that is not the matter. I am an american and I am proud of it but I am also Proud of being mexican, the best of both worlds.

Story Submitted By Terry from Miami

I am a 5th eneration American of Mexican decent. It strikes me as funny (sometimes) that many other ethnic races seem to see me as a "recent arrival" when they themselves (usually 60+ years in age) tell me that their parents immigrated from somewhere - ONE of several incidences - I was at a store and I didn't realize the bag boy (60+ - Italian decent) was speaking to me - when I didn't respond quickly enough he started speaking to me in a thick, loud Italian accent - Don't you speakee English? I replied that I did indeed - after all my family had been speaking English for over 100 years - long before he himself became an American Citizen - I said "surprise!!! Please remember that not all Hispanics have just gotten off a "banana boat". I told him he still had a strong Italian accent and asked him if HE was a recent immigrant - compared to my ancestral background - he was just a "first generation" - who is the immigrant now, Paisano???

Story Submitted By Giovanni from Atlanta

I am angered by so many misunderstanding and misrepresentations of the hispanic community. I was born in the United States my mother arrived from Colombia with a tourist visa that expired before she met my father US citizen by birth from Puerto Rico. Both raised 3 boys to work, study, and pride. Proud parents of one son who served his country and later graduated with honors working in the medical field another with an MBA and the last of the sons fighting a mental illness.. We were saddened and angered on 9/11 our home our birthplace was attacked! The very city were so many come through! Our home! We would gladly give our lives to protect the US. She has given us so much and asked so little of us! So many of the latino communities sons, daughters, fathers, and wives are doing this right now in Afghanistan and Iraq. The pride of being Latino but most of all of Being Americans. Thank you

Story Submitted By Connie from Aurora

My name is Connie Edwards-Escalera. I am married to a Mexican National. I met my husband five years ago when he was in the US illeagally. We fell in love, got married and had a child, ALfred who is now three. Being American and wanting my husband ot have the same opportunity that my son and I had, we applied for his green card. After waiting for 3 years we finally had our appointment in Juarez. My husband was forced to return to Mexico for this appointment. I was not wooried as we thought it would be approved and we could come home and continue our life together as a family. I could not have been more wrong. My husband is still in Mexico. He will not be eligible for 3 - 10 years to return to the United States. The bar is for being here illeagally. We had hired an attorney who was to file a waiver for us. It has been almost a year since our initial appointment in Juarez and the attorney had still not fileds the waiver. My husband desperate to come and see his son and help support our family tried to cross the border again. He was robbed, walked in the desert for two days only to be arrested and sent back to Mexico. I told my attorney about this and she withdrew from our case. Now we are starting over again, more money, more time, and no guarantee he will be able to join us. Many people that I speak with have no idea about the families that are torn apart. Most people think that if you are married to am American you are allowed to be in the US. Not so. There has not been any mention of that in the media. Generaly, like your web-site states, it is all about workers, or Mexican's that come here and get in trouble. I am hoping that your web sight will shed light on the families that are suffering. One last thing the US Consulate in Juarez suggested that if I want to keep my family together I move to Mexico. I think that this is crazy. I want to live in United States, raise my children (I have two other from a previous marriage, I doubt there father would approve of them moving to Mexico) in the United States, so that they will have the same opportunities that I had growing up. I am very glad to see a web-sight that is devoted to immigration reform. It is desperately needed.

Story Submitted By Adreana from Long Beach

When I started working in Long Beach, CA at the Queen Mary in 2001 I met a young woman named Gilma Martinez. She lives with her parents, her older brother and her younger sister. Only her younger sister is native born to the United States. Gilma and her remaining family members were born in El Salvador. They just became citizens last year. Gilma is hardworking, driven and just a sweet and funny person. I am proud to call her my fellow American. Her father, until his health became an issue last year, owned a big rig repair shop in Wilmington, CA. Her brother followed in her father's footsteps and became a licensed mechanic. He works at a department store car service place. Just from 2001, when I met her, I have watched her family spend THOUSANDS of dollars on immigration lawyers and related costs. The process began over seventeen years ago when Gilma got here. Her father came to the U.S. on refugee status and then brought Gilma, her sister, her brother and her mother. Seventeen years Gilma's family has been waiting to become citizens and paying this and that lawyer to speed the process. I'm so glad for all of them that it has finally happened. As glad as I am for them, I am really upset at the idea of people coming here illegally. Seriously, with all the money Gilma's family spent on immigration lawyers Gilma and her brother could have gone to Ivy league colleges or the family could be living in a home they owned rather than a rental by now. So it does not seem fair to me that other people who don't go through the legal processes that the Martinez's went through and don't pay all the money the Martinez's had to pay should be offered the chance to become legal residents. That to me, seems patently unfair. That's my story.

Story Submitted By Delia from Briarwood

I really hope that Congress passes a new immigration bill that will help people who are here illegaly get their papers. I am 24 years old and as a first generation Italian-American I find it very hard to understand why people have some much hatred towards immigrants. They say that they do not want to learn English & that is such an untrue statement. It takes time to learn a new language and English is such a difficult language to learn. After 50 years of living in NY my grandmother still has to throw in some Italian words here and there. My boyfriend of 3 years is here illegally from Mexico. He has been here for 7yrs, speaks beautiful English, works his behind off as a construction worker, and has not been in trouble with the law. Why shouldn't he & other men and women like him not have a chance to live in this country outside of the shadows? I hope and pray that a law is passed to help thses people& that members of congress do not forget that their family once came here too as immigrants, speaking another language & starting their lives here from scratch. Let's not forget why this country exists.

Story Submitted By Kim from Boulder

With the May Day 2006 Great American Boycott, we stand together to demand citizenship and full workers rights for our undocumented brothers and sisters. Our present governmental leaders are eager to place blame for many of the domestic ills that have befallen our country. They find it convenient to blame our failing health care, deficient educational systems, and the increase in crime, on what they like to call illegal aliens. Our problems for the most part are due not to those who have overcome great hardships to come here seeking a better life, but to failed policies. It is privatization, the export of capital, and the outsourcing of well-paying American jobs that has caused a shrinking of our tax base and with it an ever-growing federal deficit that places limits on federal and local governments already minimal domestic spending. Our national policy has been to permit or actually encourage, the importation of cheap labor especially from South of the Border while at the same paying lip service to prohibiting the entry of so-called illegal aliens. Our nations economic base is significantly dependent upon the hard labor of millions of underpaid men, women and all too frequently, children. It is NAFTA and other failed trade agreements that have helped create the economic conditions which force otherwise law-abiding people who simply cannot earn enough to support their families to pour across our borders in search of a better life. It is blatantly hypocritical that at the same time demagogic politicians try to gain votes by denouncing the presence of "illegals, they advocate importing increasing numbers of guest workers to do the most thankless jobs in our economy. We want them to pick our crops, mow our lawns, care for our children and elderly and clean up our filth, but we refuse to grant them so much as a drivers license or any other form of legal standing. Whats wrong with us? It is shameful that it has taken the threat of a national boycott to awaken us to the fact that the millions of undocumented workers play such an vital role in American society. We are urged to not only deny them the health, education and other social services which American citizens enjoy, but to support legislation which would brand them and all those who assist them as felons. The Republican Partys fear-mongers, unable to move their domestic agenda forward, and fearful of losing control of Congress have seized upon what they call the broken borders issue to try and mobilize their base in this election year. By calling for the criminalization of the undocumented, the House of Representatives has opened a veritable Pandoras Box that can only add to the divisions tearing at the fabric of American society. Their call to imprison and deport the estimated eleven million illegals presently in the USA would not deter future undocumented immigration because such actions would in no way alleviate the deficiencies which torment all too many throughout the world. Hunger and need will make criminals of most of us under the right circumstances. The rhetoric of the anti-immigrant crowd has, in fact, forced millions of those in our shadow population, to risk being fired, arrested and deported by rising up in nationwide demonstrations reminiscent of the Civil Rights and Peace Movements of the 1960s. The demagogues, in a desperate effort to prevent working people from uniting on behalf of their mutual interests, are trying to turn African-Americans against our Latino brothers and sisters. They stridently shout that illegals are attempting to benefit from, and are co-opting, the hard-won rights of Afro-Americans as an unearned entitlement. As an African-American I support the position of our civil rights leaders who know that discrimination against anyone is discrimination against everyone. We must remember that our national pledge of allegiance declares, With Liberty and Justice for all. We strengthen our nation by embracing our diversity. We must confront and breakdown all barriers to progress, be they racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, or any other of the other isms that deny fair treatment and justice to everyone. In these United States all of us must have the opportunity to benefit equally from the resources that our labor helps create and maintain.

Story Submitted By Janet from Summit

I am a proud American. I'm classified as a WASP (white Anglo-Saxon Protestant) with roots that go back to the immigrants that came from Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland and England. Some of my ancestors were here as far back as the Revolutionary War. I sang Mother's Day and Christmas songs in church in Swedish and enjoyed the wonderful flavors of a Christmas morning smorgasbord following our Julotta celebration with our church family. I always wished the language my grandmother knew from her Swedish heritage had been passed down to me. Immigrants in those days wished to leave the past behind and became proud Americans, sometimes forgetting what a treasure their heritage held. I am a proud American. My heart is Hispanic. I learned Spanish with the Cuban refugees in my teens who arrived in Chicago fleeing Castro's embracing of the Communist ideology and the deterioration of their beloved homeland. I learned from them of family and hospitality and community and embraced their culture as my own. My first son's father was Cuban and I chose to teach my son Spanish as his first language and a rich part of his heritage. He is now in the minority as an American who can speak more than one language. I am a proud American. I married a Mexican man who became a citizen during our 20 years together. He was a hard-working man, dedicated to home and family. I again learned a new and vibrant culture and history and it became a part of our lives. My second son and my daughter also learned Spanish as their first language, again as a rich part of their heritage and they too are numbered among the minority of Americans who speak more than one language. I am a proud American. My daughter-in-law is part Native American. Her mother's tribe was marched out of their land here in the United States up into Canada where she now lives on a reservation. My grandchildren will always carry this proud heritage as a part of their roots. I am a proud American. I married a Palestinian Jordanian man who works at a government laboratory here outside Chicago. With him I learned of a rich culture and history, of struggle and strength and love of one's family and homeland. I embraced that struggle and I carry it in my heart and in my prayers. This country is not a "melting pot." It is a "tossed salad" full of distinctive colors and flavors which each add to the quality of the whole. I am a proud American.

Story Submitted By Randy from Phoenix

I am a proud american as well. Many of my friends are of Hispanic dissent and several are married to spouses from Mexico. I commend what you are doing with regard to stereotypes. However, I respectfully disagree with your message whereby you co-mingle the issues with regard to legal immigration vs. illegal immigration. Yes, we are all immigrants, but we are not all illegal immigrants! Runaway illegal immigration has been shown to have a negative impact on our US society. As Lou Dobbs puts it, America is importing Mexico's (among other countries') poverty and all the problems that brings with it. Per the news, most of the illegal immigrants are uneducated and unskilled. The majority do not speak English as evidenced in the rallies on TV. The chants are mostly in Spanish. How will these people help defend this country if called to arms if they cannot take orders in English? How will the majority be able to take advantage of the opportunities in the US if they do not speak English? Most Americans are pro-immigration, but anti illegal immigration. Just because somebody thinks they deserve to be here for a better life, doesn't mean they should be here ahead of somebody else who is following the rule of law! I have traveled the world extensively and people from all over would are waiting their turn and following the rules to migrate to this great country. By the way, according to the news, what started the investigation regarding the illegal immigrants arrested at IFCO was that several individuals were observed ripping up their W-2 forms - meaning they had no intention of filing income taxes. Again, I applaud your efforts to address stereotypes in America and I support legal immigration.

Story Submitted By Angie from Gilbert

I love this country. It is great to be in a country of such economic wealth and cultural diversity. I've traveled extensively and no other country allows such freedom of choice and embraces all aspects of humanity. No other country has such wealth. No other country has so many people who would perfer welfare than to get an education or a low paying physicially demanding job. I need to remind myself to have faith in our laws and hope that immigration reform will be fair and humane. Today across the country business owners were the target. I imagine this will cease to make news as this drama plays out more and more. In phoenix, a pallet company with 24 employees was surprised today by agents asking for documentation. 24 employees... most who have been working there for years...Most of these people.. not having the proper documentation to work hard and long hours in this country will be deported. They will be forced to leave their familes and their american children without a father to support them. It makes me angry to see law abiding, hard working people who want to improve their lives and the lives of their familes. These people pay for car insurance, pay for medical expenses,and pay taxes everytime they make a purchase.. be a house or car. Most don't mind paying any kind of tax because they consider it a privlege to give back to a country which has given them so much. I on the other hand grumble about taxes. Their children learn the meaning of work and to respect and love the country that has given them this opportunity. Unbelievable some people are feeling economically threatened because there in a huge influx of people who are willing to work hard long hours with low wages doing jobs most americans wouldn't even consider. So with the immigration issue in the limelight 'THEY' are going after small business owners. Do 'they' think splitting up families one by one is going to solve the issue. Why don't we allow a temporary work visa??? Why not try to fix the problem instead of medicating the symptoms. Simple economics... where there is demand there will be a supply. If the concern of america is truly security..then allow temporary visas and document people. The decrease in 'illegal' immigration will decrease... after all people just want to come here to work and have a better life for their family. What is wrong with that? Who does that threaten?

Story Submitted By Joel from New York

I am a first-generation Mexican-American, the proud son of immigrants to this country. Because of my parents' struggles to give us a better life, I consider myself a success story and have achieved much. I am finishing my MSW degree at Smith College, and I also hold a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an M.F.A. from Columbia University. I will be starting a job as a clinical social worker in New York City in the fall. It is important for me to empower individuals who are trying to build a better life for themselves and their children.

Story Submitted By Javier from Hyattsville

I can say that I am truly proud to be an American. We are seen with envy by many others because of our liberties and that is something I am glad that we have. I have seen this country veer of course from what out forefathers had intended it to be. The declaration of independence reads: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. I don't know why people are all seen different. We are all created equal. Many come to this country to pursue happiness or liberty. Then the question asked is why don't they come here legally and go through the process? The process takes a very long time some cases more than 10 years of waiting. If we had a better system we would have legal people here. We are all ONE. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Story Submitted By Javier from Hyattsville

I support earned citizenship and guest worker programs. In FY2005, illegal immigrants used less than 1% of the entire $115 Billion Medicaid budget (Source: whitehouse.gov and newsobserver.com) One of the most comprehensive studies done, the Harvard study of 2005, concluded that immigrants are "not a drain" on the US healthcare system. The American Journal of Public Health found that immigrants use 8% of healthcare in this country. Undocumented immigrants make up about 1/3 of the total, which comes out to 3% spent on undocumented immigrants. A third of all immigrants used no healthcare at all in 2005 (Source: American Journal of Public Health) The cost of healthcare for immigrants (legal and otherwise) was less than half the cost of healthcare for US citizens. ($1,110 per year vs $2,500 per year) The biggest expense in the Medicaid budget is healthcare for pregnant women. (newsobserver.com) I'd like to know who here will argue against healthcare for pregnant women. After all, it is the most expensive part of the budget. As for Social Security: The majority, 75%, of illegal immigrants pay income tax, including social security. (Source: Stephen Gauss, Chief Actuary of Social Security) Illegal immigrants contribute $7 Billion (that's billion with a B) each year into the Social Security fund. This is money that they will never get back because it is contributed via fake SS numbers. (April 5 2005 NYT) Illegal immigrants have contributed over $200 Billion (with a B) into SS and will not receive any benefits from it. Many complain without reason about the incredibly high drain on society that illegal immigrants cause. They are not the source of skyrocketing healthcare costs or the instability in social security. It simply isn't true, no matter how much some of you like to tell yourself it is. Basically, here's why we don't need a new law against immigration. We've already got several, but they're not enforced. People claim that businesses should be fined for hiring undocumented immigrants. Newsflash: They already are! The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act provides penalties for any business that hires illegal immigrants. Throughout the 90's, this law was enforced, maxing in 1999 with about $4 million in fines. However, since 2000, this law has been enforced less and less each year. In 2004, $188,000 was collected, and in 2005 $0 ZERO fines were levied against businesses for hiring illegals. But don't we need more border agents? This is already a law. The National Intelligence Reform Act, signed into law by Bush, requires 2,000 new agents every year for 5 years. How many did Bush actually authorize in his budget this year? 210. That's right, barely 10% of what the law requires. We don't need a new law that will add bloat and confusion to the current system, we all know there's enough of that. Enforce the laws that are already on the books. Somebody should have a talk with whoever's in charge of the enforcement branch of the government.

Story Submitted By Andrea from Myrtle Beach

My great grand parents came to this country in the early twenties. I am an American. I am friends with a man that is Mexican and works illegally in this country. He deserves a chance to work in the United States and be accounted for. He marches in all of the marches on the state capital in the state that he lives. He is a dedicated worker and a good citizen. I will do anything to help spread the good word. If you need somebody in this state to help your cause. Call me or write me. I am tired of the ignorance in this state. You fear what you do not know. It is time to educate the folks in this state. We have over a three hundred percent increase in Latinos population in this county alone. We need help here. This is an opportunity for so many latinos to work legally and get the chance to go home and visit family. My friend has not seen his family in over five years. Many people, mainly Americans who have been here for generations, do not even get the idea. They have forgotten their heritage and own immigration and have no empathy. Load me up with some facts to educate the people...I can make some changes...Andrea Ripley Larsonrip@aol.com

Story Submitted By Renee from ronceverte

hi my husband was an illegal immigrant who came to this country to work for his family back home and make a better life for his self .while he was here he met me and we are now married happily.he didn't come here to do anything more than work and have a better life that his job back home could never provide.his dream was to come here and make a living for his family.not to cause any harm.he pays taxes everyday and makes car payments insurance payments you name it just like all of us.he would love to be an american citizen on the papers because in his heart he already his.he loves this country.i just hope the government can see what a contribution these people make to our everyday lives because i know somehow everyone one of them make some type of contribution to us everyday.they are not hurting us in any way.if anything they are all helping us.

Story Submitted By Flor from Denver City

I was born a US citizen to an illegal widow. The community we live in still today, has lots of agricultural jobs aswell as oilfield related positions. Hazardous positions, I might add. People like my mother who left their native country to earn more for their hard labor have contributed so much to the US economy. Had it not been for an amnesty back in the late 70's early 80's, mother would not have been able to raise me in the US. To say the least she would have to have moved back to Mexico and try her luck there as a widow. I am a proud American and unlike many, I thank God for the privealeges I enjoy each day. I hate to become to verbal in the controversial issue of illegal immigration but how do you just sit and watch what is going on? If the people against the reform would just stop and think that what drives illegal immmigrants to this great nations is the field of opportunity, then they would realize that illegal immigrants are NOT bad people. I thank my lucky stars for allowing ME to remain a US citizen. I have more then I need as far as freedoms go but I intend to cherish these as I pray for peace and continue to live the Christian way.

Story Submitted By damn from ardmore

the problem is 'ILLEAGEL' NOT IF YOU ARE GOOD PEOPLE. why spend money to sneak across the border. use that money for education, to start a bussiness. to run the crooked politions out of Mexico City. to try to get rid of drugs.

Story Submitted By Charles from skokie

My mother was born on the Canadian side of the border in 1912. My Grandmother was traveling in a covered wagon at the time and although both of them,her and grandfather, were citizens of the United States, years later when my father was taking us to his duty station in France it turned out that my mother had to take a test for citizenship. Some of my most wonderful memories of that time involve helping my mother, a woman who had driven a log truck during the second world war and later raised me as a single parent, study for the right to be a citizen of the country she had spent her whole life working in so proudly. This is a citizenship she never let me take for granted. I still have a picture of her at her swearing in ceremony.

Story Submitted By Kong from atlanta

I am proud to be in America even i'm an illegal now. My stroy is different.. not jumping across the border.. not even over stay. I believe that i am illegal now because of the immigration system is broken. i won the lottery green card, i did everything they required (passed interview, got working permit, finger printed). I paid a lot of money to the lawyer to help me go through this because i want to make sure everything in the right place and on time. After that, i got the denied case letter to show me that the time is over i have to leave this country. what do you think? After i have a job in american company and even open my own business. My business can help some US citizen relax and earn money. I am proud that my business can help other people too. I am still paying the tax (i am saying this sentence because of someone might think illegal alien does not pay tax). I am still having hope someday GOD will help me and other people go through this situation. I hope someday i am going to be a legal alien :) that i can do everything in the right way and to be fully proud to be an american. I feel that i am in the line to get the permanent but someone kick me out from that line. (i am saying this sentence because of someone said we have to be in the line to get permanent). I am still say GOD BLESS USA because this country give me a lot of thing.

