My Plight

This is a story/poem (I am not sure what to call it yet) that I have been working on for the past 8 months, it is not quite finished but I want to share what I have so far because it talks about my life and the struggles we face as immigrants. I still don't have a title for it so if you have any suggestions let me know. Thanks for reading and supporting the cause...

One day my mom said “No more”
She finally got tired of being ignored

All she wanted was to pack a few things
And we started our journey to the land of the free

All of a sudden I saw from afar
The land of opportunity, where we would have our new start

This new life seemed like a dream
And against my will I slowly gave in

Growing up I was told education was the way
My one and only chance to make amends

Talking to my parents it was agreed
I would finish high school within three years

My counselor said this was impossible, it couldn't be done
“You’re a Hispanic this has never happened before…”

What gave me away, how did you know?
Since when being Hispanic became a curse!

Was it my last name or
The birth mark in my face?

Whatever it was they had made up their mind
To stop me at all costs without being kind

With a lot of anger and a lot of spite
I decided to put up a fight

With a lot of struggles and against all odds
I made my way through the crowds

There I was shaking hands, a few more steps

And in my hands I held up my diploma with a proud stare

I made it! I went all the way!

Yet in the middle of my happiness
A new giant I had to face

In the blink of an eye everything changed
I even lost ownership of my own name

A new identity was given to me
An “alien” is what they made of me

Who came up with these terms I would like to know?
How dare they say I’m from another world!

No human being is illegal
Under God’s eyes we are all equal

Why does it matter where I am from?
Why so much hatred towards my own?

If only you knew, if only you dared
To take a quick glimpse of all my cares

My life would be easier if only you would
Just give me the opportunity to work as I should

“Be all you can be…” is what I hear
But without any papers “la migra” I fear

Not a day goes by when I am not reminded
That people like me is who they are after

I got trapped in a golden cage
Where all my dreams reside today

How long must I live like this?
How much more can I go through?

Since I came, until now
15 years have past me by

All these years of struggle and strife
An identity crisis is where I am at

I feel so frustrated, my entire being is incarcerated
How much longer is this going to take?

My American dream is fading away!

With much disillusion
You want to know the conclusion?

I am between a rock and a hard place
3 degrees and still no grace

Are you ready to hear this?
Are you prepared for what’s about to come?

You better pay attention, you better listen up
What I am about to tell will shock you even more

Even though I struggle to just stay afloat
I will keep on going without giving up

The more barriers that are put up the harder I’ll shout,

Till everyone listens to this battle cry

No matter what happens, no matter the cost
No matter how much this pain will hurt

I want you to know, I want you to see
We are not the people we are portrayed to be

We work hard, and we mean no harm
And it’s about time that you realize that!

The more you pretend like you don’t care
The bigger this is all going to get

Where we come from life is not a breeze
Why do you think we are all flocking here?

We don’t want to take advantage and steal your jobs
Come on be real, all we are looking for is a fair boss

We have families we need to support
Who deserve a future as bright as yours

We are at a point of no return
We can no longer be ignored!

What led me here...

For many years I thought that if I wanted to share my story it would mean that I’d be jeopardizing my life in this country. Tonight I changed my mind. It all started with a simple everyday need, to go get dinner, without thinking twice my husband and I agreed to go to the taco stand for a simple meal. When we got there we went through the normal ordering process and since we asked for a to-go meal it was given to us by a man who when you first glance at him you would just ignore. You can imagine my surprise when I noticed that he followed us all the way to the car. That was the turning point of what led me here. You see, this man noticed that we spoke Spanish to each other, and at the first opportunity he saw he did not waste anytime in expressing his need.

He was in this country undocumented. His name is Reynaldo,* he is from Chiapas, Mexico and is here looking for a job. He then proceeded to tell us that his wife and children were waiting in Laredo trying to make it here to be reunited once again. He has been helping the people at the taco stand for no money and in return they provide for him a place to sleep. This man was pouring out his heart and I immediately noticed the sincerity and humbleness in which he spoke. Then it hit me, he was asking us for help yet we are all here under the same circumstances; undocumented. I have been in this country for 15 years always fighting really hard to get ahead and after all these years I have grown accustomed to this way of life that I had forgotten the needs people like myself face.

Reynaldo* in the brief 3 minutes we spoke with him was able to awaken me from my somber, he made me realize that there is others just like him, people who tried their best to get ahead in their own country that after so many years of strife they decided to try their luck somewhere else. His sacrifice reminded me of someone’s I had almost forgotten; my parents. Stories like his deserve a voice; stories like mine need to be heard. I will no longer be a bystander in my own life. No matter the cost, no matter the criticism, no matter the intolerance, I will share with the world a glimpse of the lives of those who are forced to live in the shadows. The time of silence is over…