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** UPDATE - court day is in December and we have about 30 days to come up with what we need or my dads process could get cancelled.
Hey, family and friends. This is Marvin (aka STIXX) writing this. I’m not really sure how to start this and honestly don’t like asking for help in any given case since that is just the nature of my culture which is to work hard and do it ourselves but I’ve realized that my family and I won’t be able to do this one alone. We’re a family of faith and so I know God will (as he always has) be the main provider in this season coming up for us.
Before I say anything related to our situation I want to please ask that you guys can be open to understanding the given situation since I’m sure most of you aren’t immigrants and can’t comprehend the effects that this truly has on us. I want to be as transparent as possible but will only say as much as I can without too much information disclosing my dad and any deeper information. If I know you personally, please reach out and I’d gladly be willing to share more in depth details of everything. I’m not here to start any political arguments but simply to share our hard truth and to hopefully open some people’s eyes to the reality of people who are immigrants or come from immigrant families that live here and do nothing but work hard jobs that help sustain the US and help most people here to live a more comfortable life (HUGELY UNDERPAID LONG HOURS of farm work, construction, road work, etc. And most times they use them just for work to kick them out once they can’t benefit off of us anymore). The fact that the US makes people like my dad pay taxes but say he doesn’t exist in the system here and that they’d prefer not to help him does get me upset tho. They deserve more. We take what little the US gives us and we can multiply it. But get treated like trash. Of course there is so much more that could be said on this and how the system needs fixing and all. And I know there are great Americans ( and white people ) who also do care for us, so please don’t take what I’m saying out of context. Just want you all to see the reality of things and how slavery still exists among us in such a “free country”.
So to get straight to the point, I know some of you know that I come from an immigrant family. My dad and I, all thanks to God through my step mom who married my dad and wanted to help us, we were able to start our process on becoming US residents about 7 years ago. I was able to get approved of my residency application within a year for many various reasons. My dad on the other hand wasn't so lucky. Year after year went by that we waited for the US to send my dad a letter but, nothing. It seemed like it would never happen. The day finally came that we got our first letter and it started the process but we didn’t expect the process to extend itself and to start to run us a few thousand per application which then led to lawyer fees, immigration fees, etc. All for the “American dream”. Certain people in office were against it so it kept pushing the process farther back, then Covid hit, not enough funds to just keep paying for more fees, etc. I had hope and prayed my dad could get his residency accepted here for years and never lost hope but I’m sure he and some of my family did at some point in the journey especially after my grandmother (my dads mom) passed away from cancer. It was one of the main reasons why my dad wanted to be able to visit back home. At that time it had been about 15 years or more since he had seen her because he was here working taking care of the family and sending funds that helped our family back in Mexico.
Fast forward to today. I write this with gratefulness and joy but also with worry and uncertainty of what this next season will hold for us as a family. My dad has been sent his final letter before approval for his residency which most likely go through as long as all goes well. As a penalty but a way for the person to redeem themselves according to the US is that they setup a court day for you in Mexico and you go through this long process which can take up about 2 weeks but could take much longer knowing other people’s cases and unfortunately some never come back (I know and pray this won’t be the case for my dad though). This is the forgiveness letter. Mind, we receive this letter from immigration giving a 30 day notice to be in Mexico which means we have to figure out expenses for travel there, food, stay, and figure out stuff at home here and a plan for the house and my siblings. (Which I will of course help in any and every way I can possibly help with for all of these. But I can’t do it all. And my family can’t do it all.) With fees for the last application fee after court, all of the fees to get there, play the waiting game, and come back to more lawyer fees and then help him become citizenship (which will be a whole other deal such as my case now) This is where we’re at right now.
I have been a resident for quite a few years now and with that I was able to get a SSN, get a license or ID, was first gen in college, but after all of that God called me to ministry. I’ve started my own business with music and work full time in the music industry by touring with artists that bring light into places that are so dark, produce/engineer/ DJ, speak at church and for the youth/young adults and also create music of my own that people like me can relate to with a positive message that is top of the line in quality but without the profanity and talks about drugs, lust, and guns. It isn’t easy to do this at all. Especially being the first to do it officially and alone. God and great friends and family have helped me get where I’m at with my career and I have faith that along with my dads business which we are working to make bigger, will help our family be sustainable and we’ll be able help others like us achieve what statistics say otherwise. So I am now in the works of becoming a citizen. With the uncertainty of what could happen to people like me who are right the middle of being undocumented and a citizen, I don’t want to take any chances of missing the opportunity to become a citizen. Since that could all change with whoever is in office, law changes, etc. I’d hate my dad, moms, step moms, sacrifice to go down all for nothing because I didn’t become a citizen. The business God has helped me start is here and I believe it will help my family in major ways in the coming future alongside my dads business. It will also run me a lot of money to do this.
