JAIME GUZMAN, 25, and Christian Gonzalez, 21, are stuck. Raised, but not born, in the United States, and lacking Social Security numbers and legal paperwork, they’re among the growing number of immigrant youth who are coming out about their status and agitating for reform. Their group, the Northwest Immigrant Youth Alliance, has staged rallies around the region and is meeting with US Representative Earl Blumenauer this week.
It’s a scary time to come out: Deportations have increased under the Obama administration by nearly 10 percent, with 393,000 people deported last year. All Oregon counties are now part of Secure Communities, a federal program that’s supposed to target high-level criminals by checking the immigration status of everyone booked in county jails (in Multnomah County, however, only 29 percent of the immigrants deported under Secure Communities were convicted of serious crimes).
Gonzalez was snared by Secure Communities last winter after being charged with a crime that was then dismissed, and faces deportation. He hopes President Obama’s announcement in August that deportations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis means he can stay with his family. Guzman and Gonzalez spoke with the Mercury about fear, friends, and bad tortillas at a Portland State University café last week.
MERCURY: What do you remember about coming to the US? What did you think of Portland when you got here?
CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ: I was born in Mexico in 1991. I honestly don’t remember how I got here. We had family problems in Mexico. It was basically, you know, my dad. Domestic violence. My mom was tired, I was being abused. That’s the reason we fled. It was hard for my mom to get a job, to find our own apartment. When I got here, I didn’t know the language and actually didn’t go to school for three years because we didn’t know anything about the system. By my house in Beaverton, there was a Mexican store. They had kids, so I’d hang out with them all day. Finally, a friend of my mom’s told her I could go to public school, so I started at McKay. They have a really good ESL program that really helped me.
JAIME GUZMAN: I came from Mexico City the first time when I was six, then we went back and came again when I was 12. It was so hard at first. I hated it! The food tastes different, everything smells so different. The first time I tried tortillas here, they were so sour. It was just nasty! My parents were working a lot. Our parents want to give us a better life, but you gotta give up something. And that was time with us.
When I wanted to go out and play in my neighborhood, it was totally different than my home country. I was in Northeast Portland and I remember there were times when I would just kick a soccer ball by myself, kick it as far as I could, then run and get it, then kick it again, all by myself.
You both graduated from local high schools. Have you been able to go to college?
GONZALEZ: Since I’m not from here, I have to pay out-of-state tuition. And I can’t apply for federal financial aid. I wanted to take a nursing program at Portland Community College [PCC] It was eight months, and I would have to pay $15,000. I can’t afford that, it’s frustrating. So I’ve just been trying to work, to take care of my brother. There are so many doors, but when you try to open them, they’re locked. It’s really hard to find a job. We could get fake papers, but I don’t think it would be a good idea.
GUZMAN: I heard about this teacher program at PCC that was looking for bilingual people who are passionate. I went to the counselors and I told them my situation. The answer was: We can’t help you. The program is federally funded, so you need a Social. You know, I went to high school here, I pay taxes here, I had the skills and the requirements, but I just didn’t have this piece of paper. After that, I fell into a depression. You question: What am I worth? You feel lonely and scared, because you feel like there’s nothing you can do, you don’t have the power to make any changes.
Are you scared about coming out about your status?
GUZMAN: If they wanted to find us, they want to find undocumented people, they can do it on the spot. They have the power, they have the technology. The US can send people to the moon, but you’re saying they can’t find undocumented people? Being undocumented is not something that’s going to prevent us from doing what we want to do. Politicians need to stop playing the game of hot potato. We have a voice and I’m not going to wait for an ally or someone to speak for me, we have the power.
GONZALEZ: They control us by fear. They use that as a weapon to keep us there. I’m scared of getting deported, honestly. If I get deported, it’s not only affecting the undocumented people like myself, it’s affecting citizens like my little brother. When I was in county jail, I was on the phone with my family and my mother put him on the line and he started crying, “When are you coming home?”
Christian, can you talk about the process of going through deportation?
