- P
My name is Janet. I was born in Mexico City, and my parents brought me to the United States when I was just 10 months old. I've lived here ever since and grew up as a regular Bay Area native - with one stark difference that has shaped my life in ways I can’t fully explain. I always knew I was undocumented and did my best to understand what that meant, even as a little girl. I remember trying to wrap my child mind around it. This idea that my parents and I didn’t have this one piece of paper that, apparently, was a very big deal. All I knew was that it was green. I imagined it as a really bright green, like the kind of construction paper we used in class.
But as I grew older, the reality of this status or lack thereof became more and more apparent. I began to ache alongside my family, over and over again, through the years.
Being undocumented means surviving the worst parts of society - racism, xenophobia, exclusion - while still trying to live a full, meaningful life and just feel “normal.”
DACA has granted me some protection and has allowed me to work. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is an Obama-era program that grants me a two-year work permit and temporary deferral from deportation. But DACA is not a permanent solution . It’s more like a two-year subscription to this country that can be cancelled at any time, with no pathway to permanent residency or citizenship. To top it off, it’s been under legal attack since the day it began. Courts have blocked new applicants. Texas has ended it completely. And now, with TPS also being dismantled, many of us are again left wondering what will happen to us tomorrow.
The fear and anxiety that comes from a deep lack of agency over where I could go, what might happen to me or my family, and whether I could even stay in the place I’ve always called home has amplified during this administration.
This is why I am currently pursuing the only legal pathway available to me to adjust my immigration status. With the current political climate and ongoing attacks against immigrants, even those pursuing legal avenues, this process is both urgent and terrifying. It’s more important than ever to have the right legal representation.
My family and I are fundraising to help cover the costs of attorney fees, USCIS filing fees, and the medical exam costs required for my application. I could use your help.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for hearing just a small piece of my story. Thank you for your support, your donation, and for sharing this with your community.
From the bottom of my heart — thank you.
P.S. I didn’t want to center this fundraiser only around pain because undocumented people are so much more than struggle, but if you want to learn more, I encourage you to read the work of undocumented artists, writers, and organizers. There are so many of us, millions of stories worth listening to. I’ve included a few recommendations below.
Organizer