Story Submitted By Eric from Peoria

Saludos a toda mi gente, Horale!! This comes to you on behalf of yet another fine product of the beautiful/natural, yet heavily debated process that is IMMIGRATION. I am an active, educated citizen with parents from Mexico. Both of which emigrated from Jalisco and San Luis Potosi in their adoloscence; sacrificing both their youth and education to invest in opportunities for one of my own (minus the child labor). Furthermore, let me do a lil' braggin' and add some light to this "son-of-an-immigrant" that is about to graduate from ASU's accredited W.P. Carey School of Business this Saturday!! Did it all free of expenses (although many opportunity costs), but had much help from the examples set by my elders. I choose to describe this as a beautiful process because it has created, integrated, and fused an abundance of cultures and costumbres de gente from around the globe. Es una cosa de preciosidad to see this amalgamation of colors, styles, languages, traditions, food, and love. Although we have our setbacks, we must bask in our progression and think carefully to our growing influences. As an American (Xicano at that), I have been most privileged to witness the dawning of our people's long-awaited recognition and the time where snobby, arrogant politicians will have to succumb to that dreaded line of questioning about "the problem." What problem?? YES, there are illegal immigrants here now.. BUT plain and simple "DEAL." I mean it's not like we have been secretly invading American lives since the 50's(look up the Bracero Program) or have a network of underground caves which allow us to get into the U.S., work in the U.S. illegaly, and then escape the light of day to return back to our homelands. I remember graduating high school in the 90's, I actually wrote my senior paper on immigration which earned me praises from my English instructors. But never did I imagine this "sleeping giant" to be woken by the hateful chants, stereotypical regards, and unappreciative likes of "flip-flopping" politicians or pinche Minute-Men... who would want a "minute" man anyways? Ladies? What I'm trying to say is that it's all a beautiful mess, a beautiful struggle... However, it is completely necessary for our generations to face these woes so that our beautiful U.S. will not have an international profile that is constantly tainted by how it adjusts to changing demography. We may not all be American, but our children will be and they will remember how this generation has treated their parents. Acceptance and actual analysis of the core issues not just "symptoms," as someone else put it so poignantly, are the solutions. For me, the symptoms include physical borders, a criminalized status, redundant legislation, and an increasingly impenetrable thicket of miscontrued views. More importantly, we cannot celebrate ourselves as liberators of nations when we constantly (historically) suppress the downtrodden and under-/mis-represented. "Just cuz it's a lil' brown doesn't make it any less American," que no? Gracias y me da demasiado hope to find sites like this to pass the message along. Keep it alive!

Story Submitted By David from Tucson

I was born in Bogota, Colombia, in 1975, and came to the United States with my American-born mom when I was five years old. In my young life, I have already begun to live the American Dream. I graduated from college, I have a job I enjoy that allows me to give back to my community, I am getting married next summer, and my fiancee and I just bought our first home, here in Tucson Arizona. I often wonder what kind of life I'd be leading if I were still in Colombia, a country like many others in Latin America that faces severe economic difficulties - a country in which working hard and playing by the rules does not necessarily mean you'll be able to make a decent living or even get by. I'd like to see Congress address immigration in a comprehensive way that takes into account the effects our economic policies have on the economies of our hemispheric neighbors. Until we reach a point where our bottom line does not come from the willing exploitation of third world labor, we will always have an "immigration problem."

Story Submitted By Devorah from Bronx

I am a young black hispanic, I remenber my first day class everybody at school every body thougth I was what they call "black american" my last name is american I do not look spanish,"thats what people tells me all the time I was confused at first to the point I was embarrased to speak spanish, now days i am older i am very proud to be spanish I say and show it every chance I get.

Story Submitted By carolyn from bradenton

I was born in New York City. Both my parents are of Colombian descent, however the met and married in the U.S.. Dad was a Sargeant during the Korean War. Mom a seamstress and cleaning woman till the day she retired. Both worked hard to be good citizens, responsible parents, with strong values and principles, which they have passed onto their children and grandchildren. I love America because of the mixture of cultures that makes us unique. The United States of America has always meant more to people of mixed cultures, because we put a lot more emphasis on "United".

Story Submitted By gerardo from fayetteville

I came to this great country 20yrs ago, with only the clothes I was wearing and about $20.00. I crossed the border by the Tijuana side and into San Isidro, CA. I was detained by the immigration once, in thank to the motorcycle vigilantes in the area. Some how they were able to intercepted my group and then circled us with their motorcycles. I short moment latter the Border Patrol show up and took me to a detention center. I was released in the other side of the border (Tijuana) in the early hours of the morning, walking around with no one by myself. I came to a group of people that looked just like myself, trying to cross the border also. One of them approached me and said that, with his help he'll be able to take me to my destination anywhere in California, for $320.00. The deal was made shortly after calling my cousin that promised the guy the money for my safe deliverance in Glendale, CA. After crossing the I-5 in the opposite direction of the traffic, jumping a 10" or 12" metal fence and finally hiding from the Border Patrol agents in a rail road yard, I was told to look in the direction of the McDonalds restaurant and looked for a black LTD Ford. The instructions were to go to the car open the back door and just lay in the floor of the car. About half and hour latter, someone drove the car into a safe house somewhere in San Isidro, CA. Where I was safely delivered into my cousins wife arms, after the exchange for the $320.00. I was unable to obtain a decent job due to the fact that I was only 15yrs old. However I moved to Fresno, CA to work in the various type of farm labor. I moved from one state to another, WA, OR, ID, FL, and back to Washington State again. Up there nobody question you about your age, they only care about how hard you work and I guaranteed you that a no American will want to work for a mere o less than the minimal wage. Fortunately I was able to obtain my work permit and latter on my green card in the same year (1986), in thanks to the ammnesty law that President Reagan signed, giving ammnesty to illegal immigrants that will meet the different criteria and regulations. Soon after that I decided to move back to Los Angeles, CA. I decided not to stay there due to the lack of decent paying job, overcrowding conditions, and high cost of living. So I found myself in Salt Lake City, UT. There I hooked-up with a friend from my hometown in Michoac￡n, Mexico. I instantly fall in love with the nice and clean city that it is. In the year of 1993, I went to Job Corps in Clearfield, UT to obtain my GED, to better off the opportunities for a better job. And it was there that I meet my wife Theresa, this lovely 18 yrs old girl from a small town in Northern CA. Its kind of impressive that we were able to like each other due to our very different background and cultures. For her probably was the first time that she had a direct contact with a Mexican and people from other races but White Americans. Ever since I was a little kid, I used to watch military movies, and I will tell myself that someday I was going to be a soldier of the United States Army. Back in 1993 I tried to join the regular Army, but due to my limited English language skills I was turned down and referred to the Natl Guard. After doing all the paper work and ready to sign my contract and the oath of the enlistment an unexpected problem came to the surface and once again I was unable to fulfill my longtime dream of joining the Army. During one of my Office Max deliveries to the UT Natl Guard armory, once again I felt the urged to try to enlist in the guard. So taking advantage of the opportunity, I started talking to one of the soldiers there and explain him of my longtime dream of becoming part of the Army. After carefully listening to my options he decided to refer me to the recruiter. After going trough agonizing and lengthy process of endless paperwork, I was able to meet the requirements to join the Natl Guard. Four months after that I went to basic training and believed me I really didn't like the idea of having someone a lot older yelling at my face and telling me what to eat, what to wear and where to be at all times, that I wanted to quit and just go home. I decided that I was going to have to adjust to the decision I made, and after all it was fulfilling my longtime dream of being able to be part of the US Army. After nine weeks of basic training I was finally living my dream of being and calling myself a "Soldier" a "United States Soldier". After another three months of training in Fort Gordon, I went back home, and during my fly back home, I was thinking about my wife and my two kids of looking at his daddy, wearing his sharp "Class A's" uniform. So I finally arrived at the airport and saw my wife and my kids running and yelling towards me, hugging and kissing me they were so happy of seeing their dad back as a Soldier, looking sharp and handsome in my uniform. Let me tell you that it was probably the happiest day of my life right there and don't regretted a little bit of joining the Army. A month after being home, and after carefully discussing it with my wife, I decided to join the regular Army, to be a full time Soldier. So I went to the local recruiter station and talked to the recruiter about my decision. The recruiter informed me that the only assignment for me was to go to Korea for a year, without the company of my wife and kids. After talking to my wife, I decided to take the assignment to Korea, and after my return we talked about going to Fort Lewis, WA. During my year in Korea I decided to go one step further of not being just a regular Soldier. I wanted to be a "Paratrooper" and "Airborne Soldier", so we found ourselves living in Fort Bragg, NC. I went to Airborne training and back to Fort Bragg, wearing my Airborne wing, calling myself a paratrooper, man just couldn't believed it on how far I had come myself of living my dream of being an Army Paratrooper. I was participating in a field exercise when the events of SEP, 11 happened, I watched with horror and immense sadness in my hart those tragic events. Right there and there I and my fellow Soldier knew that our jobs where going to be a lot harder and probably never would be the same. I was mad, I was a really angry American, just like Tobey Keith song, and couldn't wait for US to get deployed and do our job of hunting those people and bringing them to justice Up to this day I have deployed twice to Iraq. From March 2003-Mar 2004 and Feb 2005-Nov 2005. I do not regretted joining the Army a bit, even if it means leaving my family alone for long period of a time, knowing the sacrifices that it takes to be deploy, to go to unfamiliar lands and not knowing if I'm coming back or not. My job is to, "defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, to obey the orders of the President and the Officers appointed over me. I'm an American Soldier willing to die in the defense of my country and willing to die saving the lives of my fellow Soldiers". I came to this country illegally, I'm proud of getting my green card, I'm proud of obtaining my citizenship, and most of all I'm proud of being an "American Soldier".

Story Submitted By Thomas from Jacksonville

I am proud to be an American. I served in the US Navy for 29 years to protect the freedoms this country offers its citizens. I do not intend to stand by and watch illegal immigrants invade our country and try to make it resemble a foreign country. I support legal immigration, but I am not for amnesty of those who have entered our country illegally no matter where they came from. I urge our Government to pass legislation requiring registration of all illegals in this country and after a short registration period is over to make it a felony for anyone to be in this country illegally. I support deportation of all illegal immigrants with a criminal past. I support temporary permits for those who register and have a permenant job here, and a requirement that when thier permit expires, they return to their country for permit renewal if their work is still needed. Lets clean up the immigration issue and allow legal immigration and legal work permits to control who enters the country.

Story Submitted By Phil from Baltimore

Are you talking about the Americans that came here legally or those that have criminally crossed the border and cost more on "social costs" than they provide in benefits to our society. I have nothing but respect for legal immigrants as I am the son of one of them, and nothing but contempt for those that have jumped the line. Sorry, no sympathy here.

Story Submitted By Edward from lodi

my name is Eduardo Alcantara i am a second generation Mexican American my parents immigrated from Mexico to here the great USA both my parents struggled to provide us with the necessary means so that we could have a future i seen first hand how they struggled trying to learn english and trying to get by but they did and raised 6 children who have become success stories in there own right. my dad came to this country with a penny in his pocket but with a trade he learned in the streets of Mexico D.F he is an electrician for homes and also autos. He started his own company in Los Angeles California, became somewhat successfull and bought my mother a house in Lodi California in 1977 we then all moved from los angeles to lodi. He was an illegal who given the chance became an american citizen and a success story. I myself graduated from San Diego state with a bachelors degree in Business Administration. We are all immigrants illegal or not but given the chance we can make a difference if we take the opportunity and run with it i am a firm believer that we must learn english and if illegal become illegal so that we can make a difference politically and socially educating ourselfs. My name is Eduardo Alcantara and i am an American.

Story Submitted By Billy from Helena

I am a white male, over the age of 12, heterosexual, married with children. I run my own business, my wife is a stay at home mother, and I never graduated high school. I served in the United States Navy under Jimmy Carter. I am a proud American. I am proud of what I have done with my life regardless of what happened to me as a child, or how much I screwed off as a teenager. But I can not stand to hear terms like, European-American, African-American, Latino-American, Asian-American, Native-American. We are all Americans no matter what we look like, where we come from, our sex, the color of our skin, or the size of our bank accounts. I treat any person with the same respect they treat me. I have a tattoo on my right arm that incorporates a confederate flag in it. I have never once been approached by any person of any color offended by it. I have been approached by white men that think it means that I believe the same as they do concerning race or skin color, they soon found out different. But I have considered covering it up, not because of fear of offending, but because of being considered a racist by racists who use it as a beacon of hate. But as a white male heterosexual over the age of 12, married with children, I am automatically the bad guy to most so called minority groups because I am a proud American.

Story Submitted By Herb from Lake Villa

I am an American and very proud to be one. I am brought to tears when I hear the National Anthem, and also brought to tears when I hear people living in this country disrespecting who we are and what we stand for. Every LEGAL person of any ethinicity I have complete and total respect for. You serve to keep my friends and family safe and proud everyday. Those members of the Earth who are here illegally I cannot support. Go through the process, assimilate to the American way of life. Learn the language, the history, and the culture. If you truly want to be an AMERICAN, you have to become an AMERICAN. Not an illegal Mexican, Pole, Russian, Chinese, or whatever else you may be living in America. I hear the statements that these people are taking jobs no American would want and I laugh. Who did those jobs before all the "migrant" workers came around. I believe that if given the opportunity, there are many AMERICANS that would line up for these jobs. There is a friend of mine who is a manager of a restaurant. He was telling me a story about how he had a "migrant" worker who came in with an invalid SSN/ID. He told him no valid ID/SSN, you can't work. The man left, came back an hour later and had a completely new ID. These sort of people ARE criminals. I understand that we are all immigrants (with the exception of the American Indian population), but reform needs to happen. America is the melting pot, always will be, but what is happening now is very necessary. I say give the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS who have been here 5 years or more the opportunity to apply for citizen ship without having to go back to their home country. Illegals who are here 2-5 years should be given the opportunity to apply for citizenship after a 6 month stay in their home country, 2 yrs or less should go home and have to go through the same process any other person has to go through to become a legal AMERICAN. The next time you drive past an American flag flying high and proud, take a moment to think of every man & woman, their friends and family from 1776 to now that has given their life for their love of country, take a moment to reflect. Think of all the people who have walked under that flag, who have died under that flag. RESPECT, that is what this whole issue is about. Respect for yourself, the Country that is giving you the opportunities, and for the true Americans, who everyday are out there doing things to make a difference. Without the ILLEGALS would there be adjustments, sure. But we are Americans, resilient, proud and strong. Don't doubt that we will find a way. So become a citizen, learn the American way that you are wanting so bad, or GO HOME!

Story Submitted By Sheryl from Kalamazoo

I am a caucasin mom of six. My family has been in the United States for over 150 yrs. I find it appalling that "The Nation of Immigrants" is so dead set on trying to close our borders to people who want to come here for a better life. This country was built on diversity and freedom. There should be no such thing as an "illegal". We should be opening out borders and embracing people who have a lot to offer both economicaly and culturaly. That is what made America great and hopefully will keep it great in the future.

Story Submitted By Martin from Buckeye

I will tell you my story, but first let me tell you a bit about myself; I was raised in california & attended the School of Engineering & Technology at Cal. state University Los Angeles, graduated as a civil Engineer. I am one more of the many proud americans that have been stereotyped because of our hispanic ethnicity. An incident I experienced, ocurred one saturday night when I decided to take my wife for fine dining at the Queen Mary in Long Beach California. I drove to the Valet Parking in my brand new SUV(Worth $50K) and the parking lot attendant's(a White, middle age male) first statement was "Why are you driving your boss's vehicle? employees are not suppose to drive their bosses' vehicles" My response was a plain and simple "I own this vehicle!". This is the kind of comments & experiences we face in life here in the US every now and then; thus, I have decided to join you and show america that We are also Proud Americans, and we are not just car wash attendants, construction laborers,Grocery store cart attendants, and that we are also Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Division Directors, Managers, Americans with professions, regardless of color and/or race. This is to prove that we desire the best for our family, for our society and for this nation which has provided us with the tools to succeed in life.

Story Submitted By William from Ojai

It is sad for me, but right now, I am not proud of being a citizen of the United States; the "minute men" group, and the uproar over "illegal immigration" from the Americas south of our border is, to me, a shameful chapter in our history. I want to thank all immigrants, especially those from Mexico, for their friendship, hard work, and the way they have enriched our culture and our life here in the USA. I want to cry with anger and frustration when I hear and see some of my fellow USA citizens display their ugly ignorance and racism in condeming immigration from the Americas south of our border. I wonder how many of these people, on their high horse about "illegal" immigration, are illegal speeders on our roads and illegal tax cheats.

Story Submitted By Caring from Freedom

I am a proud CARING HUMAN FIRST :) This is what many that oppose other Huamns as being less than they are just for being born elesewhere should learn :) "THE WORLD HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST DECADE!! About Jobs taken by the SO called " Illegal Immigrants take from "Americans , this is not true, I had many Americans not wanting to work in my warehouse, for minimum wage, that is all that I could be give, due to competition from aboard, mainly the far east. It is not the poor Illegal that comes to feed their family across the border for 4 bucks and hour, ( also if you pay 35 bucks and hour to for picking lettuce, think how much it would cost you to eat ?) then you would blame the government. Stop blaming either the government or the immigrant. Each person is to blame for their own success or failure. I am a Immigrant that came here Legally, I owned a corporation before I even landed in JFK, and my corporation employed 70 Americans. My question is simple, Show me an American willing to work for minimum wage? The Corporations have outsourced the jobs overseas because of one thing, COMPETATION " HERE IS A SMALL BREAK DOWN, The countries in Asia basin are trading within themselves, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand etc.. Europe, has UNIFIED and are trading within themselves, they have even made their monetary system unified the EURO Dollar. The Arab nation started dealing within their own countries, what's left is Africa who is a poor nation economically, They have many natural resources, yet they have to learn to come together and start using their natural resources. Then there is our Good Old USA:) Which I LOVE AND WILL GIVE MY LIFE FOR . We cant compete because the Corporations are forced to show profits and meet the estimates on their stocks every 12 weeks, which dose not give them a long term investment strategy, the labor costs are high, heating, insurance, social security, the unions, leasing, Research & Devlopment, production costs are high, advertising, state, city and local taxes, Payroll, by the time the corporation finishes paying all these , there is nothing left to show as Profits, SO WHY SHOULD THE CORPORATION KEEP FACTORIES IN USA?? SHOW ME ONE GOOD REASON ? heck, Even FORD is closing factories and moving them overseas, that is what's HURTING AMERICA, "NOT" THE POOR MINIMUM WAGE IMMIGRANT, There must be a change in our own perception, First We the People must be willing to roll up our sleeves and do what's needed to bring back our Nation on track, which might include, , learning the skills for today's job requirements, Learning skills that employers look for when they bring in one million Professionals every year. What Can WE DO to KEEP Those 1 Million jobs here? moving to another state, Relearning new Skills,etc.. How can America start its new journey into the New 21 St century and be competitive? This is what we should concentrate on as a Nation. We have lost our world market shares and now need to Regain it FAST, Which will not be easy. Fighting over Immigration is not the answer to Americas woes, Building the proper Economic infrastructure for competing with the upcoming world economies, China, India, Europe. I know this that anyone that wants a minimum wage job will always find it. Those that want job security are looking at pink clouds, Those days are gone. THERE IS A FEARCE WORLD COMPETATION From upcoming nations that have over a billion low wage workers. We must FACE the realities of TODAYS ECONOMICS and stop blaming others and other nations for hurting our economy, THE WORLD HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST DECADE!! Lets Stop The HATRED,We are a NAtion Of Compassion, Lets not forget that, and start looking for solutions. " Thank You , Caring Human. Things that you should know & can easily check : Bureau of Labor Statistics According to forecasts based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the domestic labor-force must expand over the next few years in order for the United States to maintain at least 3 percent annual growth in its GDP. Since not enough people are being born to sustain this expansion, there's then a demographic challenge. The natural candidates to fill the gap are immigrants. Additionally, guest-workers and immigrants are good for the economy. With a low 4.7 percent unemployment rate, current workers, including illegal migrants, have been clearly absorbed by the labor market. And guest-workers who work for lower wages keep costs down, passing the benefit to consumers. Immigration isn't all blissful: Unlike commodities, newcomers bring cultures and hence potential complications, which is partly why assimilation and accommodation are essential. On the whole, however, immigrants bring many benefits. Although restrictions are necessary and punishment is needed for those who have broken the law, the case for welcoming new guest-workers and regularizing the status of illegal immigrants is compelling. It has to do with growth and competitiveness. The debate on immigration reform shouldn't be about ethnic identity, voting blocs or entitlements. We'd be far better off by turning to hard work, opportunity and prosperity. That's what immigration has brought to America and that's what it can still contribute by setting the sight on the future. Economics of immigration reform By LAWRENCE K. FISH The Providence Journal 05-MAY-06 The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's recent efforts to develop a broad revision for our nation's immigration laws was welcome _ and long overdue. This makes the Senate's failure to put forth a bill for passage particularly disheartening. What must not be lost in our country's politicized debate on illegal immigration is the enormous, positive role that undocumented immigrants play in our workforce, and the impact that they have on our economic growth. The bipartisan bill forged by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz., provides hope to the 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in America, and the long-term future of our economy may depend on its passing. Almost all sectors of the American economy _ banking, health care, education, service sector, construction and high technology _ have prospered in part because of immigrants. Certain segments of the workforce are dramatically dependent on currently undocumented workers. According to the Pew Hispanic Center's study on the "unauthorized population," 29 percent of all roofers, 27 percent of all butchers, 26 percent of all maintenance workers, 24 percent of all farmers and 17 percent or all food-preparation workers are undocumented. Has this job growth come at the expense of American workers? No. Over the past two decades, the increase in the immigration to America has been accompanied by a drop in unemployment, from 7.1 percent to 4.8 percent. Immigrants are also the drivers of inner-city economic growth. A study by Prof. Michael Porter, of the Harvard Business School, found that half of the largest inner cities in America had job growth between 1995 and 2003. The cities that lost jobs had many similarities to those that gained jobs; the one significant difference was percentage of immigrants in the community. On average, inner cities that gained jobs had populations that were 31 percent immigrant, while those that lost jobs had populations that were just 12 percent immigrant. Porter noted, "Immigrants clearly and more readily identify the unique business conditions and opportunities that inner cities can offer, and are able to capitalize upon them." The Latino population's effect on small-business growth is another example: In 2005, the U.S. Small Business Administration estimated that small businesses employ half of all private-sector employees and have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade. Data from the 2000 Census shows that Latino-owned businesses grew at three times the national rate from 1997 to 2002. All told, according to the Census data, there were almost 1.6 million Latino-owned businesses generating $222 billion in revenue in 2002. The Pew Study estimates that the percentage of undocumented workers who are Latino is 78 percent of the total of all undocumented workers. Just think of the profound entrepreneurial possibilities if those workers had full citizenship with enhanced access to capital and more substantial social networks. As a banker, I can't help but see the opportunities in and for the immigrant community. Overwhelmingly, today's immigrants are savers, though often in untraditional and economically inefficient ways. As of 2005, only 45 percent of Latino immigrants had bank accounts, and because of it they often lack critical access to credit and capital. This is a huge lost opportunity both for the financial-service industry and to the would-be immigrant entrepreneur. Immigrants also take great pride in their ownership of homes. According to a 2001 study on home ownership by Georgetown University's Institute for the Study of International Migration, immigrants are three times as likely to value home ownership as their native-born counterparts, and yet only 49 percent of America's foreign-born population actually own a home, as opposed to 74 percent of native non-minority Americans. Again, an enormous unrealized opportunity. At Citizens Financial Group, more than 13 percent of our 26,000 employees are bilingual, most of them speaking English as a second language. Employees at our Citizens Bank and Charter One branches in 13 states speak at least 75 different languages among them. In Quincy, Mass., predominantly Irish 30 years ago, we speak five dialects of Chinese. If we didn't speak Spanish in the Pilsen community in Chicago, if we didn't speak Portuguese in Framingham, Mass., if we didn't speak Vietnamese in the Eastwick neighborhood of Philadelphia, we would be missing enormous business opportunities. It is profoundly important that our branches look, sound and feel like the communities they serve. It's simply good business. By providing citizenship and lawful employment in a safe way to millions of undocumented workers and offering work visas to hundreds of thousands of new guest workers on the road to citizenship, proposed immigration-reform legislation can provide powerful economic stimulus. It will have a profound positive economic effect to move undocumented workers fully into the official economy and entirely onto the tax roles. A 2005 Congressional Budget Office paper on the role of immigrants in the labor market underscored the growing importance of immigrant labor as the Baby Boom generation approaches retirement. As our native-born labor pool shrinks through retirement, thoughtful immigration reform is necessary to meet this demographic challenge to our nation's workforce. We need undocumented immigrants to be legally welcomed, and to succeed. If these newcomers succeed, we all succeed. The prospects for long-term prosperity and growth for America depend on it. Congress should act and act decisively to enact immigration reform of which we can all be proud and from which we can all benefit. (Lawrence K. Fish is chairman and chief executive of Citizens Financial Group Inc., based in Providence, R.I., and the 8th largest U.S. commercial-bank holding company.)