GONZALEZ: I was charged with a crime that I had nothing to do with. A month into it, I was in county jail, the charges were dropped because they found out I had nothing to do with the crime. They told me, “Oh, Gonzalez, you’re leaving,” I was like, “Yes! I’m getting out of here!” And then when they told me, “They’re waiting for you.” The next thing I saw was a guy with the ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] hat, and I’m like, “Why am I being detained? The charges were dropped.” But it doesn’t matter. From there I was transferred to Tacoma. An immigration lawyer helped me get out on bond and fight my case from the outside. If you fight your case from the inside, you could be in the facility for six months, eight months. We paid the bond for $7,500. It was a lot of money, you know. I never asked my mom how she did it. Right now, we’re waiting to be given another court date. I don’t know how long it will be until my case comes up, maybe a year.
Are you guys hopeful the Dream Act will pass soon, giving you a path to citizenship? Or do you think it’s never going to happen?
GUZMAN: Right now, we’re talking about how to make the Dream Act more inclusive. The Dream Act gives us a chance, but you still don’t qualify for federal financial aid or in-state tuition for college. And to qualify, you have to either go to college or join the military, so what about those undocumented youth who are disabled, either physically or with mental illness? They can’t join the military; they can’t go to higher education. What about them?
GONZALEZ: Obviously, the Dream Act is beneficial for this country. To be honest with you, there’s always hope. But the reality is that, yeah, there’s hope, I know it’s going to happen someday. But with this political climate, no. Is it going to happen eventually? Yes. But Obama needs to walk that talk.
Here we go – again.
When my Oregon-born nephew, who lives out of state but still has his US Citizen father living and paying taxes here in Oregon can get in-state tuition, then I might reconsider your plight.
Your problems are the direct result of your parents decisions.
You both went to school here on the rest of ours dime.
Your welcome.
My wife is a foriegn legal resident, and it was a pain-in-the-ass to jump through all the hoops, but we did it.
Thanks for putting their names and photos online. I’ve called ICE with the information.
“Fairness requires playing by the rules” – you’re nothing but a piece of shit.
Your parents worked and paid taxes, you didn’t go to school on anyone’s dime. Anyone who works, legally or not, pays taxes. But you don’t qualify for federal aid, hmm, interesting. The government has a system in place to take your tax money but can’t come up with a system to offer an opportunity to students such as these guys.
You ever wonder how we get those kicker refunds every couple years because we as Oregonians paid too much in taxes?
We haven’t had a kicker refund in many years, but I can explain how it works to you – although it has nothing to do with illegal immigration education.
I’m looking at figures that the cost per student in Oregon, per year, is over $10,000.
Compound that with the extra costs associated with ESL classes, and I would bet that each of these boys cost the taxpayers in the neighborhood of $100,000 for their education here.
My wife and I haven’t paid nearly so much in taxes, that also go to roads, military, social programs, etc, – so I really doubt that their parents coughed up enough to cover their expenses.
Looking at finacials in terms of illegal immigration is tough though. They typically pay taxes and don’t get back in Social Security, correct? But one must also ask about the draw on the health care system too, etc.
“annamal” – Your mother is a piece of shit.
Fuck these motherfuckers! I hope they never find the education they’re looking for. Even if they DO pay taxes, they should have to suffer until they get legalized the right way.
They’ll end up finding a way to get a fake SSN and start a “new life”…..remember the lady who went to jail a few years ago for handing out new licenses to immigrants posing as first-time drivers at the DMV along Hwy 8 in east Hillsboro?
In my opinion, the people who make decisions at the top regarding immigrant enforcement have always wanted cheaper labor to flood our system. The BASERO program of the 40’s was supposed to fill in the void of missing caucasian farm workers who went off to war. When the war was over, most soldiers didn’t go back to the farms….they became urbanites, leaving a large slew of undocumented farm workers the opportunity to stay with NO deportation enforcement from the gov’t!
I think this is a part of the puzzle that’s eliminating the middle class slowly.
Typical how this article has done well to tease out the racist shitheads/snitches. That was very predicable.
