‘I am the same as everyone else’
Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2008 @ 1:39 am
José, a 19-year-old business major, lives his life as any other student, though he must hide his undocumented status. Photo by Daniel Clark/Nevada Sagebrush
Editor’s note: As a precaution, José and his friend Kyle will remain anonymous for this article. Both are University of Nevada, Reno students. José’s true name is being withheld. Kyle’s last name is omitted.
José knows life in Mexico only from the stories his parents tell him. Mostly he remembers hearing about how his dad never went to school and sometimes didn’t have enough to eat growing up.
Because of those struggles, José’s dad moved the family to America in 1994, where an education and a better life were possible.
Now a business major at the University of Nevada, Reno, the undocumented 19-year-old is fulfilling what his parents brought him here to do. And although he faces chances of prison time and deportation, José isn’t scared because life in America is all he knows.
“I am the same as everyone else,” José said. “I don’t live in the shadows. I’ve lived here for so long – the fact that I am here illegally doesn’t even go through my mind.”
When he was 4 years old, José slept in the backseat of the car while he, his two younger siblings and mother were smuggled into the United States. His father was already illegally in California when the rest of the family crossed into the United States to join him.
José and his family are not alone.
About 13 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
Every year, about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school and only about 10 percent go to college, according to the Immigration Policy Center.
José is one of those few attending American universities, despite the risk of being discovered and not qualifying for financial aid.
Education
José started learning English when he was five years old and quickly graduated from the English as a Second Language program about three years later.
He continued his education in California, earning about a 3.5 GPA throughout school.
José will never forget when he won the American Legion award in the eighth grade for showing courage, leadership and patriotism. He said one of his classmates teased about losing the award to José, who wasn’t even an American citizen.
At school, his peers surrounded him with American culture. Like many kids, he played baseball, basketball and football in high school and enjoyed hanging out with friends.
“I can probably speak English better (than Spanish) now and I know more American (than Mexican) history,” José said.
At home, his parents immersed him in his Mexican roots. He watches Spanish television and eats Mexican food. His family used to celebrate Mexican holidays, but now practices American traditions, like Thanksgiving, too.
Whether at school or home, José learned the value of education.
After graduating from high school in 2006, José tried to join the Marines, but he said he was rejected because he didn’t have a Social Security number.
“I wanted to do something for this country, put my part in, since I have been living here,” he said.
Disappointed, he applied for a few colleges and decided to attend UNR – which doesn’t require a Social Security number to apply.
“I want to get ahead in life,” said José, who is the first person in his family to go to college.
Now a sophomore in college, José is already working toward a business career. Last month, he used his tax identification number to get his business license.
He buys products like energy drinks and nutrition bars from an online marketing company and gets paid to endorse the products by telling other people about them. Then he sells the products for his profit.
He said he hopes the experience and the business degree he’s working toward will help him develop his online business into something bigger for the future.
“I’ve seen his work ability and it’s nothing different from a citizen,” said Kyle, who has known José for eight years. “He’s trying to contribute to the economy by going to school and getting a good job. He’s not just sitting around using what America has to offer.”
Unlike José, many undocumented students are unsure of what will happen next, according to UNR faculty who work with undocumented students. Many don’t apply for college – some fear exposing their families or can’t afford tuition.
According to the Immigration Policy Center, about 10 percent of undocumented students go to college. About 65 percent of U.S.-born high school graduates went to college last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Nevada System of Higher Education estimates about 447 undocumented Nevada high school graduates attend college, but they don’t know how many total undocumented students graduate from Nevada high schools.
All estimates are guesses because there are not efficient ways to track undocumented people, Jane Nichols, vice chancellor for NSHE, said.
“Universities just don’t have any way to know,” Nichols said. “We just don’t ask.”
UNR does not check whether prospective students are citizens of the United States and doesn’t require Social Security numbers on applications because of privacy issues, the admissions office said. The university accepts students based on their applications.
“If you meet the criteria, you meet the criteria,” Steve Maples, director of admissions, said. “I just want as many qualified people to come here as possible.”
If UNR were to find out about undocumented students, it would not report them because students’ information is protected through privacy laws, according to the admissions office.
However, all illegal immigrants are subject to deportation, regardless if they are students, said Lori Haley, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Our role is to ensure that people in this country are here legally and that our country is safe,” she said.
Financial aid
José learned being accepted to college wasn’t going to be as easy as just going to school – he had to decide how to pay for it too.
When he was filling out his Free Application for Federal Student Aid, he stopped when his eyes scanned to the fourth question.
It required a Social Security number, something he didn’t have.
Without a Social Security number or student visa, José is ineligible for federal scholarships, grants and loans.
