Immigration Reform in America: a Right Things to Do

Immigration debate is in its' peak these days. I am thrilled to hear about the discussion. I am myself an immigrant. I know the pain of being an immigrant. I have seen many friends who do not have legal documents which make them vulnerable to many situations including but not limited to exploitation of their labor. They are underpaid and are constantly living in fear of deportation.

I am little lucky because I am here legally. I have maintained my status. I go to college. I am about to graduate in May this year. I am excited but also scared and uncertain about my future. I am excited because my four years' of efforts is finally resulting success. I have maintained perfect GPA. That is another point of my excitement, graduating with perfection. Second, I am scared, because I do not know what happens after May as I graduate. I am looking for job but it has been difficult to get one because the company that want to hire me also have to sponsor me for my H1B and very few companies are willing to do so. When I say very few companies are willing to sponsor for H1b visa, this figure is based on the one I applied, does not necessarily represents the entire job industry for visa sponsorship. I know there are subjects which has higher sponsorship possibilities such as information technology, science and engineering. But I like accounting and this is not one of those which has high sponsorship rate. I am still optimistic.

I am uncertain because I do not know what to expect after one year. If I do not get a job and no body sponsors me for my visa, I either have to go back to school or leave the country. I cannot afford the fee to continue graduate school because I have already spent so much money in these four years, I do not have any more money left over. Actually, I have a debt to pay off. Specially, as I am international student, I have to pay almost three times more the tuition fee. So, that is a big barrier for my further education unless I get a job. Other option is to go back to my country. This is not a bad idea but I cannot imagine going back to my country for some of the reasons that I am going to mention.

I do not want to return to my country because of fear, instability, uncertain for my children's future. My country has just been through big revolution. We do not have stable government. There is new government every nine months. Nobody is focusing on development and security. Schools do not have proper teachers. Hospitals do not have medicines and Doctors. In many places, people are treated from a person who went to school for six months of basic medical orientation. They are called 'Doctors'. I do not want those people to treat my son and daughter. I have a year old son born here in the United States and a daughter born in Nepal. I do not want to send them to school where there are no teachers to teach. I do not want them to be sick and there is no medicine to save their lives. Not only these, because of instability and lack of rule of law, kidnapping children has been in rise in recent days. I cannot imagine my children being kidnapped for ransom. I have to live in constant fear of kidnapping, and such other fears. Finally, we will have to live in a house where water is given only once in every two or three days. Electricity is only about 8 hours a day.

I am not trying to escape from the situation. I am just looking for better place for my children. When I did not have children, I never dreamt of these situations. I came to the United States in 1996. I was here for one month to attend a conference and I returned. I did not have any children so I did not feel to stay here. I was happy what I had and how I was living. I returned after finishing my purpose. But now, I do not only think about myself. I have to take care of one year old son and five years old daughter. I have to make sure that they get a clean drinking water when they are thirsty. I have to make sure they get a right medicine when they are sick. I do not what them to go to school and come home after playing whole day in mud and dust without learning anything because there was no teacher to teach.

I am not sure if the new immigration will even help me. I am excited because many people living in fear will have a relief. They will take a long breathe. They will hug their families because they do not have to anymore live with fear of uncertainty. When dad goes to work, his children do not have to worry about if he will make home tonight or get deported. Children can go to school without a fear knowing that when they come home from school their parents will be there to hug them and ask them "How was your day, my dear?"

Living under fear is almost like torture. I accept the fact, we the immigrant, choose to live the way we are living, with fear. But it is for some hope of bright future. We are living in fear thinking that there will be better days ahead after these hard times, just like a beautiful morning comes after every dark night. But it is painful to live like that for whole life. I know one of my friend’s dad who is in his fifties and have been here for more than 15 years. He has his children back home. He is living with other friends for last fifteen years and sending money to support his children back home. He will be happy to go and meet his children, hug them and share his love. He will be able to come back to the United States, if he wants, work and take care of his children. What he has done for last 15 years is entirely for his children. He does not have any girlfriend here in the United States for last fifteen years. He goes to work, comes home, goes to work, comes home, sleeps and wakes up next day and again repeats the same routine. This must be very difficult to live like a non-human life without feelings, attachments.

In my opinion, the immigration reform is necessary from different point of views including but not limited to humanitarian, common sense and right things to do. It will provide an opportunity for those hard working people to live a free life. This will unite families; strengthen their ties and support to create a society of solidarity. At the same time this will mainstream a big number of people in the society and regulate their income, minimize if not completely stop their exploitation.