HEY RACIST SHITHEADS, THIS ISN’T EVEN [[[YOUR]]] COUNTRY!
I strongly appreciated this article and identify with the young men with the courage to make their stands. My respect.
I don’t understand every bodies frustration here the guy on the first comment if your wife wouldn’t have married you she her self would be in the same situation am I right? when it comes to taxes your pay check alone did not pay for there education so your not welcome and if you really take the time to educate your self you would notice that all illegal immigrants who work pay taxes just like you and don’t get any benefits or any of that money back so who benefits from that??? It sure isn’t them. jumping trough hoops? being productive in the community and being part of the working class who work there ass off to help this broken economy is probably not helping to you huh?? there better off empowering other countries economies while the USA’s economy is slowly falling back oh thank you… to the guy trowing all this numbers at you here’s something for you if you think the gov is gonna just give them green cards for free you have never been so wrong i’m sure one of those babies is gonna be expensive and if you think spending money on education for kids( because being illegal doesn’t make you any less human) then you should watch the news and see what the gov really uses your taxes on (try nato, oil escalation in Brazil and a ten year war) ((support the troops USMC hoooorraahh)) to the other guy fist of all talking like that just shows how ignorant you really are if your gonna come up with some bullshit conspiracy then you have no say in this read the constitution a true patriot would support an immigration law but also stand for what america stands for which is a hope for an american dream or did you all forget all those people who have died so we could be free???? us revolution and guess how the first colonies where founded…. immigration!!!!!!!! you should get out if you don’t support your own if you wanna segregate the world you don’t support freedom…
lisent, are you oneof the boys featured in the article? All I can say by your limited english is we haven’t got our monies worth on your education.
There is also the question of limited jobs now, which wasn’t raised.
People say that US citizens refuse to do back-breaking farm work and we like our veggies cheap, etc. My own view is that the farmers would be forced to pay higher wages, then his product would become more expensive, sure. But then again, alot of illegall immigrants are not just taking farming jobs, but manufacturing jobs, etc, using fake ID’s and SSN’s.
Driving down wages of many middle-class jobs. Look at the house building market, for example. It used to be a good family-wage job.
Finally, please don’t lecture me on what it means to be a ‘true patriot’. I have alot clearer idea of what it means than you ever will.
Oh, my wife would be back in her home country if we didn’t marry. Her family abroad paid for her US education too.
frankieb is one to make assumptions about others on the basis of “limited english” Putting aside that languages are capitalized… “oneof” =one of, “monies worth” =money’s worth, “alot” =a lot (twice), “illegall” =illegal, “Your welcome” =your retarded, “on the rest of ours dime” =oh why bother.
And no one needs to hear about your nephew on Blogtown every time the subject of undocumented immigrants comes up. If that’s your go-to example of how the “illegals” have make life unfair for U.S. citizens, then your argument is a joke. If he wants Oregon residency he can physically live here for long enough to get it, just like everyone else.
Good job finding someone to marry you, though.
Love and kisses.
The point about my nephew is brought up only in the context of of these guys wanting to get in-state tuition, as was expressed in the article.
Sure, they’re not directly to blame for their situation – it was their parent’s illegal border crossing that created this mess for them. But I have tons and TONS of friends who came to this country legally and these kinds of guys are like a slap in the face to those doing what they’re supposed to. And what about the tons of legal residents that can’t even afford to go to college either? I would say that residents should be getting preference – or do you want to go to those kid’s doors in poor, rural Oregon and tell them they don’t get a scholarship because you’re giving the money to an illegal?
And why are we even acting like this is a surprise? We’ve been protecting and encouraging illegals for years. Didn’t you expect them to start having kids? ‘Social activists’ that promote/defend illegal immigration have been creating this class of non-people for years. Instead of spending their considerable voices and efforts to get real immigration reform which would make it easier for good, hardworking foreigners to get into this country legally, they’ve been promoting a dead-end policy that’s resulted in thousands of these people being systematically taken advantage of by unscrupulous businesses, coyote trafficers that kill and extort them, etc. You have only your OWN failed policies to blame for that one.