So instead of upgrading their two 14-year-old cars or moving out of their apartment and into a house, José’s parents pay all his tuition while supporting their three other children.
“It sucks to know they could get farther ahead in life if it wasn’t for this burden (of) paying for my school,” he said.
To help pay for his living expenses, José occasionally sells beef jerky for untaxed cash in California. He resorted to buying a fake Social Security card in November so he could get a job in Reno too.A
lthough situations vary, it takes most undocumented people between seven and 10 years to gain legal status, said Marie Sebrechts, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
José’s parents have been trying to get citizenship for their family for a few years. He said the process is long and expensive. His mom has stopped putting in as much effort toward the process.
José plans to apply for citizenship after he starts his career. Although they are not citizens, José and his parents pay taxes.He said both of his parents also have fake Social Security cards so they can work.
José knows to be careful because one of his family members was caught using a fake Social Security number when he applied for a passport. He was deported after spending a year-and-a-half in a California federal prison.
José knows most businesses don’t check the numbers, but universities do when giving federal financial aid. He also knows not to carry his Social Security card with him because he’d receive a felony if he were caught.
“I see my friends and they don’t really have to worry about this stuff. They can get loans and scholarships,” he said. “I am happy for them that they don’t have to go through the burden that I have to go through.”
Most private scholarships require an application to the FAFSA, which requires a Social Security number.
“I would never recommend undocumented students to apply (and accept federal) financial aid because it is a criminal offense and it would place them in a worse position in the long run,” said Daniel Perez, an assistant professor of Chicano and Latino Studies at UNR.“It would lead to major issues when they apply for citizenship. It could ruin all their chances.”
Perez is also working with the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies, which is in the process of establishing a scholarship fund for undocumented students who have graduated from high school and are pursuing a college degree. The organization is one of few across the United States that will give or gives financial aid to undocumented students.
Araceli Martinez, program coordinator for the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, came to the United States illegally when she was six years old. Although Martinez became a citizen before college, some illegal immigrants who attend UNR confide in her, so she understands their struggles.
“They try to balance expenses with school and helping their family,” she said. “It’s not as easy for them to go to college and do well.”
More closed doors
José knows he’ll start a career once he has his business degree, despite challenges many undocumented people face in finding jobs. He said he knows people that will help him get through policies if problems happen when applying for jobs.
But for many students without legal status, getting a degree is a challenge. Many majors, like education, require internships, which require background checks and a Social Security number.
Perez said he knows students who base their career choices around a field they can earn a degree without legal status.
He said he’s talked to students who question whether they should go to school at all if they won’t be able to find a job after graduation.
“My advice to them is to always stay in school,” he said. “A degree is something no one can take away from you. Get as much education as possible because it helps build a case (to get citizenship) later.”
Once pursuing a degree, some students face worries about being discovered and deported.
Some UNR students told Perez they feared going to class or leaving their homes, especially when they hear about immigration raids, like the McDonald’s raids that captured local and national headlines last year.
Other undocumented students declined interviews from The Nevada Sagebrush in fear of being exposed.
“It’s a tragic situation,” Perez said. “Seeing them struggle and suffer and not having the same opportunities to pursue their dreams — there is something wrong about the way we are treating them.”
Perez said most of these students didn’t choose to come to the United States, so the barriers they face in getting an education are unfair.
About 2 million undocumented people under the age of 18 live in the United States, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
The DREAM Act, legislation that has been discussed in Congress for about seven years, would give illegal immigrants under 16 years old a path toward citizenship. They would be granted six years of legal residency if they graduate from a two-year college, complete two years toward a four-year degree or serve in the military for at least two years.
José is not hopeful the DREAM Act will pass because it has already been in Congress for so long.
For now, he plans to continue living in the United States illegally until he can get citizenship.
“I was raised here,” he said. “There’s better opportunity here. It’s the American dream.”
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April 15th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Maybe I missed it, but why hasn’t Jose applied for citizenship or permanent status?
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
The article is somewhat contradictory, as Jose (and many others) have been given great opportunity in this country. Jose’s story seems to contradict the notion of fear of retribution. This doesn’t really go with the blacked out face you’ve given him.
The only issue I see with his situation is that he has chosen not to be honest with the country that has given him so many great opportunities (and kudos to him for maximizing his potential here).
Perhaps the real problem is that it’s easier to lie to get what you want in America than it is to be honest and go through the process.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I agree. If ‘Jose’ has been here so long, then why not get the ball rolling in the process. Has he been paying taxes? If he has not he should not be at the University of Nevada as the U of N is funded by our tuition dollars, as well as tax dollars.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Read the story again.
Jose has a tax identification number which means he can pay taxes.
Also, his parents have applied for citizenship, but if you’re not aware, it costs a lot of money and takes many years to process.