Story Submitted By David from Eldersburg

I am proud to be an American. It is a privilege that many native born people do not fully appreciate. My own family immigrated here in colonial times so I have no personal stories of what drove them to come to America or what life was like in their native countries. I have however known many immigrants or children of immigrants and their stories are all the same. They came to this country to seek a better life for themselves and their children. Some were fleeing repressive governments, others were seeking economic or religious freedom but they all wanted to come here. There is no doubt that our immigration policies need to be reformed. We need to ignore the bomb throwers on either side of the issue and develop a comprehensive policy that recognizes the desire of people to come here and the sovereign right of the Unites States to secure our borders and regulate who is allowed in. For to long our policies have tacitly encouraged illegal immigration. I dislike the idea of giving illegal immigrants amnesty but there is no humane or feasable way around it. Going forward we need to streamline the process for legal immigration. There is no need to have people waiting years for a decision on whether they or their families can come here. I am not an economist and don't know how many immigrants our economy can absorb every year but it seems we have no problem with nearly 1 million legal and 300,000 illegal immigrants that enter the United States every year. Hopefully this issue can be resolved in a manner that is good for America and good for the huddled masses of the world that want to come to to America.

Story Submitted By Robert from Olympia

We are all immigrants or the children of immigrants--even our Amerindian friends walked over once upon a time. The problem is, of course, not immigrants but rather ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! Why do some people seem to have such a hard time with the concept--what part of ILLEGAL do you not understand? Can you not recognize that amnesty for ILLEGAL immigrants is a slap in the face to all who worked and strained to come to this country LEGALLY? Why must you continue to ignore the real problem? If we want more legal immigration then current law should be changed but first our borders must be secured and those who are currently here ILLRGALLY must go home and get in line with those who wish to come to our country legally! Yours, R.Jones (Grandson & Greatgrandson of LEGAL IMMIGRANTS)

Story Submitted By Paul from flagstaff

I am proud to be an American and hope our elected leaders finally work towards real immigration reform.

Story Submitted By Brian from Phoenix

This is a great idea! I am proud to be an American and am proud of the men and women who are fighting to protect our freedoms. Thank you and God Bless.

Story Submitted By Randall from Chapin

I would hate to ruin some stereotypes, but... There are some Americans of European descent who... Are not rich Must work hard Have friends of Mexican descent Played futbol and "football" with Hispanics (wow! can't be!) Who served in the armed forces with Hispanics Love the Spanish language Watch Univision and Galavision Have brothers and sisters who are married to Mexican-Americans Listen to Diana Reyes and Los Tigres del Norte Know the difference between a Uruguayan and a Honduran Live in the same neighborhoods (no, impossible!) and have backyard cookouts with Hispanic neighbors Don't drive $100,000 BMWs Don't have bimbo blonde wives Don't treat Mexican-Americans like serfs... Worry at tax time And so on and so on. Get the point? The pure hatred of "xxxx Whitey Day" in the country of Mexico only inflamed the uninformed on this side of the border, and knocked any fence-sitters on these crucial issues over to the radical right. We have to build bridges, not throw Molotov cocktails on an us-against-them mentality. Throwing a different country's flag in someone's face and demanding this and that "or else" will only lead to more things like the sad Phoenix pallet company story, which was related in an earlier post. Hatred and racism won't help improve the lives of people who are trying to do well for their families and kin. Whether they white, brown, black or anything else.

Story Submitted By Steven from Horsham

Arrived in the U.S. 2-5-57 without a dime and knowing not a word of english at age 17. Left Camp Kilmer with five dollars in my pocket and an Enlish dictionary. Also had a temporary resident card for two years, got a job and learned the local language in about six months. Never got into any legal trouble, in two more years got my much coveted PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS, bacame a U.S. citizen when the time came. Today I am retired and helping other legal aliens become AMERICANS, while I still speak my native language and maintain my ethnic customs. Steve

Story Submitted By robert from san simeon

I am a 74 year old man with my wife of 37 years who is originally from Guatemala. My mother was Mexican, father was Irish. Your website caught my eye because although I have never been a victim of bigotry, I see it all around me, and I never fail to speak out when I hear it or see it. I think you have a good idea here, and wish you well in your efforts. Bob & Marina McLaughlin

Story Submitted By Santiago from Miami Beach

Dear Glenn : My name is Santiago Perez (38) ,I'm from Argentina,I came here 6 years ago to see my dream come true.I love your country,I hope in the future I can say MY country too. I just want to say SORRY for the stupidiest and arrogant demonstration of some immigrants today.I'm a legal immigrant,but even if I was ilegal I 'm against the protest.I think this is an Mexican - lefty union against USA. They don't want to live the american way, they want to convert this country in a Central America branch.They don't want to speak english,keep the American traditions or learn how to be a good American citizen. And please ,don't generalize saying hispanics or latinos.Not all of latinamericans are the same just for speak the same language .I don't think that the Americans and the Canadians are the same for example. Latin America is big and we can think different for each others. I don't wear sombreros , listen rancheras or sleep siesta under a palm tree.I grow up in a country like the USA with differents races,religions and weathers .See a palm tree for me is than exotic like if you see it.So see a man dancing salsa.My family is spanish,german and native american mix. Please we have to be strong to fight against the ilegal acts, today they ask for the green card,tomorrow they going to ask for the freedom of the narcos,and in the future ,they going to ask for the American land. Sorry for my english,I'm still studying, I studied air conditioning technician in this country,I work as a marine a/c tech. too and I have my own house and pay taxes.I think that's the only way to be an immigrant,working,studying, and try to adapt to the country where you live.I think you can keep doing your native traditions in low profile,but not with arrogance or unrespect to the native people of your new country. I think that show a foreign flag (even my country's flag) in a demonstration is a lack of respect to the USA. I think there is only one flag,one language and one Constitution.God bless America Sincerely , Santiago Perez,Miami Beach Fl

Story Submitted By Ericka from Phoenix

I'm a quarter Mexican, at best, from my mothers side. My Mexican family are legal residents and have lived in this country for over 100 years. I am a well educated, attractive, well dressed, articulate young woman yet I am treated differently than my "clearly" white friends all the time. People tell a Mexican joke in my presence and then apologize to me. I go out and I'm asked frequently if I speak English or what language I prefer. I barely speak any Spanish. I've never even been to Mexico. Stop treating me like an illegal!

Story Submitted By colette from phoenix

I work hard and love where I live. I follow the rules and speak out when I do not agree. It is important to have voices heard..but you MUST follow the policies of that country! It is only fair! I am going to Italy..I had to pay $90 for a passport..and yes my $ is tight! Italy would not appreciate me changing its national anthem?! Tradition and heritage is so important. If I went to Mexico..they have their laws which I MUST follow. I respect wanting a better life. But Mexico needs to take care of its country and those who live there need to work hard for change..not just run to another location. Life is too short and we all want to live it and love it. Regards, Colette

Story Submitted By John from Columbus

I was beginning to think I was one of just a small number of writers writing on behalf of immigrants on the 'Net. I was pretty sure I couldn't be alone in that, and I've been doing it at bouncersplace.com I am the author of 'House Of The Turtles: Healing From Child Abuse' at www.houseoftheturtles.com, and write on issues of Abuse against Human Beings and the Human Condition. We are all One, whether anyone likes it or not? Thank you for your site I'll recommend to any and all. Sincerely, John Kellermeyer Member of the Cherokee Nation and Celtic descendant of the Ebionites

Story Submitted By milca from Pompano Beach

I am Brazilian and came to this country 23 years ago with my husband. In 1984 we entered with our first INS Labor process, In 1987 we received our work permit and SS - before that we began paying our taxes, which we still doing. I never used any government program or benefit - I have 2 sons born here - they are now 20 and 21 yrs.old - To make a long story short - after 23 yrs and 3 imigration case we still waiting for our Green Card - we are ok to work and pay taxes but not to leave the country. Our first Labor certification was denied because of expiration - the second one they took our work permit without explanation. Now I am thru the 3rd attemptive since 2001. We filed for Permanent Status change they keep saying it is pending and we need to wait - no reason is given. We tried to get Status thru our son who is 21 they asked us to prove that he is able to support us from 3 years back in order to qualify. I have seen many people who came after us, used ilicit ways to get their papers and everything went well with them. It is my understand that the Imigration system in this country is a failure. There are no criteria, you never know what expect from them. We have a clean records, no criminal, DMV or whatsoever. Along those years I lost my mother and one brother, I could not leave to Brazil and still. And when you know about the terrorists acting on 9/11- no status, some with citizenship, they attended schools in this country, and one of them with an expired visa entered with inspection and did what he did... You begin to ask a lot of questions. I love this country and that is the reason that I don't give up, despite all unfairness.

Story Submitted By David from San Francisco

I am someone who has always considered myself to be Progressive in my beliefs, and have voted Democrat (or Green) for the last 24 years. However, I cannot, and will not, support amnesty. I have no doubt that you are serious in your love for America. But I also have no doubt that there are many in the illegal amnesty movement who have much less love for America, such as the Aztlan Movement, Mexica Movement, and the Reconquistas. How do you expect non-Hispanic Americans to respond to such rabid racism and open declarations of hatred? The number one problem I have with amnesty is overpopulation. A vast majority of California's population growth is due to immigrants and illegal immigrants. Immigrant mothers in general have much higher birthrates than non-immigrant groups, and, indeed, have higher birthrates than they would if they had stayed in their own country. Sorry, but these are NOT stereotypes... these are easily verifyable FACTS. Do you really honestly believe that California can support 25 million more people - let alone 25 million more poor, uneducated and unskilled people??? California is already straining under the weight of its' population as it is! The damage done to the environment, to social services, and to quality of life would be catastrophic and probably irreversible. Quality of life in a world with exploding populations begins with population control... and population control in the United States of America MEANS immigration control. America, and all of the Western World, should be doing more - much, much more - to make sure that the world's people's have better education, better medicine, and better access to gainful employment in their own countries. While this is a great failure of American foreign policy, it is also a failure of the world's governments. At least the "Day Without Gringos" protests in Mexico placed the blame, at least partially, where it really lies... with the venally corrupt Mexican Government. And a few more closing thoughts to get you thinking... Every big business job given to an illegal alien is just a job that they couldn't outsource... The arguments used by big business that they can't survive without cheap labor sound suspiciously like the arguments used by Southern plantation owners to justify slavery during the Civil War... and, finally, American Citizens must realize that an illegal immigrants' "better life" comes, at least partially, at the expense of their own.

Story Submitted By Marcela from Bolingbrook

We live in a beautiful subdivision which like most Americans, we owe a mortgage on; which we have the privilege to live in as long as we have health and employment. We work hard like most Americans and enjoy many of the wonderful things the country has to offer. My children don't speak Spanish. They might understand a word here and there - and sometimes they can make out a sentence said to them. This is something I would have never imagined of my own children - but teaching them Spanish was easier said then done. I like Rock'n'Roll, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam , Lynnard Skynrd, Santana and many many other bands. I grew up watching the Brady Bunch, Good Times, All in the Family, Miami Vice and many other shows. Our children picked up on stuff I enjoyed and not your typical Sabado Gigante or Los Tigeres del Norte. None the less, I don't think they are any less Mexicans then others who know Spanish TV., music, novelas or can speak the language. I do hope they will pick it up in high school. My husband has a good job. At age of 13 he came from Mexico, brought by his parents. He entered high school and graduated from college. He was a straight "A" student and has always enjoyed education. He continues learning. He reads a lot and watches interesting programs on TV. His accent is like that of "Ricky Ricardo", but he is never shy or ashamed of speaking English. He has a great respect for the military, the country, the history behind the country (the civil war, his all time American figure is Abraham Lincoln, the world war, pearl harbor, etc.) He also enjoys world history and let me not forget Mexico's history. He reads a lot of Pancho Villa and Aztec history books as well as other. Thanks to his college education and the opportunities he has had, he is able to have a job requiring very minimal physical labor. His favorite sport is soccer. He no longer has time or the knees for playing it but he watches a lot soccer games on TV. from around the world. He is an "Aguilas de America" fan. He also enjoys Baseball. He has always been a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan (no matter how awful they are)(I am a White Sox fan). His love for learning academically and sports-wise has carried on to his children/our children. All of our three children strive to get good grades in school. One might have to work harder than another but they all get good grades. They enjoy playing on soccer, baseball and softball teams. They also enjoy watching sports on TV. We may not have the money to take lucrative vacations or any vacations at all, but we enjoy providing for our children as best we can. School and sports take up most of the expenses. We have lived in our subdivision/neighborhood for about three years. We live right on the corner. On the weekend my husband enjoys mowing our lawn. Sometimes people have approached him requesting quotes on servicing their lawns. When our phone and cable for TV. and internet were installed on two separate occasions, the servicemen requested to my husband that the owner of the house come downstairs to sign he paperwork. My husband is of brown color skin. Many times, too often, people think he is just another illegal Mexican. That is not the case. Thank to both our parents we live here. They brought us when we were young. We are now U.S Citizens and we are very American. My husband tells me that I am lucky because I have light complexion, I am tall and don't have an ethnic accent. I say that by looking at both of us, I'd say he fits in the "American" description much more than I or few people I know. SORRY FOR THE TYPOS, I AM TIRED NOW. 10:35 p.m. 05/08/06.

Story Submitted By R from mesa

My story is that I am a 4th gemeration hispanic here in AZ, in America...Like so many others my grandparents or anncestors came from Mexico to start a better life and inprove their familys standard of living. Through their struggles we are able to maintain a better standard of living and it is imperative that we remember where we came from and what was fought ahead of us. These struggles were fought side by side with other hispanics, with the labor movement and with the Democratic Party. It is a shame when I see minoritys that promote or belong to organizations, such as the Republican Party, that never helped their cause or purpose but in these modern days want to appear as doing such. It is a slap in the face to our anncestors to belong to the Republican party. Hispanics should remember and research the battles fought for us and with us by labor organizations and the Democratic Party. I only know that my grandparents can all rest in peace as I know where i came from and I am loyal to my heritage.

Story Submitted By Milagros from unionville

I'm a US Citizen, My parents came to this country legally. But i have many friends and relatives whom are illegal, but immigrants we are all. I strongly believe that this country has become what it is by the help of immigrants. From the first time of the discovery of this land, as the history says the first here were the indians and then it was discovered by Christopher Col..(by the way not American) then what raised the country to today wore all immigrants.So when they say "all immigrants need to go back home", then you know what "we all need to go back", and if we do. this country will be empty. Because i assure you that if everyone was to check into their family tree, they would find that they all have a mixture of races and backgrounds from other cultures, and that they also have families who at one point came to this country as immigrants.So please open your minds,and don't get blinded by ignorance.

Story Submitted By Claudia from phoenix

My name is Claudia. I was born in Mexico City but currently live in Phoenix, Arizona. My family, like millions of others, came to the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 1979. We came here with the intention to work and to obtain an education. It wasn't easy leaving everything and everyone behind but it was a gamble my parents felt was necessary in order for me and my sibblings to have a chance. Nearly a decade after we arrived, we were able to obtain our legal status thanks to the 1986 Amnesty. That helped pave the way for me to reach my American Dream. Unlike the typical sterotype, I did not come here to receive welfare. I have have worked my tail off to get to where I am. I went to college and have achieved my goal of becoming a journalist for an English-language television station. Nothing was ever, ever handed to me on a silver platter. I have worked blood, sweat and tears to get to where I am. I am proud to be a part of this country and am curently waiting to receive my citizenship. My ultimate goal is to someday in the very near future, be able to vote. At the same time, I will never forget where I came from. I love my Mexican culture and am proud to be Mexican. I am also proud to be a part of this beautiful melting pot known as the U.S.A.

Story Submitted By Jose from Chicago

I pray all American's will take the words of President Theodore Roosevelt to heart so this nation may someday be fully united, regardless of race: "In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Story Submitted By Joel from Chandler

Although I am a Black American, my family is basically a combination of many races.(My grand father is from Barbados, my cousins mother was Italian, some of my cousins are from the Virgin Islands, my other grand father was Native American, etc..) I am a Vietnam Vet, cancer survior and government employee. We, my wife and I came to Arizona in 1993. We have made many friends, most of which are of Mexican decent. Most do not speak Spanish. We are a close knit group and have many good times together. They are like family to us. I work with many Hispanic/Mexican people. They are no different than anyone else. A friend of mine is Japanese/American. His mother is Japanese and she says when she came to this country, she spoke no English. The proper thing to do was, if you wanted to be an American, LEARN the language and become a citizen in the prescribed manner. I have to agree with her. Learn the language and the laws and become an American citizen in the prescribed manner. BUT NEVER FORGET your heritage! I think everyone has the right to make a living and to take care of their family, but I think there is a right way to go about it.

Story Submitted By joe from santa maria

My name is Joe I am 38 born in Hanford Ca in 1969. My parents imagrated to this country in the late 60's with dreams of a better way of life. My father is a very proud man and new coming in that alot of free opportunities such as welfare could be recived, my father said "the day I have to recive welfare is the day I can't provide for my family". I never understood that as a child while I was mad for always having to eat beans and rice when things had been rough. I look back on those day's now and am just proud of my parents for not procrastinating and learning english so to not be the helpless victim with no voice. My father just retired 45 yrs of service and let me tell you he earned every penny, for the first 20 yrs it was back breaking labor. He would come home with purple feet and hands not from picking berries but from lifting heavy equipment 10 hours a day. In his 45 years he was never late and never took sick days meaning he worked while sick. I grew up in Tulare Ca. which was a dairy town everyone in this town was no stranger to work. I can honestly say I loved the 80's I would trade everything to go back I was able to grow up with out the type casting no one looked at me as a mexican they looked at me as joe the boy who played rock guitar the boy on the water polo team. I whent through identity crissis from mowhawk to penny loafers from checkered vans to O.P. shorts and even parachute pants. It was the only time in my life that I could look back on and say that was the american way of life time with friends back yard BAR-B-QUES 4th of july even school was a blast. In 1988 I moved to Santa Maria Ca. a city strong in Agriculture and let me tell you talk about a culture shock as soon as I moved here I started to notice that I was not in Kansas anymore I was in a city devided by culture. I was no longer looked as joe I was jose the strawberry picker. The ironic thing is that I was getting dirty looks from white people that would mummble things and I was getting shit on by the mexicans because I knew english better than I did spanish I was a PO-CHO to them [kind of like a sale out] So you can see I was very confused and alone it took me a long time to establish myself here and now I feel that it was all for nothing because it's all coming back again if your brown your illegal a border jumper. To make sense of all this I just want to say STOP with this RACIAL PROFILE I am AMERICAN and proud of it I would serve this country and defend your rights stand next to you and offer a helping hand. Yes I am of mexican desent I am brown skined but I would bleed RED/WHITE/BLUE for this country that gave my parents a way of life. Mexicos government cares less about the people and more about money and status I feel that enough is enough something needs to happen in Mexico a new revolotion perhaps but time to close the borders is due I belive that enough estblished mexican americans are here and are part of this system and still able to send back home to help those in need. My father has been going back to mexico as long as I can remember always sending aid and help and is now building a nice home for vacations. This may go against what this blog is about but I feel that if you come into this country and you plan to become a citizen then your saying I'm choosing to live the american way not forgetting who I am and where I came from because everyone in one form or another is an imagrant. Only because my skin is not white dose not mean I'm not american PLEASE GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEADS. Thank you for your time.