To be honest, there are a lot of events and obstacles that I haven’t even mentioned that we’ve faced as a family and individually. There’s been so much sacrifice, endless amounts of hours of hard work, tears, family loss, etc. I don’t like politics and refuse to give them much attention due to many reasons but something that I’ve learned just first hand is that the US doesn’t care too much about it’s people that help hold it together. The US wouldn’t be where it’s at without the lower and middle class, immigrants of all countries, and it’s minorities. As I had mentioned earlier. I want people to know that there are REALLY good people that fit in these categories. My dad is someone who loves and serves God with all of his heart. Has been the best father to me and to his daughters, great husband who has shown that you can redeem yourself after a divorce and change from old habits and addictions, works tirelessly week in and week out including weekends to provide some days for his family. Just an overall great role model and someone who I try everyday to make proud. I strive to be at least half the father, husband, and son that he is one day.
If you got this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys don’t understand that it’s so hard for me to talk about this and open up about things going on in my heart and more so with my family. But it’d be wrong of me to not say anything knowing the truly amazing people God had surrounded me with. You guys make it so known to me that you guys do care and love me and my family. I’m forever grateful for the undeserving love from you guys. So look I could keep going on and explaining more about the situations at hand but honestly it is so much. I did my very best to explain without making it hard to understand but also not give out information that I can’t give for legal and to protect myself and my family. So if you feel led in any way to help FIRST of all on behalf of my family and I, we just ask for prayer. We won’t be together for this years holidays and if you know Latinos family is huge to us and gatherings or holiday family party’s are big on this side . But on a serious note, it’s gonna be a hard end of the year since we won’t spend some holidays together and some birthdays including mine. So please pray for strength, for protection while my dad and step mom are in Mexico, for protection for me and my siblings, that God puts his hand in every area of this process for my dad’s application and for mine. Lastly, if you desire to help any further than prayer which is way more than we already ask, a donation to help us fund all of these unexpected expenses will go a long way and will help my dad and I’s process as we start it. There are also many other ways to help just reach out to me and we can talk more. Everything that comes in first will go directly to my dad and as they finalize they’re payments for everything within the next month or so I will then be able to start my process because my dads process and road to approval is more important to me than anything else.
Thank you once again for reading and for taking this walk with us. We know it’s gonna be a long walk from here but we have God and people who love and support us and it shows. (If we know you personally pls reach out if you want more in depth details or how to help directly.)
Blessings,
Teran Family
Hey, family and friends. This is Marvin (aka STIXX) writing this. I’m not really sure how to start this and honestly don’t like asking for help in any given case since that is just the nature of my culture which is to work hard and do it ourselves but I’ve realized that my family and I won’t be able to do this one alone. We’re a family of faith and so I know God will (as he always has) be the main provider in this season coming up for us.
Before I say anything related to our situation I want to please ask that you guys can be open to understanding the given situation since I’m sure most of you aren’t immigrants and can’t comprehend the effects that this truly has on us. I want to be as transparent as possible but will only say as much as I can without too much information disclosing my dad and any deeper information. If I know you personally, please reach out and I’d gladly be willing to share more in depth details of everything. I’m not here to start any political arguments but simply to share our hard truth and to hopefully open some people’s eyes to the reality of people who are immigrants or come from immigrant families that live here and do nothing but work hard jobs that help sustain the US and help most people here to live a more comfortable life (HUGELY UNDERPAID LONG HOURS of farm work, construction, road work, etc. And most times they use them just for work to kick them out once they can’t benefit off of us anymore). The fact that the US makes people like my dad pay taxes but say he doesn’t exist in the system here and that they’d prefer not to help him does get me upset tho. They deserve more. We take what little the US gives us and we can multiply it. But get treated like trash. Of course there is so much more that could be said on this and how the system needs fixing and all. And I know there are great Americans ( and white people ) who also do care for us, so please don’t take what I’m saying out of context. Just want you all to see the reality of things and how slavery still exists among us in such a “free country”.
So to get straight to the point, I know some of you know that I come from an immigrant family. My dad and I, all thanks to God through my step mom who married my dad and wanted to help us, we were able to start our process on becoming US residents about 7 years ago. I was able to get approved of my residency application within a year for many various reasons. My dad on the other hand wasn't so lucky. Year after year went by that we waited for the US to send my dad a letter but, nothing. It seemed like it would never happen. The day finally came that we got our first letter and it started the process but we didn’t expect the process to extend itself and to start to run us a few thousand per application which then led to lawyer fees, immigration fees, etc. All for the “American dream”. Certain people in office were against it so it kept pushing the process farther back, then Covid hit, not enough funds to just keep paying for more fees, etc. I had hope and prayed my dad could get his residency accepted here for years and never lost hope but I’m sure he and some of my family did at some point in the journey especially after my grandmother (my dads mom) passed away from cancer. It was one of the main reasons why my dad wanted to be able to visit back home. At that time it had been about 15 years or more since he had seen her because he was here working taking care of the family and sending funds that helped our family back in Mexico.
