Different Races, Different Rules

Considering that I myself am Hispanic and speak Spanish fluently, even though I was born in the U.S. I've seen what not only my family and friends have gone through, but also how others have struggled with the court to try to make a better living for themselves in a country that according to the law "Isn't there's and therefore they are not permitted in it."

Working at a fast food place I got to meet a lot of immigrants who have sneaked into the U.S. all for the same reason, to have a better life. I started to become really close with one of the cooks that I work with and at the same time I learned more and more about the struggle she goes through. She was Born In Mexico and came to the U.S. when she was only fourteen years old. She left everything she had including her family to attempt to find a better life, instead of living day by day searching for food in the streets and watching her back at all times. She found a job at Wendy's through a friend and from there her new life began. She learned English and had a lot of help from one of the managers who sadly past away about a year ago from a sudden heart attack. This was fatal news to her even though they only worked together, she looked up to him and saw him as another father figure. She even met her future soul mate which later on gave her the blessings of three children, a nice two story house, and his love. He also was born in Mexico but had been living in the U.S. for a longer period of time. At the time that I met her she was about eight months pregnant at twenty six years of age and a very hard working polite woman at that. Her life seemed complete but it all came crashing down about a month later on a regular busy work day, when five police officers surrounded our job trying to arrest her for somehow finding out that she was an immigrant living illegally in the U.S.

This woman's background is completely clean, not one felony, never have driven a car but rather takes the bus everyday and walk far distances to stay away from getting in trouble. She works at Wendy's every single day with eight hour shifts and sometimes longer when they needed her and has one other job which she works another eight hours giving her a total of sixteen hour work days. This wouldn't be the correct way to escort someone out of their job, in hand cuffs gripping tightly because of a common un harming reason. They couldn't arrest her because at the time she was pregnant. So she had court dates to go to which prevented her from "trying to escape." The court knew she didn't have a license nor anyone who could take her all the way to D.C. when she live in Fredericksburg, and still they told her if she doesn't appear in court she will be sentenced time. I offered to take her to court and I'll never forget how upset the look on her face was that day. Her palms were sweaty and I could tell she was nervous. She looked at me and said, "Why me Catherine all I do is work hard to provide for my children and stay away from causing any harm to anyone else why has God punished me." I honestly had no clue what to say but to just hold her and cry with her and explain that with good times there will be bad times and we all just have to run through them and be strong.

In a court room your not suppose to talk unless spoken to, nor allowed to argue with anyone but somehow this judge had so much respect for others sitting in the room besides all of the Hispanics that were present. He constantly kept getting frustrated with my coworker, telling her how she needed to be seated, how to respond, and how to act in front of him the way he wanted while others did the exact same and didn't get punished at all for it. The judge gave her another court date and basically made her show up just to see she hasn't escaped. Having her show up constantly is just giving them more time to figure out what crime she has made, but she has a work permit and hasn't caused any trouble in the last fifteen years she has been living here which speaks a lot in her favor.

Why is it that it's reasonable to have someone who wasn't born in the U.S. get married with someone who is and easily granted their rights to stay here but when an immigrant only comes with no intentions of ruining this country, they make their process so difficult to become a citizen. On July 10, 2013 there was a video posted in which George W. Bush said, "We must remember that the vast majority of immigrants are decent people who work hard and support their families, practice their faith, and lead responsible lives." What Bush said is honestly the real truth, not all are good but not all are bad and by that I mean every human being. Why can the government only focus on what the law says about immigrants instead of focusing on how they can change the law to help out those immigrants who are trying to make a living here. As also said in an article about the immigration system and it's unfair immigration policies, "The United States government should urgently reform its unfair immigration system to uphold the basic rights of non-citizens and provide a path to legal status for the country’s unauthorized immigrants." That path must occur, and since it has not been taken care of as it should be people still remain mistreated without a proper cause. My former coworker is not only such a humble person but is also just another human being trying to make it in this country. A change needs to happen to stop this unfair system they have set on immigrants.


Work Cited
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/07/10/bush_the_laws_governing_the_immigration_system_arent_working_the_system_is_broken.html
www.hrw.org/united-states/US-program/unfair-immigration-policies