Story Submitted By Manuel from Langhorne

I am a proud American. I was born with the good forune of being a citizen. My parents were Puerto Rican, and therefore enjoyed the benefits of American Citizenship. I was brought up in the slums of the Bronx, in New York City by parents who saw a future of their children having more than they could dream of. I sufferred at the hands of prejudice and hatred. I would not let it defeat me, instead I turned it into the building block of character and pride. I am a Proud American. I was taught the value of hard work and an education. I learned that we can achieve what we struggle for. I gladly join my countrymen in creating a better world by voting and expressing my opinion. I am not afraid to lend my voice to protest when my country is on the wrong path. I raised my children in a world of hope and acheivement that was better than my parents endured. My grandchildren see an even better future than I thought possible. I am a proud american. I cried when the towers fell. I joined my fellow citizens and flew the flag a little higher after that. I am a true believer in a safe and secure border, to protect what we have come to know and love. But I can not abide with rewarding hard work and an attempt to better oneself with the title of criminal. I will do what I can to help find the place between national security and offerring a safe haven for the oppressed, and freedom for those who come to seek it. A job for those willing to work. I do this because I am a Proud American who believes in the inscription at the feet of the worlds most recognized symbol of hope and freedom: "Give me your tired, your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teaming shore. Send these homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp besides the golden door" I AM A PROUD AMERICAN.

Story Submitted By Angelique from East Point

Where do I start? I am a South African, my husband is a Pakistani. He came to America to start a better life. He started working for someone who offered him work sponsorship. I followed a year later and entered this country illegaly with two small children by my side. There was some penalty that we could pay and could apply for work authorization, adjustment of status etc. To be able to do this, my husband had to keep on working for this person who promised him work sponsorship. My husband worked 80 plus hours a week for 5 years. We did eventually receive work authorization and received social security numbers and was told that we are now legally in the USA. We were very happy and felt that all the efforts was worth it. Hah aha hah, what happenend next. The petition to employ an alien (I140) got denied due to the fact that this person who sponsored my husband to work for him did not pay enough company taxes. This person is an American Citizen. No what now, INS said we could appeal and we did. The case was denied again. In the mean while, we lost our work authorization, and now we are again "out of status" thus illegal immigrants. We filed a new case and this person who my husband worked for like a blinking dog, lied again about his taxes and the case has been denied again. Now what is our right? Okay, we came illegally, we worked our butts off to get some type of status and just because a citizen of this country lied and deceived us, we have to lose everything we have now? We have three children, one is an American born, the other two came with me to this country when they themselves were between ages of 1 & 3. They started their first Schools here! They are growing up like Americans. We have a house, they have friends and because I am a "white" person and because we speak English, nobody thinks that my children and I are illegal immigrants. What I'd like to bring to a point is. We were illegal, became legal, worked and lived like any other normal family, but now we are illegal again and there is nothing we can do about it. We can't go back to our own countries there is nothing for us there. And we stand to lose everything we have here? WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?

Story Submitted By Paul from Dallas

Since when are all "immigrants" from south of the border? I sponsored my wife and stepdaughter's emigration from Romania. As legal immigrants and Europeans, they couldn't be any further removed from this issue. On the contrary, they are vexed at the preferential treatment that Mexican immigrants - both legal and illegal - seem to be getting. We've stood in long lines at the BCIS offices, filed the countless forms required, and paid thousands of dollars in fees that seem to accompany each step of the immigration process. Along the way, they never required any bilingual assistance in their language, and they never expected our society to learn their language so we could understand them. You'll never see my wife or stepdaughter waving a Romanian flag at some rally here in America, because they have nothing to prove by doing so. If they were ever aggravated enough by our government's policies that they felt they need to wave another country's banner, they'd just go back home and be done with it. Furthermore, you'll never hear them shout "I'm an American", because they know they are not Americans, they are true to their own nationality, and they live here by choice, not by necessity. Finally, you'll never see them complaining how our laws have "separated them from their families". My wife misses her family greatly, but she came here willingly. America has never forced anyone to immigrate here, so I don't under why it is whenever illegal Mexican immigrants are involved, we hear talk about "spliting up families". My comments could be applied to most other non-Latin immigrants as well. They have been legions of Asians coming to America in recent decades, but they don't seem to have anything to prove by shouting "I'm an American", even if they have acquired American citizenship.

Story Submitted By ruben from sedona

Hello First let me congratulate you on this effort you have undertaken. My hat is certainly off to you. I am a first generation Mexican/American My parents both immigrated to this country in the late 1920's. Under what provisions they entered i do not know only that they became US citizens in 1943. My parents were both singers and had a long careeer in show bussiness during the 20, 30,40, and part of the 50's. I grew up aware of the fact that my parents, never for all of the years they lived in the US ( Los Angeles) fully mastered the english language I became a translator for them at a very early age. My parents regardless of the odds did become financially successful conseqently i grew up in a totally Anglo nieghborhood. It was Spanish at home and English in the outside world. I did become very aware of my differentness around age 10 or so. But seeing my parents being applauded on stage did bring me a certain feeling of comfort of self. At the same time i was aware of the term dirty mexican which made me feel deep down inside that is what my parents and i were. So in my young mind i began to call my self Spanish. That really sounded so much better.My father became aware of my feelings and thought that an exposure to what the real Mexico was, i should see Mexico City and go to school there. That did give a very different perspectve and i to this day thank my father for that experience. The emmigrant work ethic has always exsisted within me and it gave impetus to do the little extra to get ahead in life I do not have a extensive education, 2years Jr. college but have gone ahead with the American dream that my parents began. I have 3 children 2 of which are academics. They have educationaly surpassed me. I am now retired and live in Sedona AZ. We do not want for any thing as we are financially well backed by pensions and proprties. All of this because of people that crossed a border. I might add that my wife of 45 years is from El Salvador. She came to this country in 1957 became a us citizen in the 60's and is a license Phycologist that has her own tale to tell. But that is her story. The recent anti immigrant issue has me angry with the fury that the " Real" Americans put forth. The words dirty mexicans echo in my mind. My best to you Thank for hearing me out Ruben R. Martinez PS I have sent an email to the Arizona Republic giving a 2 thumbs up to the article about your project.

Story Submitted By Kelly from West Monroe

I am very anti ILLEGAL immigration. I am not against immigration reform. I think it is evident this country needs a policy change. However, I am tired of people making this issue so "black/white". Just because I don't like people flooding our borders illegally doesn't make me a bad person, or a racist. It is a slap in the face to every person who works hard to come here the right way. My husband and I had a couple of friends that came here LEGALLY from South America when they were young children. Their parents didn't speak English but were eager to learn. They didn't allow their children to speak Spanish at home so that they would be able to learn English. What an example! These people were so eager to assimilate that they sacrificed even in their own home! Illegal immigration is very frustrating. It may be a long hard road to get here legally. But it can be done. And in the meantime, maybe these people that are so anxious to become part of the American dream can take the time to learn the language, and a little about American history and Civics. Then they wouldn't be forced to take those jobs that they say the rest of us won't do!

Story Submitted By Cynthia from Downey

I am a light olive skinned, brown haired, brown eyed woman of Mexican descent. Many times I go shopping at the malls, and a sales person approaches. They start to speak Spanish, and they assume that I don't speak English! I don't understand why they assume that just because I appear to be Latina, that I would want to speak Spanish. Actually, my Spanish is very poor, since I am 5th generation American. My great great grandfather came from Hermosillo, Sonora Mexico in the late 1800s. Everyone in my family speaks English. My parents speak "Spanglish" when they speak Spanish. And me, I don't speak it at all. The last time this happened to me I was shopping at JC Penney. This sales lady just approached me and I really had no idea what she said to me. So I asked her in a slightly irritated tone, "What makes you think that I speak any Spanish?" So then she apologized. Just because this woman assumed I was a non English speaker, I left the store to shop elsewhere.

Story Submitted By Antonio from Acworth

A friend of mine who owns a chain of Mexican restaurants in Atlanta, GA, was at a barber shop/shoe shine establishment having his boots shined. One of the American employees started complaining about "those illegal immigrants who come here to take away our jobs". He told the employee, "you are wrong; I didn't come here to take your job away; I didn't come here to shine shoes; I used to do that in Mexico City. I came here in search of a better future for me and my family". Well said.

Story Submitted By nadine from mesa

I am a 12 year old girl and i am mexican, My mom makes jokes about how i want to be a "white girl" just because i am not totally suportive of the fact that people are coming here illegally.Maybe that is because i was born here and i am not aware of how it would feel to have to fight for work...

Story Submitted By Cameron from Murrieta

Greetings, I am not of Hispanic descent - at least not that I am aware of :-), but in any event, your concept and website intrigue me and have a basic appeal that I think may be constructive in terms of moving forward. I'll define my perspective on the controversy of 'Immigration Reform' as that of someone who is not opposed to immigration - but is uncomfortable with the idea that those who have entered the country illegally should be confused with those who have gone through the process according to all the proper procedures. Case in point, my father in law, who spent 5 years in a refugee camp waiting for a sponsor who would promise that Artur would not take a dime in government assistance. My father in law learned the language from scratch, assimilated, and considers himself an American first and foremost. Another American success story is my boss who runs a company that provides Homeland Security technology to government agencies. I have many friends who are of Hispanic ethnicity - same situation - same loyalty to this country above all. If I understand what you seek to accomplish correctly, it sounds like you intend to bring people together under the umbrella of identifying as Americans. I applaud that wholeheartedly. Racial Identity Politics has divided this country and caused so much damage that we all need to run away from it as fast as our little legs will carry us. Best Regards, Cameron De Smidt

Story Submitted By Abraham from phoenix

I am a nineteen year old male, born in Mexico. I came to the United States just under ten years ago. I lived here for have of my life and at first I was thorn between my love for my native country and my love for America. However, I have come to realize that just because I love my native country doesnt mean I am a traitor to America. It also does not mean that just because I love America does not mean that I am a traitor to Mexico. I am proud to be from Mexico but I am so proud to have been given the opportunity to come to America for a better life. My best friend is here illegally, he was brought here when he was just a little kid. I have gotten to meet a lot of immigrants that are here illegally. Ive met many of them in jobs that Ive had. Jobs such as: construction, hotels, warehouse, and yard work. Ive notice the injustices that immigrants go through, frankly Im tired of that. Thats why I have decided to make a difference. I took a huge a pay cut to come from the warehouse where I was working to come and work at a high school. Ive done this because I want to help educate the kids that in the future will be the leaders of our country. I work as an instructional aid and plan to go to college to become a teacher. I know that the way that we can make an impact in this country is by educating ourselves and adapting better into the society. My complexion is lighter than most Hispanics and therefore many people believe that I am not Hispanic. I remember when I was helping some of my cousins move into there new house. My cousins were getting the furniture down from the truck and a neighbor that lived a couple of houses down was driving by and stopped. He called me over and asked me hey I need some stuff moved in my house too, how much are you paying them? And what home depot did you pick them up from? I called my cousin over whose English was much better than mine and I told him Jose meet your neighbor the neighbor did not know how to react and he just said sorry and drove away.

Story Submitted By wendy from dalton

I am married to an "illegal" immigrant , and i would like to share just a little bit of my story , my husbend came here as a teenager along with his grown brothers to make money for his mom back in mexico .. When we met he was only 16 as was i , we dated for 3 yrs and itaught him english , speak read and write .I also taught him to drive . After 3 yrs we got married and now have two little boys . He only came to send money back home but now he has a family here . We went and filed for his residence and paid all the fines , now they wanna send him to mexico to wait 5-10yrs just to be a resident alien ???? He has never been in trouble works hard everyday , we own our on house , and cars ...And now what ??? leave all this to go back to the place he knows nothing about .. All his famliy is here now ,he was a child when he left and only knows the u.s.a now ..I think the "great north" as people call it should open their eyes and see the majority of these so called illegals only want to take care of their families ..we are the land of oppertunity well then give them one ...everyone says go home do it legally .. hey dont understand , to do it legally from mexico is hard to do .. they have to have money in the bank , land in their name , well if they had that why would they come here??? they say most are gang members and drug dealers ....... well so is half the population of the whole u.s so dont blame that on immigrants .. thank you

Story Submitted By Fatima from Cave Creek

i am a proud american! my father brought my mother,my siblings and i to this country in 1990. i was five years old at the time, i am now a twenty year old woman who thanks to my parents became an american citizen and with that gain unlimited opportunities. i am greatful for all that this country has to offer. unfortunetly, i can not say the same for my husband, he is in this country illegaly. we grew up together, we attended the same school district since preschool. he is a wonderful, respectful man who would give anything to have the same opportunities that i have. i have tried to give him that but although i am an american citizen we have been told by many lawyers and legal helpers that there is little that we can do. my husband, like many other immigrants deserves the chance to have a better life. he dreams of going to a university and becomming an accountant but because of his status he is unable to. this country was built by immigrants,immigrants who have long deserved to be treated equally and with RESPECT! all i do is hope that someday soon my husband and many others will be able to have everthing they ever dreamed for.

Story Submitted By rocy from atlanta

I AM A PROUD AMERICAN, BECAUSE I BORN IN MEXICO AND MEXICO IS ALSO AMERICA, IS THE AMERICAN CONTINENT , I BEEN LIVING HERE FOR 10 YEARS BUT EVEN AM NOT A AMERICAN CITIZEN YET , I FEEL INSIDE OF ME , I AM A PROUD AMERICAN, I LIVE IN GEORGIA AND THEY SAY IS A RACIST STATE I LOVE THIS STATE I KNOW ALL THE HISTORY AND I LOVE THIS COUNTRY FOR ALL THE OPORTUNITIES; MY KIDS ARE AMERICANS END EVERYDAY I TOLD THEM YOU ARE THE FACE OF AMERICA, THATS TRUE; THEY ARE BROWN, BLACK EYES AND BLACK HAIR BUT AMERICAN AND I HOPE ONE DAY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT MEXICANS COME TO WORK ,HAVE A BETTER LIVE AND THEY DESERVED. I LOVE AMERICA BUT I ALSO LOVE MY PAST. IF MEXICAN CAN APPLY FOR PERMITION OR VISA OR SOMETHING THEY WILL DO IT. BUT AS LAWER SAID IF YOU ARE MEXICAN YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR A REFORM OR SOMETHING, CAN BE NOW OR ON 10 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS PEOPLE HAVE TO DO IT? WAITTTT........ GOD BLESS YOU DIOS TE BENDIGA

Story Submitted By Dwight from Columbia

I am a native born American. I am NOT against "immigration." I AM against disorderly, ILLEGAL immigration. We have laws in place already for those that wish to apply and WAIT THEIR TURN to come to this country. ILLEGAL immigrants do NOT have a "RIGHT" to be here or a "RIGHT" to ANY services other than humanitarian ones. I am paying HUNDREDS of dollars per MONTH for health insurance while ILLEGALS are accessing the healthcare system at the TAXPAYERS expense ie FREE! I also pay thousands of dollars per year in property taxes for schools and other infrastructure that ILLEGALS and their ANCHOR babies are using for FREE! They DO NOT have a "RIGHT" to these services. The thing that many pro-immigrant organizations like La Raza,the press and our politicians wish to ignore is the word ILLEGAL.They wish to spin it into a more politically correct,palatable term like "undocumented." ILLEGALS are asking American citizens to "respect them" while they disrespect our Constitution, laws and our cutoms. I even saw a communist hammer and sickle flag being waved in one of the recent street demonstrations. My question also is why not stay home and demonstrate to change your corrupt political system in Mexico where there are more BILLIONAIRES than in Switzerland? Once again, I am not against immigrants - just ILLEGAL immigrants!

Story Submitted By Margaret from rockford

Grandparents on both sides of my family were immigrants. They came from Germany and Ireland. They came legally, and worked long, hard hours to succeed - especially the Irish grandparents. I have no problem with immigration, but it should be LEGAL! Sneaking into our country is a FELONY! Allowing some people to break the law, use medical services, receive public aid,and, in general, drain American tax dollars, is wrong! I am tired of hearing about how illegal immigrants are doing jobs that Americans don't want! I know many college kids who are trying to help pay their tuition who can't get seasonal jobs, because illegals have them! How fair is that? A friend of mine who used to live in California, had to pay cash for the hospital when she delivered her children, but in the bed next to her was a woman who was an illegal immigrant, and who received her care FREE! How fair is that? Also, ranchers and people who live near the border have testified that they found pieces of paper with arabic writing on them left on their property by illegals. Our security is being jeopardized by our government's refusal to close the borders.

Story Submitted By Yaakov from Scottsdale

As a child, I learned about the Founding Fathers of our country, the philosophies that supported their convictions, the way they fought for freedom and justice, and the marvelous nation they forged based on obediance to the law that protected all citizens. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a part of the country in which the edifices, documents and symbols of those early struggles existed and exist in great abundance. I take enormous pride in my American citizenship. Therefore, it gives me tremendous pain to see people pouring into my country who care only for the money they can earn, display boorish and inappropriate behavior that begins at rudeness and descends to criminality, who game the system for their own benefit, and do so at our expense. These same people manifest blatant racism, mock the rule of law, and by sheer force of numbers, degrade and destroy many of the institutions that were set up to protect us. Those who do so frequently call themselves Americans in the Latin American sense of the word, rather than adopting the meaning of the word American as it pertains to citizens of the United States. Many of my first hand and second hand contacts with these people have been negative and disappointing, to say the least. I am reminded of the Emma Lazerus poem, The New Collossus, at the base of the Statue of Liberty, which proclaims in part: ...give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free... Note it does not say give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to cut my lawn at reduced prices, and willing to live as second class citizens to do so. We do want immigrants. I am the grandson of four immigrants. My wife is an immigrant; I was an immigrant for 15 years when I lived overseas. We aspired to integrate, to learn the language, to follow the rules, the laws and the spirit of the law, and to improve our lot in life so that we could prosper at the higher end of the socio-economic scale. I want to see our newest immigrants to do the same, and I will not accept less for them than I accepted for my wife and myself. If they are not willing to do these things, they are not worthy to rub shoulders with the rest of us. If they are not willing, they demean the meaning of all that is decent and correct. The mass demonstrations have been especially distressing. To see the hordes disporting themselves in foreign languages, carrying foreign flags, carrying our flag with an apparent disdain or indifference for it, making obscene and lewd gestures to us and calling us names - to do all these things and more does not endear us to their plight. They are guilty of child abuse, illegal entry, criminality all out of proportion to their numbers in our society, and they bring disease and ignorance. Were they sincere, their rallies would have been far different events. Had these people really wanted to express love for the United States, they would address us in English, they would play patriotic American music, they would evoke images of the real meaning of what it is to be an American, and they would ask, not demand, that we help them. And we, generous people that we are, would by and large be sympathetic, but we are not nearly as sympathetic as we would be given the incentive to be so. Yes, I am proud to be an American and to have solid values that I do not share with those pretenders whose unstated version of the Pledge of Allegiance is: "I pledge allegiance to my job, in the United States of America, and to the money for which it stands, one nation, divisible, with benefits and entitlement for all." Sorry, this is NOT what the US is all about. Our shared prosperity results from the spirit and principles on which we were founded, not by ripping off others and bleeding them dry. Think about it. Think deeply and carefully, and be very cautious about labeling others as racists because they believe in justice, the law, and obeying the rules. THAT is the American way. Do it, and be accepted. Flout these concepts, and be rejected.

Story Submitted By Nereida from Mesa

I'm 19 years old and a single mother of a three year old little girl. I was born in Sonora, Mexico and i was brought to the U.S when I was a baby. My mother was in an abusive relationship with my father so she left him when i was 4 years old. She took me back to Mexico and we lived there till I was 8 years old. Then she decided to move to the U.S. again. So she brought me with her, along with my big brother and my 2 month old sister. My point is that I have been here for more than fifteen years of my life and I was not brought here on my request. I do consider myself as an AMERICAN citizen and I wish people would understand that when you grow up in a place were most people don't know your an illegal and for any reason you have to explain yourself, it is so hard and not many people understand that. Now I have a daughter and I have worked hard to stay in school. Even though I didn't finish high school I got my G.E.D and am now attending college. I know I can be somebody and that I can make a difference. I know people that were born here that don't care about school or having a "legal" job. Of coarse I'm not trying to say that all people are like that but if I'm being attacked for being an immigrant I don't think it is fair. I try hard to keep going and moving forward but if I was to be sent to Mexico, most of my life would be taken away. I would like to enlist for the Air Force an serve my country like any other citizen can, I want to get a psychology major and give my daughter a good example to follow. I am not a criminal and I have not committed a crime.

Story Submitted By Sue from Sun City

I'm a first generation American. I have always supported the view that America is a "melting pot", open to all people. I also believe that to keep America strong as a nation and not divide its people, it is important to have one common language and loyalty to America in the form of citizenship. Two of my grandchildren were born in Mexico & speak Spanish. I do not understand why people who come here can't learn the language of this country instead of insisting on using only Spanish. If these people want their children to attain the "American Dream", they must try to speak English around the home. If the people who want change would take the time to organize evening "home schooling programs" for children & parents in neighborhoods, communication (which can divide any group) would no longer be an issue in a very short amount of time.