Fast forward to today. I write this with gratefulness and joy but also with worry and uncertainty of what this next season will hold for us as a family. My dad has been sent his final letter before approval for his residency which most likely go through as long as all goes well. As a penalty but a way for the person to redeem themselves according to the US is that they setup a court day for you in Mexico and you go through this long process which can take up about 2 weeks but could take much longer knowing other people’s cases and unfortunately some never come back (I know and pray this won’t be the case for my dad though). This is the forgiveness letter. Mind, we receive this letter from immigration giving a 30 day notice to be in Mexico which means we have to figure out expenses for travel there, food, stay, and figure out stuff at home here and a plan for the house and my siblings. (Which I will of course help in any and every way I can possibly help with for all of these. But I can’t do it all. And my family can’t do it all.) With fees for the last application fee after court, all of the fees to get there, play the waiting game, and come back to more lawyer fees and then help him become citizenship (which will be a whole other deal such as my case now) This is where we’re at right now.
I have been a resident for quite a few years now and with that I was able to get a SSN, get a license or ID, was first gen in college, but after all of that God called me to ministry. I’ve started my own business with music and work full time in the music industry by touring with artists that bring light into places that are so dark, produce/engineer/ DJ, speak at church and for the youth/young adults and also create music of my own that people like me can relate to with a positive message that is top of the line in quality but without the profanity and talks about drugs, lust, and guns. It isn’t easy to do this at all. Especially being the first to do it officially and alone. God and great friends and family have helped me get where I’m at with my career and I have faith that along with my dads business which we are working to make bigger, will help our family be sustainable and we’ll be able help others like us achieve what statistics say otherwise. So I am now in the works of becoming a citizen. With the uncertainty of what could happen to people like me who are right the middle of being undocumented and a citizen, I don’t want to take any chances of missing the opportunity to become a citizen. Since that could all change with whoever is in office, law changes, etc. I’d hate my dad, moms, step moms, sacrifice to go down all for nothing because I didn’t become a citizen. The business God has helped me start is here and I believe it will help my family in major ways in the coming future alongside my dads business. It will also run me a lot of money to do this.
To be honest, there are a lot of events and obstacles that I haven’t even mentioned that we’ve faced as a family and individually. There’s been so much sacrifice, endless amounts of hours of hard work, tears, family loss, etc. I don’t like politics and refuse to give them much attention due to many reasons but something that I’ve learned just first hand is that the US doesn’t care too much about it’s people that help hold it together. The US wouldn’t be where it’s at without the lower and middle class, immigrants of all countries, and it’s minorities. As I had mentioned earlier. I want people to know that there are REALLY good people that fit in these categories. My dad is someone who loves and serves God with all of his heart. Has been the best father to me and to his daughters, great husband who has shown that you can redeem yourself after a divorce and change from old habits and addictions, works tirelessly week in and week out including weekends to provide some days for his family. Just an overall great role model and someone who I try everyday to make proud. I strive to be at least half the father, husband, and son that he is one day.
If you got this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys don’t understand that it’s so hard for me to talk about this and open up about things going on in my heart and more so with my family. But it’d be wrong of me to not say anything knowing the truly amazing people God had surrounded me with. You guys make it so known to me that you guys do care and love me and my family. I’m forever grateful for the undeserving love from you guys. So look I could keep going on and explaining more about the situations at hand but honestly it is so much. I did my very best to explain without making it hard to understand but also not give out information that I can’t give for legal and to protect myself and my family. So if you feel led in any way to help FIRST of all on behalf of my family and I, we just ask for prayer. We won’t be together for this years holidays and if you know Latinos family is huge to us and gatherings or holiday family party’s are big on this side . But on a serious note, it’s gonna be a hard end of the year since we won’t spend some holidays together and some birthdays including mine. So please pray for strength, for protection while my dad and step mom are in Mexico, for protection for me and my siblings, that God puts his hand in every area of this process for my dad’s application and for mine. Lastly, if you desire to help any further than prayer which is way more than we already ask, a donation to help us fund all of these unexpected expenses will go a long way and will help my dad and I’s process as we start it. There are also many other ways to help just reach out to me and we can talk more. Everything that comes in first will go directly to my dad and as they finalize they’re payments for everything within the next month or so I will then be able to start my process because my dads process and road to approval is more important to me than anything else.
Thank you once again for reading and for taking this walk with us. We know it’s gonna be a long walk from here but we have God and people who love and support us and it shows. (If we know you personally pls reach out if you want more in depth details or how to help directly.)
Blessings,
Teran Family