Reply #121: Ex-illegal alien here! [View All]

[imlost]

My parents brought me here when I was one year old, yes illegally!
We are from the state of Michoacan and where extremely poor there.
My life would have been totally different if I would have stayed there.
I would have worked the land for almost nothing, married at the age of thirteen or fourteen.
My husband would have probably controlled my life and I would have gotten no education.
Just like other countries Mexico is not very good to its poor.
If many of you where living in Mexico you would do the same exact thing that many of these illegal immigrants are doing.
Your butts would be over here trying to make a better life for yourself, instead of remaining and not knowing when you would
get your next meal.

Growing up we were also poor, but we had so much more opportunity. My parents were janitors all there lives. They worked their asses of cleaning toilets and office buildings.
They were so proud of the work they did and for very little money. The idea that there kids could maybe have a better life here
brought them to tears.
I also worked my ass off. Before the age of 18 I had worked as a janitor, counselor, translator, in retail, and a nanny.
I also did it with pride. I worked full time to put myself through college.
We were never on welfare or food stamps. We worked our asses off.
Here I am today, a happy 30 something year old who has lived the "american dream"

I don't know what the answer is. I do agree that if you are committing an illegal act it is illegal no matter what.
I also know that when times are hard, us the "brown" ones get blamed because we are an easy target.
When times are good, "oh no problem just make sure you cut my lawn, cook my dinner, wash my dishes, clean the shit of my toilets, and
don't forget to vote for me." I'm sick of it. Both Mexico and the US are to blame for this issue before us. No one is willing to deal with
it because it isn't in there best interest. Business here benefits with the low wages and it has someone to the dirty work. Mexico benefits
because it is one less mouth to worry about, the money the illegals make abroad ends up going back to family and helps out its economy.

I agree you should deport them back but at the same time we should setup good workers programs to help both sides out.
The US and its people need to acknowledge that these workers are needed. The workers need to be respected.
I would have appreciated if Hackett would have elaborated. At this point I don't know what to think about him on this issue.
I still like the guy.

By the way it isn't only latinos coming across our borders illegally. We are the only ones that get crap for it.