Story Submitted By NATALIE from WELLINGTON

Hi, I was born in Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal and arrived in the USA in 1952 at the age of four and this is my family's story. My mother was born in the USA but returned to Portugal as a child. She married my father and gave birth to nine children, six of whom survived. As an American-born citizen, my mother was able to come into the USA after borrowing air fare and staying with her childrens' godparents who lived in the USA. This very brave lady left her husband and six children (2-14 years old) to pave the way for a better life for her family. After getting a Sponsor to guarantee to support all of us for the first five years, and an Employer to guarantee employment to my father and older siblings, and getting physical examinations and vaccinations to insure that we did not bring any disease to the USA, and borrowing the money for our air fare and passports, only then were we allowed to rejoin our mother almost a year later. We were LEGAL aliens and were all issued the precious "green cards" and had to report every year as to our status and report any changes. I also recall my dad walking to the local hospital with stool samples from all of us to be tested and results sent to INS. Twelve years later, we all took the oath of Citizenship and recall it being the most solemn and exciting day in our lives. From day one, we all wanted to fit in as Americans. In school, we were placed in regular classes and learned English very quickly. Although my parents never learned to read or speak English, they always had one of their childred with them to translate, and my mother voted in every election up until she died. I recall pictures of President Kennedy, the Pope and Jesus in our front parlor. I relate these fond memories as a way of showing my family's gratitude to this wonderful country and our strong sense of pride. GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Story Submitted By David from Inyokern

I am the son of immigrants. I have no problem with immigrants, but I cannot support those illegal immigrants who march and protest and demand "rights" that they have not earned and benefits that they have broken the law to achieve. The bottom line is: illegal immigrants, whatever their ethnicity, are lawbreakers. If you or I were to go to Mexico, parade in the streets and demand the rights of Mexican citizens, after having entered the country illegally, would be immediately locked up and vigorously prosecuted. Let those who would be citizens of this country earn that right, by awaiting legal entry, by learning English, by enrolling in citizenship classes and achieving legal citizenship in an aboveboard manner. If someone broke into your house, appropriated your living room, demanded sustenance and then also demanded the right to stay, you would be infuriated and vigorously defend your home. We are in the same situation, defending our home, the United States against those who would simply appropriate that which is not theirs. I support LEGAL immigration and the assimilation of immigrants into our American society.

Story Submitted By gerardo from phoenix

i was imigrated into the us at thr age of 7 attended school all my years except 1st grade i am now 39 with a loving wife and three beautiful children yes we are all legal. i thank GOD for giving me the opertunity to come to this great nation whish we call home,i don't ask for anything for i've accepted the ameican way of thinking to work hard to achieve your goals.but hey thats beside the point here in this great nation i and my family have found our lord and savior JESUS CHRIST we believe that yes we should obey the laws of this nation and that is why we pray for reform how can i forget that i too came into this nation illigaly even if i was only 7. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS JOHN 3:16 proud to be americans.

Story Submitted By john from modesto

Hello...i served in the marine corps from 1971 to 1976 with an honorable discharge. i wanted to be a police officer but after all that i went to school on the gi bill, got married, went to work as a telegrapher with the railroad directing trains from interlocking towers, had acouple of kids, raised them. Still married after 27 years. (?) anyway, i now work as locomotive engineer with bnsf rr and look forward to retirement in 9 years..education is the factor, but nowadays these kids are so smart that you can't tell or inform them of anything!! i was born in new mexico and am first generation californian. we moved to san pedro, ca. when i was 6 months old, i've worked since the age of 6. whether it was picking weeds or working on boats, it was work. i do well as an engineer and as i drive trains throughout northern california i see everything. i see the people of hispanic decent working the orchards, vineyards, and living and bathing by the canals that water the produce mentioned above. as a marine guard with the u.s. department of state i served protecting the american embassies in mexico city and various countries in south amercia. knowing your an amercian in a foreign country and being of hispanic decent and not being raised to speak the language is not a position you want to be in. i learned to speak spanish and got along the best i could. my son is in the army and will be discharged soon due to hearing loss he encountered when he was in the infantry serving in iraq. i don't agree with the war over there nor did i agree with vietnam. but i enlisted anyway. i was 17 years old. it was a way out. i was lucky. but not for everyone. this land is ours and if you want something, its not so hard to reach out and get it. just so long as you want it and are willing to sweat a little or go to school and learn how to acomplish and reach your goals or objectives, thats what being american is all about.

Story Submitted By Jeff from Crestview

The current debate is about illegal immegration. Every one of us is an immigrant from somewhere. That includes the native population that came across the Bearing Straight several thousand years ago. My family came here about 400 years ago. Whatever the process then, they went through it. Your family may have come hear yesterday. As long as they went through the process, they and you are just like all the rest of us, family of immigrants. If they circumvented the process, then they're illegal immigrants. While we all came here for similar reasons there really is a right way to do it. I guess I don't get it. On Iraq the current thought is that we should have allowed the local citizens get rid of their leadership. On Mexico we should just open the border to allow their citizens to flee the corruption there. Is the answer to every question just "whatever is easiest"? Disregarding right, wrong, effective, not effective; it's just "whatever is easiest, do that." Are we really going to start advocating a Wet foot dry foot policy for Mexico? The Federal government is already culpable in turning a blind eye to illegal immigration. How much more cuplable will they be if they begin a practice of offering amnisty every few years to those here in violation of the law? The temporary worker program will not end the problem. Many jobs that are filled by illegal laborers, the ones Americans won't take, are very short term, low paying jobs. Employers are not going to pay the additional cost to keep up with the visas and passports and related documentation for a job that pays less than minimum wage for 2 or 3 weeks. They would be better off paying the additional hourly wage that would attract someone that required less overhead. A clearing house may work but they'd have to charge enough to cover all the same related costs of employment and that would still be significantly more than what is being paid illegals now.

Story Submitted By Robert from Highland Park

Welcome to all the proud Americans of Spanish heritage, who are here legally. Welcome to those who are not yet U.S. citizens. Welcome to those who are here legally for temporary work and will someday return to your home countries. I extend no welcome to those who are NOT here legally. Legal, YES. Illegal, NO. Here's my idea for immigration reform. 1. Anyone who is here illegally and leaves voluntarily will be given a certificate to apply for legal reentry. 2. Potential immigrants who can demonstrate that there is an employer who will employ them full-time at an appropriate wage with health benefits may apply for legal reentry. Let's see if all those employers who are exploiting the illegals by offering them substandard wages and no benefits and no security are willing to pay appropriate wages. 3. Preference for reentry will be given to those immigrants who received a certificate when they left, who have an offer of employment, and can demonstrate proficiency in English. 4. Extra preference will be given to those immigrants who have family who are legal residents of the United States. To me this is fair to immigrants and fair to the citizens of the United States. Again I say welcome.

Story Submitted By marco from solon

My name is Marco Almazan. I am president of MA-ATTORNEYS. Our firm has offices in Mexico, Spain and the U.S. We work with international business and commerce. We provide international cultural training, real estate advice, personal and corporate security and also work in assisting companies exploring new markets in foreign countries or even expanding their activities to foreign countries by setting new branches abroad. We provide legal and administration services to our clients. We are a group of young professionals with lots of energy and common sense. My name is Marco Almazan, I am a mexican citizen, I came to the U.S., 3 years ago and I am married to a U.S., citizen. Eventhough I am not a U.S. citizen yet, I am a permanent resident of the U.S., and I am on my way to become a U.S., citizen when the time comes due to the fact that I have to follow the rules of my immigration process and I still need one more year to be able to apply for citizenship. I am very proud of being hispanic and of my cultural roots, background, language, education, principles and values. I want to congratulate you for your webpage. I read about it on a mexican newspaper on the internet. If you need more info about myself I will be more than glad in providing you with it. Regards, Marco

Story Submitted By Felix from Ground Zero

How frustrating it is to hear the reaction to all this has been more about "attitude" and Flags than about the issues. Mexican illegals and legals alike (those that went the 10-15 year to process route) and Mexican politicians all have more to say about how Mexicans act or their attitude (as if Mexican PRIDE, the pride shown by all that have overcome so much adversity, is a bad thing) than what the real cause is about. Overall, I think it'd be a whole lot less trouble and expense if ALL the people here illegally were just nationalized  AMNESTY FOR ALL - you ALL are now US citizens! Just like that. It really is that simple. There is NO impact to me now, and I expect nothing but benefits going forward. Spend your time fighting a better cause, work on weeding the bad ones out now. How about deporting ALL law breakers; for the laws that matter to all of us, make that the punishment for crimes (for ALL citizens, anybody, anywhere) be the fact that if you commit a crime you get kicked out. So why not OPEN the boarder, let everybody in that has the huevos to try for a better life? The money spent on building walls & security can easily pay for due process & deportation when someone breaks real laws. C'mon, 12 million, or 120 million here without what? Documentation? Give me a break, how does this piece of paper really change anything. Really, is the quantity too much? Why worry about a number when a billion people would still be just a drop in the bucket for this Grand Old melting pot. Really, the US is all about over-abundance, there is land everywhere. Its not like there is no room for everybody to fit here, now is there? So, "we've awakened a sleeping giant!" Another frustrating spin on all of this, but I say good, great, good luck to ALL that wish for a better life here, or anywhere. To all you people that are actually DO-ers, doing something about changing your lot in life, you should be PROUD. I know you people were not sleeping! Here, you are ALWAYS working or looking for work. YOU are the most tolerant people I've seen that for years have gone unappreciated and under paid. So, the time for tolerance is over, you will be heard; you deserve to be here just the same as all the rest. Now just tell me what more I can do to help your cause.

Story Submitted By Joe from Mesa

Inspired by the April 10 march/walkouts I felt there was a need for an online presence to back the street grassroots movement. With that I developed and launch OneVoz.com on April 7th, 2006. OneVoz.com was created to give a voice to the people in conjunction with the marches and for those who would like to show their support but could not march. My hopes are that we can create an active community filled with creative dialog that can be steered in the direction of change. Please feel free to join. Your site is great, Keep up the good work. Joe Hernandez

Story Submitted By Faviola from Burbank

I came to the United States at a very young age from Mexico. Of course I didn't know that I was an illegal immigrant until a little later when I was old enough to understand. I know that my parents must have suffered being illegal but that didn't stop them from giving us and our family a better life. They encouraged me to keep going to school and to get an education. They worked hard and that alone taught me how to have a strong work ethic. They taught me determination and courage; and taught me about real family values. When I became a legal resident of the U.S., I knew my next step was to become a full fledge citizen of the United States. The day finally came a year after my high school graduation. It was a very touching moment since both my father and I became US citizens at the same time. By becoming a citizen of this great country, I knew that I would have the opportunity to have a say on matters such as politics and government by my right to vote. I continue to try to help others by my work as a state university admissions counselor. My goal is not only to promote higher education but to encourage others to go back to the community and give back.

Story Submitted By Maria Monica from Phoenix

My parents are from Guatemala, coming here legally 51 years ago. Since my mother's name was Maria, I was always known by my middle name, Monica. I am having a lot of reverse discrimination issues. Many of my fellow Hispanics do not recognize my heritage because I married someone without a Hispanic last name, and rarely use my first name, Maria. They assume that because I do not sound or look like what they expect, that I am not Latina. For this reason, I often hear the "I hate Mexicans, Beaners, etc." routine from average U.S. citizens, and I always stand up for my Spanish roots. Many of these people do not seem to grasp that I can speak Spanish. They assume that because I do not speak Spanish in their presence, that I am not capable of speaking it at all. Go figure! Oh, to make it worse, I was born and raised in New Orleans, so people are shocked that I do not have a Southern accent, either. So, basically, I am in the middle. The average white person does not accept my Latina heritage, and the average Hispanic does not accept my Americaness, or is that the other way around? Love your website, and all that you are trying to do to bust the stereotypes. (Maria) Monica Rapps U.S. American, Southern born & raised, Latina, and proud!

Story Submitted By John from Salt Lake City

I grew up in an agricultural area of southeastern Idaho, and I worked for a number of farmers as a young man. Because my father insisted on me learning the value of hard work, I worked for the same wage as my Mexican brothers, most of whom had entered the country illegally. At the end of the day, I would return to my home where a warm meal and my own bed were waiting for me. My brothers (sometimes as many as 15 of them) would return to a single wide trailer which the farmer provided in an out of the way spot on the farm. They had no beds, rarely had plumbing, and electricity was provided by stringing an illegal line off a main power line. While I spent the money I earned on new bikes, clothes, weekend parties, or even put some of it away for college, my brothers sent the money back home to Mexico to provide the basic living necessities for their families. Many of them returned year after year for the same opportunity to work the land and provide for their families, often at risk of being caught, sent back to Mexico, and losing their family's sole source of income. When one of my Mexican brothers or sisters had the opportunity to legally immigrate to the US, they did so willingly. They would also look for opportunities to bring other family members here legally, and as legal Americans they often filled those same farm jobs none of my friends would have been caught dead doing. You see, of all of us "legal Americans" who were capabable of working the farms, there were only a couple of us who did so, and it wasn't because we needed the money, and it certainly wasn't because our Mexican brothers were stealing all the remaining jobs! Immigrants, legal or otherwise, founded this country, built our cities, worked the land, and far more often than not became "Proud Americans". They have passed on their cultural traditions, their religions, and their many skin, eye and hair colors to those of us who were born and will die here. Immigrant diversity is what has made us great, and it is the one thing that will continue to feed that greatness for our future generations. I pray we find a way to make our country safer for all of us living here, and I personally don't know one single illegal citizen who feels differently. After all, they no more want to lose their land of opportunity than I do!

Story Submitted By Greg from Yakima,

I was born in Spokane, WA. My folks moved to Yakima when I was three. Yakima was a safe , clean, agriculture town. Migrant people following our nation's fruit industry, came to Yakima to help wiith the harvest and then moved on as crops matured in other areas of the country. Yakima has grown slowly up until about 10 years ago. That is about the time that Central Washington was flooded with illegal immigrants. We are all immigrants or decendants of the same. My wife's father came to America just before WW II. He wanted to become an American with all his heart. He changed his name to "Americanize" it, he learned how to speak the language of our country, English, and he worked hard to make a legal life for himself and his family. He didn't demand that telephone books and voting booths were printed in German. He didn't demand bilingual education for his children and he didn't paint German grafitti on other people's property. He didn't form gangs that don't just beat up those with which they don't agree but shoot and kill them. He didn't deal drugs or drive around with his friends and shoot into houses or cars. He didn't demand that we respect his culture and he treated his adopted country with honor and respect. The illegal immigrants who live here are guilty of all the things my father-in-law worked hard to avoid. Immigrants from Mexico sent $16,000,000,000 (16 BILLION) out of our country. Do you think that might have helped our overcrowed schools? Might it have helped our police forces who are overwhelmed by the crime in Yakima? Do you think it could help provide social services to those who legally paid taxes for those services? Immigration is a difficult subject. Something needs to be done before we are drowned in illegal citizens stretching our infrastrusture to it's limits. We need to document existing workers. We need to control the flow through our borders and we need to crack down on employers in this country who are hiring illegal labor. When did the word "illegal" stop meaning "against the law"? I am a proud American who is willing to help those who come to this country legally and are willing to learn our language and become a member of our society. I am against the illegal, undocumented worker who drains our country, insists we accept HIS culture and refuses to learn the language and become an American. We used to be proud to be a melting pot of people who lived and worked and produced together. Today we are more of a tossed salad with each wanting to maintain their individuality and not blend to form a strong nation.

Story Submitted By Elizabeth from Oceanside

My name is Elizabeth Grubbs I'm a 22 year old female married to a wonderful man and we have a 15 month old. I'm a first generation american. My father is from south africa as is my grandfather. I'm very proud of my heritage and where I come from. I'm a republican but i'm very upset with my party. My family came over here legally from south africa they had to buy their visa's. They couldn't just jump the border and come protest that they deserve the same rights as people who came over legally. Its not fair. If you want to live here be legal. My family is. If people don't like what i feel then i'm sorry but we did it legally to be here. No one should get special privledges America is supposed to be the land of all immigrants which is very true. But the majority of immigrants who came to this great nation came legally. If you look at mexico or any other nation, you have to be legal to go there. America should not be any different. Most illegals don't pay taxes and bleed medicare.. why the american people have to front the bill. Its wrong, if you come to america come legally get a visa,greencard, whatever. I have not a problem with people coming to this great nation..but be legal sign up for a visa its not that hard most people don't even try.

Story Submitted By Bruce from Lexington

I am a proud American because my great grandparents immigrated to the U.S. LEGALLY in teh 1800's from Germany and worked hard to learn the language and become productive citizens. Any immigrant who pursues the same course of action should be every bit as proud as they were (and I am of them). Legal immigration is one of the many things that make our country great. Illegal invasion is one of the greatest threats to our society.

Story Submitted By Jeffery from Houston

I work for one of the Immigration agencies. It breaks my heart whenever I have to process an illegal alien who is being deported back to their home country. I realize that the illegal alien deliberately broke the law. However, this doesn't make it any easier especially when there are young children involved. I see first hand the difficult lives these people live "in the shadows." I wonder what they tell their children about the respect of the law. No wonder crimes are rising in the illegal alien communities. How can you teach a child not to steal (or worse) when everyday its parents are knowingly and willingly breaking the law? Is their home country really so bad that they would live the way they do here and do what they do to their children? Or is it just a matter of money? Are they just like other criminals who likewise attempt to justify their crimes for personal gain? It is not a race thing (my wife and children are of Mexican decent, but legal). It is a matter of putting the law before one's personal desires. Unfortunately, these illegals aliens appear to have their priorities reversed. They seem to prioritize by put Self first, then family, country, and lastly GOD. Now I know some will claim that being an illegal alien is not against GOD's Will, but I challenge these people to find a religion that approves knowingly and willfully breaking a just law! I am a proud American. I work hard, pay my taxes, vote, I am a veteran, and I am a good citizen in every way that I can be. I obey the law and I teach my children to obey the law! My priorities are GOD, Country, Family, and then self. To all illegal aliens here in the United States, do the right thing. Go home and like millions of others, LEGALLY migrate to the United States. It may take some time, but your children will be better for it.

Story Submitted By Lucy from Phoenix

Over the time I have taken courses related to Social Work. One of those courses is Social Policy. One of the most current issues discussed in class has been the immigration reform. I have done presentations such as the Guest Worker program, which of course was a very debating issue. All I had to do, was present the information and the rest of my classmetes took over the discussion. Next, I did a presentation on "DREAM Act", same with the Guest Woker program, it was a very heated topic to discuss; however, a lot of us in class came to a consensus that we in fact need a real immigration reform. On April, I had the opportunity to go to the march, I was mad at those people that did not show up for the march. Not the fact that they did not show up made me mad, but the fact that they are expecting others to do all for them. I also had the opportunity to talk to some White Americans who were in support of the march and all the demonstrations of how important we really are to this country. A lot of them, said something that is very true. We have non-US citizents fighting for this country's so called "liberty" overseas, yet, they do not want to give us the liberty that we are asking for, and that we as human beings deserve. I have family members and friends that have being struggling here in this Country, and that have had helped the economy, and now for doing that, they are going to be calling them, "criminals" yes as a matter of fact it is a crime to trespass, however, I have seen the ignorance and fear that a lot of anti-immigrants. Like I said, being in a social policy class, I had the opportunity to watch an informative 10 minute video about the Minutemen. When one of him was asked, 'who do you consider to be an American", his answer was " to me an American is that one that speaks English". WIth that ignorant statement, I think I have the need not to say more.

Story Submitted By mariana from fort pierce

Iam a proud American I was born in this beautiful country my parents are mexicans and I consider myself Mexican -American. about all these inmigration talk lately I think everybody deserves a chance the people that come to this country illegal especially from mexico is because they do not have a chance to get a visa or green card easy. most americans do not know that is not so easy to get a visa or greencard you have to be rich to get a visa. all they want is to be legal and work hard because they have families in their countries who depend on them if they do not stay in mexico is because there is no jobs and they want something better for their future. the congress should make a law that would let this people work and that way they would not be crossing the borders illegaly and they would have more control on checking who enters to this country. I am glad of my parents who are mexicans and the rest of my family some of them are us citizens or residents. this country gives a lot of oportunities and it will be good that all of us support the hard working people and have respect for everybody because we all are humans.

Story Submitted By Jesus from Orlando

An Alabama employment agency that sent 70 laborers and construction workers to job sites in that state in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina says the men were sent home after just two weeks on the job by employers who told them "the Mexicans had arrived" and were willing to work for less. Linda Swope, who operates Complete Employment Services Inc. in Mobile, Ala., told The Washington Times last week that the workers -- whom she described as U.S. citizens, residents of Alabama and predominantly black -- had been "urgently requested" by contractors hired to rebuild and clear devastated areas of the state, but were told to leave three job sites when the foreign workers showed up. "After Katrina, our company had 70 workers on the job the first day, but the companies decided they didn't need them anymore because the Mexicans had arrived," Mrs. Swope said. "I assure you it is not true that Americans don't want to work. "We had been told that 270 jobs might be available, and we could have filled every one of them with men from this area, most of whom lost their jobs because of the hurricane," she said. "When we told the guys they would not be needed, they actually cried ... and we cried with them. This is a shame." Mrs. Swope said employment agencies throughout Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi faced similar problems, when thousands of men from Mexico and several Central and South American countries -- many in crowded buses and trucks -- came into the three states after Katrina, looking for employment and willing to work for less money. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060410-123506-1297r.htm

Story Submitted By Sofi from Hacienda Heights

I am totally against illegal immigration It's not fair for our country and its citizens no matter how beautiful you want to make it look. Please think of our Country first if you are really proud of being an American defend this country. Thanks, Sofi

Story Submitted By Luciano from Glendale

Of course I am proud to be an American, I am a second generation American on my mother's side and first Generation American on my father's side. I sincerely thank my parents for given me the opportunity to get an education and me and my spouse in turn gave our two sons tha same opportunity to get as much schooling as we could affort. As a young man I was very proud to serve my country as a member of our armed forces. I support a guest worker program and legal immigration. I also write this letter in behalf of our son Luciano Arriaga Jr. III, who is living proud of being a Victim of Sterotyping, Racial Profiling and Discrimination by one of our public servants, A City of Phoenix, Arizona Policeman, who on the morning of Wednesday February 6, 2002 was driving with a pending .15 DUI when he physically attacked our son for no reason at all. Our son on his stomach and the policeman sixty pounds heavier and assaulting our son and doing whatever he wanted to do to an Innocent man, finally Luciano Jr. fearing he was going to die, got a stick and swung over his head and hit the cop on the head and for trying to save his life the cop was going to shoot our son on the back of the head. So for trying to save his life our son is in Prison, after the cop has told many lies under oath, anybody can see our son's website: " setlouiefree.com" Thank You and God Bless anybody that signs our two petitions The Arriaga Family

Story Submitted By Penelope from Chicago

With my story, I would like to show all the readers why it is that working and living in the U.S.A. legally is not as easy as going to the American embassy and getting a VISA or a green card. I came to the U.S.A. legally - as an international student. After completing both my bachelors and Masters in Chicago, I was able to get an authorization to work for one year, but after that, my options were very limited: I either had to apply for a work visa or marry an American guy. The second was not possible since I had already fallen in love and married an illegal guy. So I decided to apply for the work VISA with the company I was working for at that time and fortunately, my boss was all for it. When all the paperwork was ready to be signed and my legal permanence of one year was soon going to be over, my boss changed his mind after reading in very small print that he could go to jail if the immigration department believed there was something wrong with the application. I came here legally - as an international student and then became an illegal just like many others. However, my 8-year legal permanence in the U.S.A. wouldn't have been possible had not my father had the economic means to support my siblings and me. Without any doubts, the first requirement in order to get the student VISA or any other VISA is to have very deep pockets. My question is, how can low or even medium income families aspire to achieve the American dream LEGALY if even setting up the appointment with the American embassy is ridiculously expensive? How can we demand economic stability in our countries when we know the people who manage our governments are getting wealthier and wealthier while our people starve for a decent job and a better quality of life?