This story was incredibly well-written, well-researched, and balanced.
Jose is to be commended because he’s taking advantage of his situation. It wasn’t his decision to be smuggled into the country by his parents– nor should they be blamed for trying to survive and put food on their table.
It is a fact that college-educated people contribute to the nation’s economy and job force, which is the reason education is subsidized. It’s a positive externality.
Like Prof. Perez said, he should continue with his school so he can make a case for citizenship later.
Thank you to Ms. Jessica Fryman and the newspaper for publishing such a great piece of journalism.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:54 am
No matter the reasons for doing so, using stolen social security numbers should be enough reason to deport a person to his country of origin.
Jose seems oblivious to the anxiety, credit damage, wasted time and money caused when law-abiding citizens suddenly receive notifications from the IRS that they’ve underpaid their taxes when someone like Jose has been working under a stolen SSN.
Yeah, it’s tough to become a citizen, and maybe it’s not fair that Jose had no choice to move here. But his blatant disregard for the problems he may be causing someone else indicates he might not respect other tough laws he judges unfair. Is this the type of person we want to reward with citizenship?
April 16th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Check the story again Corinna. Jose isn’t using a stolen social security card. It’s a fake one. He isn’t harming another person by using a “stolen” S.S. card.
The thing is, no one bothers checking it, so that’s how it’s not detected.
Jose isn’t “blatantly disregarding” anyone by using a fake social security card. The only hurt in the long run would be him if he got caught.
How about you quit extrapolating from the story?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:48 am
I thought this story was very well done. It provides an insight into a situation that millions of people in this country face everyday. The rest of us benefit from the work that they do, but we know little about what it costs them to be here.
We rarely balance the debate about immigration with a realistic look at the many ways our economy and social life depend on this work force, or on the human costs of current immigration policies.
For those who asked why Jose’s family hasn’t yet applied for or been granted citizenship, read some of these stories from The New York Times.
April 21st, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I am tired of people telling me I should feel sorry for illegal immigrants who are using services paid for by legal taxpayers, not paying taxes, stealing identities, committing fraud, filling our jails, sending money out of the country, driving up health care costs, not respecting our laws, and thinking we owe them something. Foreign students who are here legally pay out of state tuition and have to go through a lot to attend college. Jose is a foreign student who is here illegally and did not go through any of the proper channels to attend school here. Both of his parents have fake Social Security Cards and we do not know the story of the people who’s identities they stole or how much damage they have caused in the lives of the people they are impersonating. I will have to assume that Jose used a fake Social Security Number for his application to UNR. Jose and his entire family are criminals. It does not matter how nice of people Jose and his family are, they are here illegally and should be deported before they rip us off more.
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:26 am
Fake SSN’s are likely to be someone else’s real SSN. It doesn’t matter if they are “checked”, as taxes will be reported under that number whether the person committing fraud wants it or not. This means the IRS will likely be knocking on the door of the person who “under-reported” their taxable income, even if that income was brought in by someone else illegally using their number.
There are many difficult problems that need to be solved surrounding legal and illegal immigration, but making excuses for individuals breaking current laws isn’t going to help the situation. It only perpetuates the problem and pisses off the people who try to follow the process.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
This story was by far the best researched, written and detailed of all the stories this year Sagebrush. For those of you who say “I shouldn’t feel bad for ‘illegal immigrants’” try thinking again. I used to feel the same way. As a white person I was against free riding and the whole system that goes with it. I started listening to Latino’s views, educating myself on the process of becoming a citizen and the wall George Bush wants to build at our boarder- how very Chinese Commi of you Bush. But you are ignorant when you say they are doing all this harm to our country. First, they are paying taxes so technically they are not free riders to begin with. Secondly, people like Jose have called the USA their home and know more US culture and speak English better than their parents’ native land. Undocumented immigrants like Jose want a better life for themselves, the very reason their parents brought them here (like all of our ancestors!) Undocumented folks like Jose are so scared of being deported that they stay as far away from crime as they can. If they get busted by the law, they will go back. Give Jose and people like him a break. He receives no financial aid, no loans and little to no help from his parents. He busts his ass to get a college degree so he can have a successful future unlike being a poor farmer in Mexico or other Latin American countries. You’re in college- open your mind to these issues. The more racism and ignorance we have, the longer these issues will take to resolve. By reaching out to help struggling immigrants, only then can we have a beautiful UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Get involved with the Latino Research Center Student Advisory Board on campus. It will change your perspective and your life.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
PS Olavo
Do you remember that you didn’t use a SSN when you applied to college? They don’t ask for it due to security reasons. Only for financial aid. Get over yourself.
I like you “Bob” :)