Story Submitted By Hector from USA

Hello my name is hector I am amercian proud in this country I am a hard worker and work for my family I come to this country 14yrs ago and met a wonderful women name ashley who is now my wife we have to pretty girls I came illegal now i'm legal my wonderful wife help me thank you america together we will work together.

Story Submitted By Ba from Oberlin

I have many issues I want to undertake in this post. I am appalled at many of the responses on this website. I am currently in a class at my college called Latinos/as in Comparative Perspective. We have studied the history of Latin American countries as well as Latin American immigrants' struggles and situations in the US. The history of the US's relationship with Latin American countries, as well as the nature and situation of immigrants and their place in this country is FAR more complex than most in the US care to realize. Therefore, I will educate you. I am going to organize my argument into three parts: the history of and situation in Latin America, the issue of getting to the US, and immigrants' situation and status once in the US. 1)Latin America: It is first necessary to understand the history of Latin America and how the US is involved. Countries in Latin America have a long history of colonization and takeover by the US and European countries. As history tells us, much of Mexico was taken by the US in the Mexican-American war of the mid 1800s. Puerto Rico has never been an independent nation; before the US had control, Spain was in power. US policies have left Puerto Rico a poor nation, with little future. Its inhabitants are constantly in limbo-living on a land they do not control and having no representation in the government that does control them. Furthermore, the US has a long history of political intervention into Latin American countries, ousting democracies in countries such as Guatemala and Nicaragua (so much for the US's love of democratic societies). The US even financially and physically supported (successful) genocide efforts in Guatemala of rural inhabitants as a way of ousting a government aimed at working for the rights of the people (the US would never let this happen, as it would ruin their capitalistic ventures in the country). You can look it up if you don't believe me; Bill Clinton even publicly apologized for these killings of over 200,000 people between the 1960s and 1980s. Many Latin American countries are poor, and if their governments are rich, their people are still struggling (Mexico for example). The unemployment rate is out of control, the value of currency is a joke, and healthcare does not even exist. These people have no choice but to come to the US for a better life, and much of that is the fault of the US itself. 2)Coming to the US: I read many posts that deplored illegal immigration, saying that it demeans those who come here legally. Just wait in line for your turn, some say. Just go through the process legally like others, many say. Do most of you seriously think that if it was so easy, we would have so many people risking their lives (yes, many people DIE crossing the border, sometimes at the hands of so-called "real" American citizens) to come here to work jobs with no benefits for 18 hours a day? If the process was easy, people would not be doing this. The application process to get a visa to the US is not only extremely lengthy, but very expensive. Simply to travel to the US for a vacation as a Mexican citizen (and as citizens of many other Latin American countries) forces one to pay a $100 fee just to apply-that does not even assure admittance. How lucky we are as "real" Americans that we do not have to apply to go on a vacation. If it is so expensive to apply just to travel here, think of the expense of applying to become a resident. Many people who cross the border illegally do so out of immediate economic necessity. Maybe if people from Latin America were granted visas at the same rate as people from Europe were, we wouldn't have so many undocumented immigrants. It is a question of race,class, and discrimination. I read a post by a man who brought a wife and stepdaughter from Romania; he shared how easy it was for him to bring them legally, so how can it be that hard for Latin American immigrants to do this legally as well? Look at the statistics-the entire continent of South America is granted only some 900 visas a year, while Europe is granted 10,000. Maybe the fact that his wife and daughter are Europeans (most likely considered "white" as well) is why they were accepted so easily. For Latin Americas, it is not so simple. 3)Issues facing Latin American immigrants in the US: In many posts, people whined that immigrants were eating up social programs without paying taxes, and also sending money outside of the US. There are many things wrong with these statements. Firstly, immigrants, undocumented as well, DO pay taxes. Money is deducted from their pay to pay for health benefits and social security pensions of other workers-money they themselves NEVER see. Put blatantly-illegal immigrants are paying for many "real" Americans' retirement and healthcare, and these people will never have healthcare or a retirement plan of their own. Did you not read the testimonial by the Brazilian woman-she and her husband have paid taxes since they came in the early 80s and still have not been given legal status. In truth, the situation is reversed. The American government and its citizens are the ones using the labor of and stealing money from these undocumented immigrants that are so-called money hungry, draining the country of its wealth and social programs. In reality, they are funding them. One man, in complaining that his nice central Washington town is now "flooded with illegal immigrants", used just about every stereotype imaginable-how is that promoting a greater understanding of the diversity of our nation? He exposed his extreme racism (no denying it here) by basically calling Latin American immigrants only criminals that demand bilingual education and respect for their culture. His point was that his German ancestors did none of this and instead, quietly assimilated by learning English and keeping quiet about their heritage and culture. There is a serious problem in this manner of thinking. First, it ignores the fact that while almost ALL immigrants have the desire to learn English, the programs to teach them are scarce. There is a strong protest to the English as a Second Language movement; how is it that you propose these immigrants learn English? Second, it is a problem that our society has a history of asking people to forget and hide their heritage and culture. How much lovelier, beautiful, and interesting this country would be if it was acceptable to publicly promote your culture and language. This does not mean English or "Americanness" is threatened; it means there is so much more to be appreciated. One post even applauded the technique of one immigrant family in refusing to teach their children their native language. What has this country come to when we want to deny children the opportunity to be bilingual? Do you really think the parents wanted to deny this to their children, to see their native language lost? No, they were forced to do this because our society is racist and ethnocentric. I have barely managed to touch on all of the issues surrounding this debate. I have, however, addressed some important ones regarding peoples' racist and close-minded beliefs. Furthermore,I think the creators of this website need to take a second-look at what they are promoting (your mission is incredibly ambiguous) and decide if these posts are really accomplishing that goal.

Story Submitted By cindy from dalton

Why I am a proud American? Sometimes I wonder...why am I a proud American.. I am a legal american with no mexican descent.. I have 3 grandchildren who are of mexican descent. How american would I be if I told my grandchildren that they were not welcome to my home because they have fathers who are illegal aliens in this country? I have seen the news and watched how we so called Americans are treating these illegal immigrants. I have been researching my family ancestry to see where I came from and to my surprise most of my ancestors came here without visas. So, does that make me an illegal immigrant? Who knows? My only concern is this.. if the illegals are here making trouble and we know it pick them up and send them home so they can learn we dont deal in trouble makers, but if they are here making a living for their families, paying taxes (because no matter what you might think, all these people are paying in taxes from their checks. they just dont claim their money at the end of the year which means the government is keeping all that money)and trying to do the right things by applying to become legal, help them out let them know their efforts are not in vain and they still have something to work for by living in this great country we call America!!! yes, I am proud to be an American but as the days go by I wonder what are we so proud of????? thank you!!!

Story Submitted By Lucy from Highland

My name is Lucy and I am a proud Mexican as I am a naturalized American citizen. It is presumed that coming to this country legally is the easiest thing of the world, and we think that illegal immigrants have been negligent and even criminals for coming illegal to this country. It is easy to say, but reality is totally another world. If certainly this is not like in Cuba, yet, in order to just come and visit this country as a tourist takes an awful amount of time and difficulties to simply obtain a passport or a tourist visa. A Mexican citizen has to prove to be wealthy enough (savings accounts), to have property in Mexico, to have a good and stable job, and a reasonable lifestyle to be able to obtain such passport or visa. Supposing that we have all these requirements, what would be then the case of coming to look for a better life if we have such a good life in Mexico? It is precisely the scarcity of such life what forces a Mexican citizen to look for other lands that might provide what their own land is denying to them. Let's not even consider the idea of daring to request for legal documents to come to live and work to this country. The fact is that Mexico occupies one of the last places in regards to time comparing to other countries on obtaining the benefit of getting their residence. To begin with, there is not such a thing of requesting legality if there is no previous family member living here requesting for such person. Second, in the case that there is a relative, it would take years and years to be considered priority, having the risk of falling apart before the person becomes legal. Third, regardless of the first two, does the person applying have enough to pay the high fees that INS demands for a single application? Think about all the family members&, how much it would cost for all the family? It is easy to say that illegal immigrants should enter the country legal. How about all these people who think this way can step on these illegal immigrants shoes and think about what they say?

Story Submitted By Alex from Huntington Beach

I am a proud American and I'm tired. I'm tired of the lie that illegal aliens are only here to do the jobs that lazy Americans won't do. I have bussed tables, painted houses, mowed lawns, worked assembly lines, swept shop floors, cleaned toilets and worked my backside off in construction doing the grunt jobs that illegal aliens consider beneath them. I am tired of the lie that Americans who only want our immigration laws to be enforced are the ones who separate families. Illegal aliens voluntarily separate their families by breaking into America and leaving their families back "home". Why else would $20 Billion flow back to Mexico every year? I'm tired of American schools being flooded with students who can't speak English and who drag down the already pathetic public school system. I am a proud American whose American ancestors go back over 220 years and whose Grandmother was 1/2 Cherokee and I am tired of the invasion of America by those who don't give a darn about America's laws.

Story Submitted By Randy from New Caney

My family on my mother's side came over here legally in the 1600s and founded Newark, NJ and my grandfather on my dads side came here legally in 1912 from Canada. That is basically irrelevant since the REAL question is what have I done for my country? I served in the US Air Force during Vietnam and volunteered for it and going overseas. If some illegal immigrants wish to become legal workers immediately, the US military affords them that opportunity right now. They will be MORE than happy to take them and work out any illegal problems. The by product of course, will be that such folks will be doing something for our country. I am a big believer in people putting their asses where their mouths are, unlike our current leaders, Bush and Cheney. Who moved all things to avoid active duty military service in wartime. Now that I am forcibly retired by Federal regs because I have reached the age of 60, and been kicked out of my job with NO benefits, pension, or health care, I have spent some time trying to support our LAWS in reducing the flow of lawbreakers coming across the border. I am a proud member of the Minuteman Project which is working to secure our borders and giving the American people the chance to have our laws enforced. I am tired of the fact that so many people have such contempt for us and our laws. It seems that no matter what the will of the American people is, we have a lot of folks who don't feel that I have ANY right to vote for and enforce laws that we as American citizens enact. I have driven all over Mexico and all of Europe and have had a wonderful time because I tried to learn the language of those countries BEFORE I got there so that I could communicate on a basic level. I also followed all of their laws and conducted myself as a GUEST and tried to be as good a guest as I could be. I even went the extra mile and got an international drivers license and always had insurance for my car and myself so I would NOT be a burden if some accident were to happen. It distresses me to see that our illegal immigrants do NOT have the decency that I as a TOURIST showed to my host countries. THAT is UNACCEPTABLE! It is also unacceptable that though I am more qualified than most Mexican pilots, I am NOT allowed to work in Mexico even though there are jobs available and they have a hard time finding the people to fill those jobs. What is good for the US should also apply to other countries as well. It is high time to stop the one way granting of rights to non-US citizens here, and denying them to US citizens.

Story Submitted By Aaronc1999 from Long Beach

This talk I hear about "jobs Americans just won't do" is made up. There are no jobs Americans won't do, they just prefer a higher wage then the black market that exploits illeagal immigrants will pay. The free market will adjust prices accordingly if we just allow it to work. But allowing an undergroud economy to flourish while we look the other way out of fear of being labeled "racist" is just not the answer. There are many communities nationwide that thrive without their businesses hiring the undocumented and paying them cash under the table, thereby cutting their own labor and tax expenses. And these cheaters are undercutting legitimate business-people that actually obey the law by paying workers at least the real minimum wage, as well as workers' social security and FICA taxes, as well as workman's comp, etc. Why should those who obey the law be driven out of business by those who choose to break it in order to increase their own profits?

Story Submitted By Mrs. Greene from Mesa

Our nation is a bit angry right now. I did not want to like this site, but after reading the stories and opinions of people, I realized that storytelling has the potential to heal and teach others. I'm not big on this entire "diversity" phenomenon. I prefer the words "unity" and "tolerance". One can hide behind the word "diversity" to further things that have nothing to do with it. Unity and tolerance offer a different dynamic that cannot seek its own. Reading a person's story is a step toward unity. I thank you for reading my story about myself, Nancy, and Jacob. I am white, female, and from a Southern culture. To quote a friend (D. Covington), "poor Southern whites, the only ethnic group in America not permitted to have a history." That is because of the "stain". The stain of slavery, civil rights, losing a civil war, and the poverty that followed, and the poverty that was always there, and still is. I recently saw on TV a story of a young man who was deported back to El Salvador. The reporter actually followed him back to the man's home. I've seen that home before. Homes of poverty all look the same, only the bread changes. Could be tortillas, or cornbread. There are homes like his, right now, in Appalachia. My Southern history is rooted in manners and honor. Imagine your teenager addressing you as "Sir" or "Ma'am" in front of his friends. Manners are important to my history, and he did it not because he was beat upside the head with it - he did it because of the concept of honor. My culture valued manners and honor more than looks, money, and situation. Perhaps this is why it bugs me so much that illegal immigrants didn't "get in line", or "wait their turn". That lacks honor. When Jacob (my ancestor) was called into the Confederate Army (Private, Co. C, 55th North Carolina Infantry), he did so because he didn't think it was right for other states to tell North Carolina what to do, and now Northern armies where going to come where HE and his family were! He saw it as "The Yankee Invasion". Today, some see our nation as being under an 'Invasion'. Jacob didn't own slaves, but only a family farm that barely got them by. In the hollows and hills, they rarely saw many people, let alone black people. Today, I get creepy when I hear the phrase, "the jobs that Americans won't do". It sort of reminds me that we once had a class of people, where industries were created around them so they could do "the jobs that Americans wouldn't do". Of course, I do realize the vast differences between the two scenarios, but still, I get prickly when I hear it. Maybe it is because of my "stain". Southerners don't say "hollows"; they say "hollers". Our language is misunderstood. It sounds ignorant, but in fact, it is rooted in Elizabethan English, preserved by the people remaining isolated in the hills, where double negatives were ok, and subject-verb agreement, tenses is not modern. The southern vocabulary may use words like "counterpane", which most people know as a "bedspread". Today, comedians stereotype "hillbilly accents" to make a buck, probably not even realizing the rich history of that brand of English. I understand that a culture has an identity with its language. I deeply regret having northern school systems "correct" my Southern accent. But I never really lost it, because when I go back "home" with family, I pick it right back up again. A native language is your history. Do not lose it; just add English to educate yourself well in the United States. Until things catch up, I call for more volunteerism for helping others learn English, and less harping on a lack of resources. I am fortunate to have a strong oral family history, photographs, and government archive documents to help forge our family identity. I felt sad when I saw an image of family photos in a Zip-Loc bag, bleaching in the sun, out in the desert along the border. Jacob was a fair-skinned Irish man, and his wife Nancy was far from fair. In fact, she looks Cherokee and Black. We have no information on her, but her photograph suggests that she was a strong and kind woman. I have her strong cheekbones, I think, but my green eyes and light hair are Irish/German/Polish/English&and who knows what else. I would only get 'confused' if someone called me a "racist". Many Americans are part "who knows?", so really, one needs to first call for a DNA test before they play that 'race card' thing! I wish applications and forms had "Who Knows?" as an option for recording "race". Maybe better still, "Who Cares?" Jacob survived the entire Civil War, or I would not be here. Listen: During the Civil War, death could be expressed like this: one death, every three minutes, every day, 24 hours a day, for four years - approximately 630,000 soldiers died. Americans know that there is NOTHING on this Earth more savage than when Americans fight Americans. If we remember history, we will never do that again. We suffered SO much as a people to remain the ~United~ States of America. Perhaps this is why Americans freak out over militant groups like "Aztlan", phrases like "Meximerica", and being called "foreigners" while in our States. Two days (!) before the war ended, Jacob was captured and placed in an enemy prison camp. Point Lookout, Maryland, held 20,000 men in 40 acres. At least 4,000 prisoners died there. Two days later the war ended, but he stayed there for a year before he was released. One reason for this was that you could not go until your state officially surrendered. Another reason was because he became ill and was too weak to walk out. I should note that at this point, Jacob was an "illegal alien". Yes, when they left the prison, each Confederate soldier had to recite and sign an "Oath of Allegiance" that restored his citizenship to the union of the states. Many of these records are still on file in archives. Meanwhile, Nancy and the girls were doing the entire farm and utterly terrified that General Sherman would 'get them'. The women lived in fear, not knowing if their husbands would come home. Women should not have to worry if their husbands are coming home from war - or work. That is just not right, no matter who you are or how you got here. It is not honorable. I think of that when I see an ICE raid. Half of me is happy, half of me is sad. It took Jacob several months to WALK from Maryland to North Carolina. When he made it home, he was a skeleton covered with lice. He cried at Nancy, "Don't come near me!" She went inside, got a scrub brush, lye soap, scissors, a razor, and fresh clothes. Jacob walked to the river, totally naked! He stood in the river and shaved off every single hair, scrubbed with soap, put on fresh clothes, and started seeing to the farm. He didn't talk about the war much. It was too horrible. This is but one deep root in my American heritage. I wore a uniform for this country, and like Jacob, I would risk death for my homeland. I am a proud American.

Story Submitted By Jennifer from Castro Valley

My school won't allow us to take American Flags to school they say its racist, On Friday May 5 it was Cinco de Mayo all the mexicans brought flags and walked around school with them well also some group came and talked to students and handed out American Flags well they walked around with them and were told to put them away well Monday came around students brought the Amercian flag to school and got them taken away asked why they said because its rude and its racist well America is one of the greatest nations and everyone who lives here its there flag and then tuesday came around 3 kids got suspended for bringing them then everyone went home got on radio about i called the news newspaper Wednesday everyone had there flags and were chanting all the songs to go with it no one did anything wrong people were getting into trouble for wearing flags on there shirts and sandals and getting sent to a meeting because it was wrong, today like 20 of us protested outside school then after we were threatened to get suspended we left and went down by the Safeway Supermarket then the school called them and they forced us to leave or threatened to arrest us, now theres a big meeting and all the kids think were racist i was like if i had the Confederate flag then it would be a different story but the American flag is our countrys flag and everyone who lives here should support it. tomorrow theres another protest. but you tell me should they be getting mad about this? its an American flag, the school in in every newspaper around here and on every news channel and they have lied to the Press.

Story Submitted By MONICA from WEST NEW YORK

EVERYONE IS AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, HOWEVER THEY DONT SEE THAT THESE PEOPLE DID NOT COME TO HURT OTHERS BUT JUST TO WORK AND HAVE A BETTER LIFE. SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, PEOPLE HAVE COME TO THE UNITED STATES TO IMPROVE THE LIFE STYLE THAT THEIRS OWN NATIVE COUNTRY DID NOT OFFER THEM. THIS COUNTRY IS BUILD UP FROM IMMIGRANTS,THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO DESERVE TO BE HERE ARE THE NATIVE AMERICANS WHOM WHITE PEOPLE STOLE THEIR LAND. ALL THIS PEOPLE THAT ARE AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS TO BE STARVING EVERY NIGHT, AND TO BE TREATED LIKE GARBAGE BY THE RICH PEOPLE. EVENTHOUGH WE COME ILLEGALLY, WE PICKED UP THE FRUIT, CLEAN HOUSES, AND WORK IN SUPERMARKETS AND RESTAURANTS. WE WANT TO TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO WORK AS HARD AS ANYOTHER. WE ALSO PAY TAXES AND WE DO NOT RECEIVE ANYTHING BACK!! I DONT CLAIM FOR IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ALSO COOPERATE TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY. ITS NOT ONLY 1,000 OR 10,000 IT IS 12 MILLION OF PEOPLE THAT ARE UNDER SHADOW. HAVE PITY TO THE HUMANKIND, WE ONLY WANT TO COOPERATE AND IF WE DID CAME ILLEGALLY IT WAS BECAUSE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A VISA ARE ABSURD SINCE IT IS FOR PEOPLE WITH MONEY. I AM HUNGRY, I HAVE CHILDREN AND FAMILY. I DONT HAVE A HOUSE AND MY PARENTS ARE SICK. I HAVENT GONE TO COLLEGE HOWEVER I HAVE TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY. HOW I AM GOING TO DO THAT IN MY NATIVE COUNTRY? I WILL GO TO USA. NO MATTER WHO IS AGAINST ME, I STILL HAVE TO FEED CHILDREN AND ELDER PARENTS.

Story Submitted By Ralph from Arizona

I understand the plyght of many immigrants, as I came from immigrants myself. Had my grandparents not come to this country, I would not be here in this great land. Immigrants are coming to the USA to improve there lives and that of their families. How dare anyone judge them. I see many, even other hispanics, whose grandparents came to this country, doing just that, judging those that cross the border. It is sad to know that as we move up in life, we forget where we came from and how we got here. The point of our anncestors coming here was to improve our lives and once we get there we want to forget the road that was traveled. Perhaps, the reason some forget the road, is simply that the road was paved for them. I have worked and have seen first hand how discrimination was rampant towards hispanics and minorites, never being allowed to advance in companies from labor positions. That battle was fought and won by labor and the democratic party. So now we move up in life and forget those that are trying to get here??? or we forget who fought the battles with us??? Battles were fought, many families dedicated their lives to help our cause and those that come after dont want to know. Wake up all. We can only win standing together. We are now educated. We cannot turn our backs on those that fought our cause with us. Remember the labor unions and the Democratic party. register and vote. it is imperiative to our cause.

Story Submitted By Diana from Hooper

I am Portugese& Spanish on my mother's side, a "dukes mixture" of most of western europe on my father's side, and a minimum 3rd generation american. I am in favor of a worker program, but do NOT think those illegaly here should get citizenship just because they are here. They should ALL be rounded up and deported and have to go through the proper channels to get here. I admit that our system for admission to the country is greatly in need of overhaul! As to "border protection", I think making it deadly to cross would eventually stop a lot of it! I note that in Texas, as here, trespassing is a shooting offense. I do not know about Arizona and California. I live in a rural community and am basically retired (age 62.) I have occasionally, when a "little short of money", TRIED to find seasonal work on the farms around here. I am several kinds of mechanic, a heavy truck driver, and a welder. I also have a college degree in electronics. The locals will NOT give me ANY work during the harvest season, even though I have been here 10+ years. This is, I think, for 2 reasons, 1. I am a woman, and 2. the yearly influx of migrant workers during harvest, a fair percentage of which ARE illegals, will work much cheaper. (In some cases piecework and/or about half the "legal" minimum wage + if illegal, no SS, etc. for the employer to pay, and the chances of prosecution if caught hiring illegals is slim to none since mostly they are only here about 6 weeks at a time.) This is grossly unfair to those who would LIKE to work, but can't compete with the cheaper labor readily available at that time of year. The rest of the year, jobs are just a wee bit scarce, at a good "living" wage. Besides, I have noticed that the FIRST stop for MOST of the migrants is the welfare office to apply for the "special" treament migrants receive in this area due to the need for their labor. There is even a community run local apartment complex where they get lower than average rent. NOTE that I can't qualify to live there because I am NOT a migrant worker, and it is much nicer than where I do live. All in all, while I feel that we DO need the workers, and should let those LEGALLY in the country become citizens if they want to; the illegals cost more than they provide and DO take jobs, or force down wages, wherever they are. As far as the "checking" of documents, that is one of the biggest jokes I have ever heard of. In many cases, the "fake" documents readily available are as good, or better, a quality than the "real" ones, and the "migrant workers" documents are not very closely checked, either. The farmer wants the crop harvested, and it needs to be done THEN, not 6 to 8 weeks later after a "proper" document check. (It takes at least 24 hours to run the govt. "instant check" system to buy a firearm. SO, how long do you figure it would take to verify out of state documentation? Try 6 weeks MINIMUM in most cases, IF you get an answer at all!)

Story Submitted By Rebecca from Las Vegas

I am an American Citizen. I am married to a Mexican, who I petitioned to come to America. He came over the right way, we were married the right way, all our paperwork went in and he is currently a permanent resident without conditions and can soon petition to be an American Citizen. We take pride that we did everything correctly and it hurts us to see all the ILLEGAL immigrants expect and demand the same courtesies. We have paid thousands of dollars to immigration and are very against any amnesty of any sort. We like projects that would fine heavily all companies that hire illegal immigrants and charge fines and back taxes and especially cause for a criminal record being done on anyone wanting to do paperwork in this country. All the illegal immigrants feel their rights have been taken away and it is time they stand up. Well, it is time for the american citizens to stand up and remind those people who are here illegally that they have no rights. If they don't like it, they can leave. This country will survive and be better for it. I'm sick of my tax dollars going to free medical care, welfare, free lunches to students and free education for people who should not be here in the first place. I cannot get anything in this Country for free and I believe no one should be able to, especially someone without the right to freedom of speech or freedom of anything. Just coming over here does not give them rights and my statements are not racist. I don't care what race anyone is, if you are here illegally, you are here illegally. It seems like the people without paperwork feel they deserve rights just for being on our soil. Not true. And when they know they have no rights, they always bring out the race card. Let's talk about the real issues. Let's not name call other than saying, "illegal" immigrants are just that ILLEGAL and that is a crime. I lived in Mexico for 15 months and had to have a visa and even renew it in that time. I could not work and was under very strict rules. Why is that? Because Mexico has rules. America certainly has rules too, we need to abide by them and pursecute anyone that goes against them in any way and not provide help to them, other than a free ride HOME. Let's clean our cities and remove the problem of identity theft and the criminals who are ruining our patriotic country. Stop catering to people to cry out for help who should remain silent. Instead of asking our government to make decisions, why can't the american people do it? Let's let the people who can vote say what they want. The politicians should stop worrying so much about the people who have no say! Let's be proud and stand up for America.

Story Submitted By Stephanie from Gainesville

I am proud to be an American. A seventh, eighth, or ninth generation immigrant? I'm not even sure what I am, but most people would say I'm "white." The reason I write now is to share the story of those who cannot speak for themselves. The children of illegal immigrants. Currently I teach fifth graders, the majority are children of illegal immigrants or are illegal immigrants themselves. On their behalf, let me tell you about them. They are beautiful, smart, creative, caring, ingenius, and my friends. They are not a "problem" to America's educational system, and if more children were like them, then there would be less problems in schools today. It is a privilege to teach them. America, please do not become so gullible that you will allow yourselves to be convinced that illegal immigrants are now the source of every problem facing America. Healthcare, education, economy. These are issues facing havoc, NOT because of something an "illegal" immigrant has done. America, remember that there have been several times in history when a group of people were blamed for the problems of nation. One incident you many of heard of is the Holocaust. Remember, the goal was to convince Germany that the Jews were the cause of their depression, and they were "a germ that must be destroyed." America, take the blame for your own problems, then maybe you can fix them. A solution? It is time to build some Ellis Islands on the Mexican border. Streamline the process. Coyotes charge as much as $3,000 a head to smuggle illegals into this country. Make their jobs obsolete, and the immigrants will come here legally. Find a way to inform them, many immigrants do not even try to get papers, because they think it is impossible. Educate, educate, educate. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, written on the Statue of Liberty

Story Submitted By E from Jackson Heights

I'm an American and I came to the US legally but I don't agree with those HYPOCRITS and SELFISH "legal immigrants" or US born sons and daughters of immigrants that condemn undocumented immigrants as if they were serious criminals and cry so much about the unfairness of any kind of immigration reform... Look at yourself in the mirror... look around you! Look at the situation of all the countries south of the border! I have neighbors and family members that are still undocumented and don't do anything but good to my community. When you insult them... you insult me! I love being an American, I love every inch of the United States, I love being a Latina, I love being bilingual, I love dancing Salsa and listening to country music, I love my home country, ... But most important I'm proud of being the daughter of a man that left everything behind, crossed the border "illegally," raised a good family, succeeded in what he did and that continues giving back to his community.

Story Submitted By Tracy from Cibolo

On both sides of my family, my ancestors arrived on this continent in the 1700's as 12 year old indentured servants who greatfully worked hard for the privilege of a fresh start in the New World. My family tree can be traced all the way back to vikings of the 7th century. I am part English, Irish, German, Cherokee, and who knows what else. I even have distant relatives of African descent. But above all, I am a proud American. I'm sure my forefathers didn't understand the process or the culture when they came here but I thank God for their determination to build a new life and a new nation. The United States of America really is the best country in the world and I don't blame anyone for wanting to live here. Besides, historically we thrive on immigration. I hope our leaders realize this but I also hope our immigrants realize that they need to embrace our culture and not resist it. Remember, there's a good reason they risk so much to leave their own country to get here. Our system isn't perfect but it's been making the "American dream" a reality for millions of people for over 200 years. Embrace it, don't erase it, don't replace it.

Story Submitted By L from Boston

I am a Brazilian woman, who came to the United States six years ago on a tourist visa, and I fell in love with this country. I didn't plan to stay as long as I have, but I just couldn't leave. Slowly I am building my life here, and hoping and praying that a law will be passed in Congress allowing me, along with 11 other million people, to become legal residents and eventual American citizens. This country has given me opportunities to grow and dream of a better life for myself in a way that my country has never given me. In fact here I *dare* dream, because in Brazil you just cannot dream. I am also an English teacher. I graduated in college and came here soon after. About a year ago, I started my own English as a Second Language tutoring business, and have now 10 students. My business is registered, so I pay taxes on it. Some students are from Brazil and some are from Thailand. Not all of them are illegals, but all of them work very hard. They all want to stay here, find better jobs, and contribute to this great country, just like I do. Thank you.

Story Submitted By S from Gilbert

Hello, I am Stephanie and I am 13 years old. My best friend is an ilegal imigrant and I think she deserves to be legal here because all the poeple who are against illegal imigration have NO IDEA what children who came here illegally go through. I often talk to my friend and she says that is is extremelly hard to live like that. She says that the pression that is put on her is inmense [She is a daughter of a single mother, who brought her and her brother to the U.S looking for a better life for her and her brother and for them to learn to speak English]She says that she allways has this inmense fear that never leaves her mind, she is allways scared when she and her family go out on the streets and she see a police car, she gets so nervous and starts shaking becuase she thinks their are gonna stop her and they are gonna send her mom to jail, and she will be all alone with her brother. My friend's mom is a VERY hard woriking mom, she works two jobs just to support them. All she is doing is ensuring the sake of her children so they will be poeple of good. She leaves their home very early and comes home very late after many hours of hard work.My friend feels like she is a criminal but all she really is doing is trying to grow up and be a good citizen, wich she wishes was a U.S citizen. She hasn't seen her family in years and its really hard for her because she is alone all day at home. Her family is a ordinary family ,they never get in trouble with the law, and they even pay taxes. I think the U.S government should do something about imigration. I think they should be an amnsty so all those hard working people can be finally here legally. Another thing I want to mention is that we are ALL imigrants. We came from pilgrims, we were NOT the first ones on this land. It was the native americans, but we took their land. MIGRATION should not be ilegal, when somenoe migrates it is for a better life, because they cannot have one were they are now. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?! it is common scence people!

Story Submitted By John from tucson

Hello. I am an American. I have recently become interested and concerned with the immigration reform issue. I have been on the internet tirelessly for the past two days researching the issues. I have tried to look at both sides of the argument but admittedly have leaned towards the against side. My background is as follows: I am a white native born citizen. I grew up in upstate New York. I grew up very poor in what I would call the old country ghetto. The old country ghetto is where the earliest poor immigrants, Irish, African-American and Italians lived. The most recent additions to this ghetto have been Russians, Asian, and Hispanic. I am Irish and Russian. When I say poor I mean my parents never owned a car, my younger brother and I shared a room, and all the other poor kids would make fun of my family and me because we were even poorer than them. I grew up with prejudice all around me from all sides but always tried to make my own decisions and judgments. I was a smart kid but I got in with a bad crowd and didn't graduate high school. When I was young I considered myself an anarchist if anything and was against most majority establishments I perceived as stealing my opportunities and keeping me in a poverty status. With no high school diploma and an unplanned pregnancy I had no choice but the military. I was lucky to even get in without a GED or high school diploma. It has been the most difficult thing I have ever done and has changed my life. I lost my first marriage and have gone to war. I was able to take away some things from that experience and now have a decent career, a second wife and second child. As I grow older. I found myself unable to blame others for my problems and have been forced to take responsibility for my own actions. And as much as I hate it, I have found myself identifying more and more with Republican values. I do not consider myself a racist and try to not be prejudiced, but as an African-American friend once explained it is hard not to be inherently prejudiced no matter what walk of life you come from. He asked me if when talking to someone else about him as my friend if I would add the fact of his race or ethnicity to better define him. It seems to hold true. Most people would add the information autonomously, no matter what walk of life you come from. While serving in the Armed forces I had the opportunity to live and work with people of all races and ethnicities. I was delighted at one point to find out that my child's best friend at daycare that he constantly talked about was an African-American girl. Though we were surprised at her ethnicity because he had failed to mention he saw no difference in color, just a friend. I have seen prejudice from all sides, amazingly enough, more so from minorities although in more ugly forms from whites. In the U.S. military there are less white people than all the other minorities combined. Although it will certainly spark outrage, I myself have felt discrimination. Case in point. I went to the financial aid office with my Native American wife. After helping my wife, the lady asked if she could help me. She couldn't as I am rich white American working to make a living so I would be expected to pay for my own college. But my wife can pretty much get a free ride. An older Native American once scolded her for considering joining the Armed Forces to become a nurse. She was told that she had more than enough opportunity to get a free college education. She shouldn't have to join the military and suffer for it. No the suffering should be left for us white people who were unlucky enough to be born poor When I first saw the news about Immigration Reform I was amazed at the medias portrayal of the issues. It seemed that everyone was talking about the inhumane treatment of human beings by the U.S. government. It seemed to me that there were other issues at hand like the burdens on our social and economic programs, our lack of funding for public schools, border patrol, social security, healthcare, immigration, law enforcement, drug enforcement, all of these which seem deeply intertwined with the problem of illegal immigration. I normally as a rule try not to put my faith entirely on everything I read or here as the author inherently biases everything written and nothing can truly be subjective. So I have tried to read about both sides of the issue. I have looked at the minuteman site and various sites and it is a shame they sound so crazy. I have also seen the Aztlan site and read various news articles. I don't have the answers, and it is clear that there are problems on all sides and there are no simple solutions. But some truths seem to keep ringing clear. Most of the against sites talk about issues that seem to be logical and based in fact although I have seen different ranges of numbers when it comes to healthcare, and social aid issues. Most of the for sites talk about humanity issues and the potential contributions of immigrants, things that cannot be quantified. Both sides blame the politicians for inaction and poor enforcement of existing laws and policies. In my opinion the against sides call for Americans to wake up and be educated and voice their opinions with their vote and not allow politicians to be bullied. The for sides seem to cry out that they deserve all the rights that America is founded on and that everyone deserves a chance like our forefathers. Most people I know don't agree with the methods being used to solve the immigration issues but that it is a problem that needs to be solved. It seems that the against sites are asking for tougher policies and tougher enforcement. It seems that the for sites are demanding for leniency and threatening if their demands are not met. I found it amazing that illegal immigrants are demanding driver's licenses, social security cards, and education. There reasons for their demands are that they are trying to live the American dream and they deserve it because they just want to work here and contribute to our society. It seems to me that in a court of law that an accused offender cannot use the insanity plea if they are found to be aware of the fact that they are committing a crime and must be held responsible for there actions. The immigrant's plea sounds to me like a mitigation of the circumstances in which they were forced to commit a crime and therefore are not responsible for their actions. That is the one truth that rings clear in all the arguments for immigration reform. That they are aware that they are are guilty of a crime but there are mitigating circumstances that should make them exempt from the responsibility of their crimes. I keep reading that people tried to do it the right way but were forced to get illegal social security cards and drivers licenses. That they dutifully paid taxes but never got a return. That now they have families and have made great contributions to society. And now they have been caught in their ongoing illegal activities and it isn't fair to tear apart families because they broke the law and got away with it. It is terrible that they are forced to return to their countries and live a life of poverty when their only crime is breaking laws that supposedly don't hurt anybody. There are other laws that supposedly don't hurt anybody like prostitution, the victimless crime, and drug abuse that only hurts the user right. I have not always done the right thing, and have paid my dues and cried out my mitigating circumstances, but have always known in my heart that the responsibility was all mine. If you are using a fake social security card, driving without a license or insurance, lying to your employer, voting, attending school, owning a home, or vehicle using your fake social security card, you are not innocent. You are not being forced to commit these crimes. You are making a choice with full knowledge of the consequences. You have full knowledge of the effect it will have on your children, family, and loved ones if you get caught. Take responsibility for your actions. You don't deserve leniency or amnesty. You made these choices fully aware of the consequences and would do it again if given the choice. If you get caught accept the consequences. So my final say is that the world is tough all over, and I feel the pain of the families and the decent people just trying to get by, but it is time to man up and take responsibility for our actions. We need to take tough stances in order to solve the immigration problem and a lot of people will be hurt but more people will be hurt in the long run if let blame game continue

Story Submitted By R from Cleveland

I came to this country legally, had my green card, became "citizen", however, all this did not make me "American". I was American way before I landed in this country. I was born in America, my ancestors were born in America. My grandparents did not come from Europe or any other part of the world, therefore I am proud to be American, not because a piece of paper says so, it is just because this is my land. Anyway, what makes people "American citizen"? This is my question, who legalized "Americans" when they came from Europe and took over Indians and Mexicans' lands. Did they go through the "legal" process? Who made the laws? Indians? This is what is killing my brain at this time. Maybe this question makes me ignorant, maybe I should go to pick cottom or just go back home. Oh, I have another question and I hope a smart "American" person can answer this question, why Latin Americans only, why not Europeans Illigal aliens are not being harrassed, maybe because is just a cousin or uncle of an "American citizen". Why my mother, my brother or my neighbor? Do we bother you when you visit our countries? You don't even need an ID to reside in our countries. There is lots of vacant land in USA that we can all share without bothering anyone, it is ironic how Americans focus on showing their children how to share, why don't we share compassion and understanding, there is no space in our countries for all this people that you're trying to send home, there's not a home for this people anymore. Remember, this world belongs to God and is his decision of where he wants to place us.

Story Submitted By Andrew from Florence

I once belonged to an exclusive gated community with a members only golf course in the mid 1980's. The membership fees were in the 40's at that particular time. One day while a few friends and I were playing golf on the course, we came to a crossover area between holes where a snack shack and the driving range were located. On my way to the snack shack to buy some refreshments, two caucasian men approached me carrying empty buckets for golf balls and requested that I fill them with balls for them. I looked around befuddled as to why they would even conceive of approaching me and suddenly came to the sobering realization that I was the only hispanic individual in the present vicinity. I just smiled and related to them that I was not an employee but one of the owners and they sheepishly apologized with a quizzical look on their faces and quickly retreated from my presence. That's when I came to realize the prevalent and powerful misconceptions and stereotypes my people must strive to overcome and obliterate in this country. We should all consciously "Endeavor to Persevere" with the thought in the forefront of our minds that "Si se puede"! For one day the splendor and glory of our beautiful ancestry shall be acknowledged and our proud voices reveberate throughout the land "I am an American"!

Story Submitted By Julio from Houston

I'm Proud to be An American Because I Born In EL SALVADOR CENTRO AMERICA & El Salvador is also america. To me "AMERICA" is from Chile to Canada Now "I'M AMERICAN CITIZEN" And As A Citizen I suport The Immigration Reform. Thanks, Julio.

Story Submitted By Ray from NYC

I'm proud because I became US citizen legally.

Story Submitted By ismeny from SANFORD

well i am 16 yrs old many would think that im only a child but that doesnt matter my parents we're born in mexico, guerrero to be specific and well they brought us to this land to live a better life than the one they lived. They did'nt want us to suffer the way they did they want us to progress in life and make ourselfs useful of us and this land. I know that many "Americans" would not want to do the jobs most of the hispanic do.Why you may ask it is because we are willing to do whatever it takes to live a better life and to make an example to our children so they understand how hard it is for us to get here and then be considered criminals when rappers and such are out and about doing their things and when all we do is work and try to live a better life we are considered criminals they just dont understand the real meaning of a criminal we should be considered heroes because without us the economy would be by the grounds and with us here we make this place The Real America!!

Story Submitted By Jennie from Denver

I am an American, many of my friends and family have often heard me say thank God I was born in America. I would not change my country for any other, ever. I have always felt this way. I also will tell you how frustrated I get with all this immigration MESS! I can not believe how people in the government are so ignorant. Everyone with any sense can see the good (most) Mexican immigrants do for our country. I have been to many different parts of Mexico, and know for certain that most Americans could not or would not live there. I myself love going down there, it's beautiful. When I go I stay with my fiancee's family, not in some exclusive Hotel. I live like they live and they live a very hard life. That is why they come to the land of the free, home of the brave. They all have a dream to better themselves and their families. All this talk about legal and illegal has given me a headache. My fiancee, Juan came to America with the same dream. We met 6 years ago and have been together ever since. In my eyes and in my heart he is my husband, my partner,my friend,and an important part of our family. My brother has a family reunion every 2 years and Juan has gone with me twice. We have taken my daughter's children traveling with us various times. They have seen a great wonder Mt.Rushmore, because of Juans love for my family and his kindness. He is a good person and has never done anything that makes my less proud of him. Well, then we decide he should be here in American legally. He voluntarily returned to his home in Mexico, (Sept 2004) to do things right and in the mean time I applied for an fiancee petition. Since that date we have had many appointments in Juarez with the consulate. To make a long story short, he is still there, it has been over a year and we are still waiting for his return. When I read some of these stories, I can only feel sad for them and their families to have to be apart from some one they love. It has been very hard for me. I am a widow, and I somtimes feel like I have lost another husband and grieve like I have done before. Where are the answers to these immigration problems I don't know, but I wish someone would get it right and stop all this sadness and suffering for us, the real people, who live with these kind of problems every day of their lives.

Story Submitted By gloria from Lakewood

Hi, I found your article on 9News.com. I am so happy and proud to see that I am not alone. On the day when illegals were told not work. I wore red a blouse and an american pin. I was asked by a fellow co-worker why I was wearing that. My answer to her was Iam not a mexican I am an American, I was born here. She said the mexican are only doing work that we don't want to do. I told that is not true, they not only take good paying jobs. But take advantage of our system,don't pay taxes, live in our section 8 housing their childern are on the free lunch programs. All the money they do make is sent back to Mexico. I was rather upset with this person. Told her don't come to my country and shove you flag down my throat. You need to obey our laws and respect our country. If President Fox would take care of his people they would have no need to cross our borders. Thank a proud American Gloria Cordova

Story Submitted By Vinc from Boulder

Hi, I am very proud to be a part of the United States of America. My family has been here in the Denver to Las Vegas, NM area since before the United States was. I understand there are A LOT of us who were never immigrants to the US. I'm descended from Spanish and Native Americans, the very definition of Mexican. I'm pretty sure most folks in the US are ignorant of Mexicans who never immigrated. I mean were the Conquistadors considered immigrants? Here's a story for you. My uncle Mike was working a construction job in Denver once and was picked out by the INS as an illegal immigrant. They demanded to see his green card. He explained he had no need for one. They demanded proof of citizenship with his birth certificate. At this point he was upset of course and asked if they carried their birth certificates. This got him no where. Also, they wouldn't accept his drivers' license or social security card since they said those were easily faked. He was picked up and almost shipped to Mexico. I don't know the details of how he avoided being deported. Thank you for your work regarding these issues.

Story Submitted By Buck from Warrenton

I am an American. I have worked in Law Enforcement for over 25 years. I have had to learn to speak Spanish in order to insure that Hispanic people who live and work in my country can get equal treatment by my government. Everyday I have contact with people who drive without a license, have no insurance, no Social Securty Number, and cannot talk with me because they don't respect my country enough, where they are living, working, and supporting their families, to learn to speak our language. My parents could not afford to send me to college. I started working when I was 14. I have supported myself since I was eighteen, without the help of welfare, and free medical care. I pay my taxes, I obey and respect the laws of the country that I live in. I have never had sex with a 13 year old, because that is permitted in some other country. I do not expect Mexico to use the English language on their signs, and documents. I do not belive that if I can sneak something in from my home country, that it is perfectly legal to use it in this country. I am proud to be an American. I am not proud that my tax money is used to house, cloth, educate and medicate the people in my country who do not abide by the laws of my country. If you don't agree to abide by our laws, stay home. If you do, WELCOME, and enjoy the fredoms of American.

Story Submitted By Richard from Nederland

I was a proud American when the government respected the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. I was proud to be an American when the governement didn't use the excuse of invading another country to take away civil liberties at home. I was a proud American before the current administration increased the income gap between the super-wealthy and the rest of us. I was a proud American in the time when there was some kind of social saftety net available to anyone in need. I was a proud American until bankrupcy laws didn't differentiate between those who were destitute because of job loss, illness, and/or divorce and those who spent themselves into financial trouble. I was a proud American when immigrants were treated as people deserving respect regardless of their documentation status. I was a proud American before the nativist fringe pushed the idea that public services such as health care and education were available to just certain people. I personally would much rather see everyone in the US get basic health care. What is more dangerous, immigrants treated for infectious diseases or having them spread TB, flu, etc. to the general population because they couldn't get health care? What is more dangerous, immigrant children in school, learning about our country, and gaining basic skills or having them unsupervisied in the streets while their parents work 12 hour days, harvesting our food and cleaning our office buildings? I am the child of immigrants. My father immigrated from China in 1947 and became a successful physician, professor, and philanthropist despite some ugly episodes of bigotry in our family history. I was born in Chicago, IL.

Story Submitted By Joe from phoenix

i am proud to be an american because of men like my dad. my dad served 3 voulenteery tours in vietnam. hes 3rd tour was cut short when a rocket that exploded near him damaged his knee. he was sent home and later was honorably discharged. my dads love of his country and his willingness to serve when so many did'nt want to was very inspiring to me. all i wanted in life was to join the air force like my dad but due to health issues i was undesireable and could not join. still i remained a proud american and i got involved with veterans service and the D.A.V. and now i serve those bold men and women that fought for our beloved country. i am proud to be an american and serving american heros. this country would not be where its at today without our veterans and i encourage any who may read this to join in and support your local veterans. its a labor of love for your country and the heros who served in her defense. thanks dad....... sincerly, joe p.

Story Submitted By Aldridk from Union City

As one of the few Cubans on this blog-(which most of you who are so. & central americans know very well where we stand on the immigration issue) and after reading most of this entire blog, I will say this: Illegal is Illegal, no matter what purpose or intentions people come here for. I'm not against immigrants of any race, gender or religious preference in particular, that would be a ridiculous stance, since this great nation is made up of immigrants. My opinion is based primarily on the just the facts. I have many so. & central American, as well non Spanish friends, who I feel are excellent people. I enjoy the diversity of any culture (music, foods, languages etc.) But I have no respect or sympathy for people who migrate to this country illegally and have no respect for others, for the laws of this country (whether they work or not), no respect for the language, customs, flag, etc & to top it all off, expect the same rights and liberties as those who are here legally. Living in NJ and primarily in a predominant Spanish area, I have been witness to the changes all around me for the more than a decade; and all I can say, is that is it has not been for the better. Quality of living has diminished, areas are overcrowded, neighborhoods are dirty and the list goes on. What has been the main attributing factor to these changes? Well, it saddens me to say-but it has been the tremendous never ending wave of illegal immigrants-that has been the main catalyst in this area. In my travels, I have met many people, illegal & legal, and again, it's unfortunate, but true-there is a pattern whether we, the legal Spanish population would like to admit or not. I'm not saying that every one is the same, but the overall majority. I was not born in this country, nor did I come running at the time that Fidel took over. My parents & I lived through the "revolution" & through "Fidel", I know very well, what it is to have & to have not- Nevertheless, we came here legally and had to wait for that "Privilege" for a while. So again, I cannot have sympathy for everyone. As great as the idea of equality sounds- we are all not created equal; unless it's in some deep spiritual context, but other than that, it's totally absurd. Some of us are smarter, some of us are stronger, some of us are wealthier and the list goes on-these facts are undeniable and utterly logical. Everything has a dual counterpart-black/white, good/bad, etc. that is the very fabric of being. People do need to understand and co-exist with each other, but it cannot & will never be done, by imposing your personal views & opinions on others, specially on the overall majority. We do need to solve this immigration problem and I am confident that where there's a will, there's a way-But force will not work on either side. The government must concede in some aspects and so must the illegal population. Which at this point doesn't seem to be the case. They all want to stay, whether they deserve it or not-& u hear statements as to the economy like-Immigrants do the jobs that we don't, etc. Totally ridiculous, how many years has Tyson been in business? Who worked in their plants cleaning chickens and so on, before the sunami of immigrants came-who tended our lawns before them, did we not have farms or vegetables in our supermarkets before them?? Governments are at fault for letting this problem get to this point-Now, we'll have to wait for the next presidential elections- since by that time-they'll be killing each other for votes or maybe not-maybe we'll see private militias pratoling borders- Whatever it is, I cannot predict, but this situation needs & has to change for the sake of us all.

Story Submitted By Jenny from St Louis

In St Louis I get viewed as a Mexican illegal who is going to be working for minimum wage when she grows up.The worst part is that I am US Citizen who loves her country.People here only look at my skin and not at me. I am a great person with loving family. I wish that people wouldn't judge me by my face, my hair, and my skin. I am 15 and moved to St Louis three years ago; I have faced more racism here than I ever did in Miami. Life here is different, its either the whites, the blacks, or the asians that get appreciated for there potential. People don't realize that I am in the top 3 percent of my class, talented, and dedicated. I hope that places like this will,one day,learn that Lations are just as good as anyone else. People need to stop judging us by stupid stereotypes and get to know us as individuals.

Story Submitted By Carmen from Chandler

I'm a proud American, and proud immigrant. I came to this country legally 15 years ago the same day I got married. Having the experience of living in Mexico and the USA has given me a clear vision of the difficult issue of illegal immigration. I also know in detail the process of legal immigration and naturalization that even public commentators and politicians do not fully understand. Given my background I support the legalization of our fellow immigrants that are forced by economic circumstances to leave their countries for better lives and opportunities. My family commitment to the immigrants on our community goes beyond words and feelings. My husband have supported the Carl Hayden Robotics Team as a mentor for several years, and actively participates in the re-introduction of the DREAM act in Congress so good immigrant kids go on to college and eventually obtain citizenship. We have participated in the marches for immigrant rights and personally I volunteer in my public library in outreach programs to integrate the Spanish speaking community to the library's services. We feel lucky that through the process of helping the undocumented we have the opportunity to meet awesome individuals that will make the most desirable citizens to our great country. Now I will ask you.... What are you going to do?

Story Submitted By Vanetta from Smithsburg

I am an American Born and Raised! I am Proud to be. But look the reason I came to this site is because I believe that there are several "Americans" "saying" the wrong things and are trying to push their beliefs on others just for a "vote". Look first I hear and read how "all" of the illegals are "taking" from the "americans" or "legal" Documents workers here in the USA. I would like for someone to show "Me" the proof! I am married to a now-legal permanent resident. Yes he came here at age 18 to make a better life for his self. He work for years illegally only keeping enough food for food, room and board. The rest was sent to his parents back in mexico so they too could eat. He wasn't or never has asked for a lending hand from the United States. He has worked for everything he has. We got married at age 18 and it took us over a year for him to get legal documentation to work and provide for our family. I a US Citizen from American Indian/German background. He has had other family members who have came to the united states to work and provide for their now families. Most work 2-3 jobs; each work more than any american I know. My husband now after 19 years have provided for his self and has made his "american" dream come possible by raising a family, purchasing 2 home, vechicles and now owning a company. But still will only be a "permanent resident" because he too is proud to be a "Mexican Citizen" and a permanent resident of the US. I see how the "government" or "other oranizations" try to say that "Illegal" immigrants are taking from the "legal" citizens? I would like to know what they are taking away from me? The "illegals" can't take anything from the government that the government isn't allowing them to take. I as an american it's hard for me as an US Citizen to recieve help in the past. So I would like to see some proof! Also, I always here that the immigrants want to be US Citizen??? Question I would like answered>>>How many of you asked them if they want to be US CITIZENS? I know and have known alot of Illegals in my life time..... maybe about 5% would like to have "citizenship" but I bet if you "ask" them they would like to have? 95% would as for no more than a "work permit" or be legal residents to come back in forth from their countries... Now wouldn't that benefit the United States of America? Or would it??? The government "counts" on the "Undocumented Social Security / Medicare / Taxes" to come in to pay the "US CITIZENS". What would our county do without the "illegal" immigration???? We would go straight into Depression... Yep I said it Depression! Is that were we " US AMERICAN'S" want to be at???? No! SO lets think about what people are saying and lets ask Questions what they are saying.... Show PROOF!!!! Second aspect of all of this.... If "americans" are complaining about the illegals taking "jobs" from us.... Lets put everyone that is on Welfare, unemployment etc..., out in the fields lets replace every illegal immigrant with one of those who complain they can't find a job.... and then lets see what there is to complain about... Thank you for you time...

Story Submitted By Amelia from Riverside

I emigrated with my family from Nicaragua over 26years ago (as a child) to the United States. Throughout my life I have encountered many individuals from many different ethnic origins who have many stories to tell and are from various social, political and economic backgrounds. The exposure to so many cultures and views has given me a foundation to raise my children to be tolerant and loving human beings to all individual. My parents brought us to the United States due to the civil unrest/revolution of Nicaragua to ensure that we were given all the freedoms that are taken for granted in our daily lives. My parents instilled very important lessons in our upbringing...one of heritage and one of assimilation. My parents were wise enough in their youth as parents to know that our journey through the American Dream is driven by our own efforts and therefore raised us like most immigrants in this country that knew they would make this their home...they taught us to love America and to embrace the culture/customs, while always reminding us of our birthplace and the wonderful stories of their childhood, the past, the politics, the good and the bad of our heritage/country. I am very proud to be an American! I am very proud that my parents worked hard and assimilated in language, citizenship, and education and took all the opportunities offered by this country to become who they are today. I am also very proud that my children are first generation Americans who will have access to all that America offers as a parent will ensure they understand that we respect, treasure and will always support America. I am sad to see that so many individuals have experienced negative situations and continue to encounter situations like these today. I do however want to remind all, that all of us have biases and prejudices of one kind or another. No one is exempt. In my own experiences I have even encountered fellow Hispanics that have blatantly discriminated against me due to having friends/boyfriends from other ethnicities. I hope that this site will encourage unity as "Americans"...and not encourage further division between ethnicities by capturing only the negative.

Story Submitted By Jeremy from Birmingham

I am an American by birth, and each day as I get older I realize how much I have been able to take for granted. It seems as though five years ago all I had to worry about was getting a diploma. Now I have to worry about whether my neighbor can marry whomever they please, or whether a person seeking to improve their families lifestyle will infringe on my space. Let me say that in school I was taught that this land is a melting pot, that we take the poor and the sick that we are loving and have open arms. I am an American by birth and will remain so by choice. If you want to be an American come here no matter what the stakes be a part of this nation. Welcome home! From a proud American.

Story Submitted By Jesus from San Bernardino

Im the proud son of Jesus M. Tiznado he became a US Citzen when He enlisted in the US Air Force in 1968 during the Vietnam War. He decided that Enlisting in the Air Force was the best choice for him after struggeling as an Immigrant teen in the barrio of Watts California where my Grandfather still lives. With hopes of flying the great C130's and KC 135's he enlisted before he was Drafted. Due to his stigmatism he became a Mechanic for these Air Crafts. After 35 years in the Air Force he finally Retired from Civil Service and Reserves. I was born in Chanute Air Force Base back in 1972. After traveling I graduated from San Bernardino High school in 1990. After being in JROTC My best friend and I enlisted right before Desert Shield occured, on the Buddy System. In the Air Force I was a Fuel Specialist in 1992 I came down with Diabetes which is not a disease that runs in my family....I was Honorably Discharged under Medical conditions in 1992. After working for Homeland Security, I am now a 100% Disabled Veteran working at the Veterans Administration proudly serving our Veterans which I truley believe that they are our true Heros of all Races and Backgrounds!!!

Story Submitted By Michael from Ontario

I respect the different opinions about Illegal Immigration; however, they had been misinformed about certain issues. Read the following facts: The U.S. government already gets reimbursed by each country's deported immigrants. (Mexico Reimburse Money to the US for the people is deported). INS deported to the Border with Mexico and Then the Mexican Immigration makes them return to their Home State by Plain or Bus and being paid by the Mexican Government. Illegal Immigrants do pay taxes, rent, mortgage, food, clothes, entertainment, etc. and they are not by every exit of the freeway to ask for money. Like every other White American People. Illegal Immigrants pay federal, state, local, FICA, and Medicare taxes; those are deducted and never claimed by them or any relatives. IRS and Social security keep them. Medicare is not even available to legal residents, only citizens. How do you claim that Illegal Immigrants taken advantage of this service? 5. Women who give birth are only seen in emergencies (this's UN's rules, which the U.S. not always follow). How do you claim that Illegal Immigrants flowed the Hospital and using the services? 6. Some legal immigrants and U.S. citizens receive food stamps (no longer available for legal residents), and they are the ones who exchange it for cash. Yes, documented immigrants use food stamps, but after they paid with hard earned-cash. This service is not available for Illegal Immigrants. How do you claim the taking advantage of this service? 7. Even legal immigrants work in poor conditions; have neither medical/health insurance benefits nor retirement plans. Just imagine undocumented people? 8. So, do you have more questions? 9. Just a constructive positive criticism: You can be proud and grateful of this country like I am, but you can't forget about your roots and where you come from. I am proud of the U.S. and this is where I live, but I have a big heart that I can love two countries at the same time. I won't forget where I come from, because that, -If I forget who I am. My present is the result of my past. Many of you question people marching with the Mexican flag in our own Country well what about Irish people?? Do we not celebrate St. Patrick Day?? Which flag do they show American?? Nooo. Do they show patriotism to America? NOOO. They said they are proud to be Irish, Like any other Ethnicity many of you just playing Hypocrisy on your minds and been xenophobics about the idea that the Illegal's will take space on your Back yard. It will be hard to see my eyes if any Mexican illegal will ask you for money. And Remember they are not Only Mexican Illegal's in this Country. They are from all over the World. So Please, Before you go spouting ignorant jibberish about something you know nothing about, do some research, I believe you'll find that corporate CEOs taking hundred-million dollar a year salaries while shipping good jobs overseas are much more to blame for our collapsing economy than are illegal immigrants. September eleventh was a tragic event, not only for the obvious reasons, but also because it seems to have turned us into a nation of ignorant xenophobes.

Story Submitted By Antonio from Acworth

I've been in this country and this city since 1978. I have a 28-year old daughter who was born here. I am more native to Atlanta, GA. than most people around me. I got my Permanent Residency via the legal channels, because I had the education and technical expertise to motivate a company to sponsor me. Anybody who says every immigrant who comes to this country must do so legally, is either deeply ignorant of how the low-skilled job market works, or is a hypocrite. Anybody who says we live in a nation of laws and undocumented workers deserve punishment for breaking Immigration laws, is definitely a hypocrite; nobody can be so ignorant of how real life works. For years friends and loved ones have encouraged me to apply for citicenship; what they couldn't achieve, the lower House of Congress did when they passed that ridiculous law that makes breaking Immigration law a felony. I'm going to vote in the next elections, and all the ones after that. And I will never forget. It is time for politicians to know that from now on, there is a heavy price to pay for pandering to xenofobes to win votes. It is time for regular Americans to know that we are not the enemy; we are the new blood that helps keep America vibrant. America changes immigrants more than immigrants change America. For the better.

Story Submitted By Mike from Orlando

This is a story about my wife who I love and am doing every thing I can to resolve this according to the law. I don't know if I am proud to be an American today but I was proud to march on May 1st with all those who aspire to become citizens. I was born in raised hear but on that day marching with mainly hispanic people I was ashmed to be an american. Also is a link to letter I sent to congress http://capwiz.com/congressorg/sbx/f/?aid=8724481&r=1 Gaby Came to the United States in 1993 seeking political asylum from her home country of Peru. In 1996 she met her husband Mike and they got married in March of 98. They have two daughters Leandra 8 and Emily 5. Gaby has been working since she came to the US. She has lived her life like any working mother splitting her time between the office and home. She is the type of person who puts her needs before others and is loved by many. For 13 years Gaby has worked, and paid taxes like every other American Thats all she wanted to be.On April 26, 2006 Her families life was turned upside down when immigration agents came into her house like a swat team at 6:00 am and arrested her in front of her two daughters who where to afraid to come out of their rooms. Her husband had to sit helplessly by as they took her away.She was transferred later that day from Orlando to the Citrus County Jail North of Tampa. She has been there since. Sincerely, Mike VanAmburg

Story Submitted By Pedro from New York

I'am an American Citizen born and raised in East Harlem. My parents are from Puerto Rico (US Territory). Therefore thats supposed to make me a citizen of the USA. The Constitution of the United States of America says ALL men are created equal and that we as citizens of the USA have certain inalienable rights. I was a NYC Police Officer, a job from which I retired. Paid taxes all my life. Worked hard to get ahead and contribute to society. My father worked as a dishwasher(mind you, he's a US citizen) most of his adult life before hitting the "jack pot" and getting a teamsters job in building maintenance.My mother was a housewife. My brothers bled for this country serving in the armed forces of the USA. And everything I describe above is called paying dues and earning your keep. Yet today I find myself married to a citizen from honduras who entered the USA ilegally. We were married here in the USA and have a baby born to us here in the USA. She is not, never was and never will be a criminal. Common sense, compassion, human dignity and the US Constitution should dictate that I have the so called "inalienable right" to marry whomever I choose and that I should have the right to legalize my wife without decades worth of waiting and red tape. However as it stands now I have no right to legalize her. Oh yeah, she can leave now and accept the 10 year or more bar from re-entering the USA. And what about our baby born in the USA? Do I split her in half and send one half with my wife to Honduras? The rascist and xenophobic entities in the USA call these babies anchor babies. They are not. They are citizens of the USA who also have every right to live in the USA and have their parents here with them. I believe it's called in the constitution the "right to the pursuit of happiness". However, the USA has taken a rascist and xenaphobic turn for the worse and is now persecuting the very people who are not only our neighbors but also are every bit as American as we are, ie. Central America, South America. My wife with her Honduran passport is entitled to Spanish E.U. Nationality (citizenship) within 2 years of residing in Spain. As it stands now, with the exception of England, another country that shares this xenaphobic attitude with the USA, my wife does not require any visa to enter most countries in the E.U. It is ironic, sad and disgusting that Spain will allow my wife all the rights that she should have here in the USA but my own country will deny her these rights. Oh yeah, before you say "why don't you go to Spain then", my answer in advance to you is "Damn right thats where I'm going". But for the record, I don't recall reading in the US history books(written of course from a white US and flawed perspective) that the native americans were asking the settlers from england for green cards as they landed on the shores of their land. Neither did I read about native americans telling the so called settlers to speak native american only. There is but one true red blooded american. That is all native american people including the native american people from central and south america. Unfortunately most of the families here in my situation are not retired and thus cannot just pickup and leave. So much for "give us your tired , your hungry and huddled masses." Now you also have the "Dudly do rights" in this world who say "you have to have laws" to whom I reply "when you have a law or laws that enslave people, destroys families and is a law that has no room for compassion or mercy, then every citizen has a right and more so an obligation to do everything in their power to circumvent, go around, go over and destroy that law until that law is not just changed but until that law or any semblance of it no longer exist. Any society that boast of being the best and most free society ever cannot make such a claim if their laws are not tempered with mercy and compassion. Laws without mercy or compassion are draconian in nature and any society that lives under draconian laws must expect one day for the world community to apply the same standard to them. I'am not proud to say that I'am a citizen of the USA anymore. In fact, I don't very much feel American at all anymore. I'm just looking foward now to leaving here and putting the USA behind me forever more.