My parents self-deported to Sri Lanka a month ago, and they are now in need of financial support.
I am raising money for my parents, who are now in Sri Lanka. If you are unable to donate, I humbly ask that you please take a few minutes to read our story and share it with others.
Backstory
My family migrated to the United States in 2003 from Sri Lanka, a country that was embroiled in a civil war and caught up in political turmoil. As minority Christian Tamils, we were subject to the religious and ethnic violence and prejudice that was, and still is, rampant against the Tamil community there. Our lives were in danger every day. For the sake of my safety and future, my parents left their home and sought asylum in the US.
Our family filed for asylum upon our arrival, and were, unfortunately, denied. For the past 16 years, they exhausted every legal avenue, expending so much of their hard-earned money on lawyers’ fees to appeal their case and one day have our asylum granted. In 2009, my parents were told to begin reporting to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). For the past 10 years, they have reported diligently and without fault as many times as requested — and every time, they risked being detained and deported. They suffered in silence as they endured this mental abuse, in a state of constant fear and uncertainty about our lives and future in this country. This burden has taken a heavy toll on both their mental and physical health, which is even more precarious as they reach their mid-60s.
Living in the US as undocumented immigrants was very difficult for my parents. All this time, they worked incredibly hard to sustain our family and achieve their dream of giving me a college education. My father worked multiple jobs, putting in 12- and 13-hour workdays, to meet our needs, and my mother worked tirelessly at home to provide us physical and spiritual nourishment. With the constant risk of deportation, and the difficulty that being an undocumented immigrant brings to earning a living, they found the strength to sacrifice themselves physically and mentally for my well-being, and they persevered to give us a better life.
Current Needs
Then, this September, after almost 2 decades of striving to attain legal status in this country, my parents finally had no choice but to self-deport, as ICE left them with no other options and they could no longer bear this burden. Unfortunately, they have returned to a country that is still recovering from civil and political tension, and is now wholly unfamiliar to them. The political and religious climate remains such that their lives are still in danger. Having been eagerly involved in their church ministries in New Jersey as worship leaders who delivered sermons, my parents are incredibly disheartened that they may not be able to safely and openly practice their faith due to the ongoing religious tensions.
Further, the weather is oppressively warm all year round, and the last months of the year are monsoon season, so when it is not incredibly humid, it is pouring rain. The climate itself presents a huge learning curve for my parents; considering their age and having grown accustomed to New Jersey winters, it is very difficult for them to go out and familiarize themselves with their new environment and find work. Our family house, which suffered initial damages during the 2001 tsunami, and has been unattended for all these years, has fallen apart, and so they are living in dire conditions, with a leaky roof and no ventilation. The house has no water supply system in place, so their access to clean water is scarce. The shock of this sudden exile and the new, harsh environment has left them mentally and spiritually defeated.
In addition, the cost of living in Sri Lanka is extremely high, but due to their health, age, and social status as Christian Tamils, their employment options are incredibly limited. At their age, they have medical needs that consistently need to be met and cannot be delayed, but medical care in Sri Lanka is also very expensive. They both suffer from high blood pressure, for which they take medication. Even a minor delay in taking this medication can leave them feeling faint, lightheaded, and unsteady until they take their dose. My father is suffering from worsening symptoms of diabetes, which causes increased swelling and pain in his feet. This presents a huge obstacle for my dad to find even low-skill labor work, as he is now unable to exert himself for long periods of time. Further, last year, my mother suffered a serious fall down a flight of stairs that left her with a broken left wrist and a shattered right shoulder, for which she had replacement surgery. This injury has significantly reduced her mobility and makes it difficult for her to take on any full-time employment as well.
How You Can Help
Due to this array of obstacles they now face daily, my parents are in great need of any financial help. As a recipient of DACA, I am not guaranteed my own status in the United States, and I cannot leave the country to visit them and help them get settled. I work, but there is only so much financial support I can send to them while I also provide for my own cost of living in the US. I feel powerless that I am able to do so little for them after they sacrificed endlessly for me and our family for so many years.
I ask that if my parents or I have impacted you in any small way, that you kindly consider helping them as they make their way through this significant change in their lives. No amount is too small; anything that is donated would be greatly appreciated and would go a long way toward helping my parents get situated and find their footing. If you cannot donate, I ask that you please share this fundraiser.
Thank you all so much for your time and generosity.
I am raising money for my parents, who are now in Sri Lanka. If you are unable to donate, I humbly ask that you please take a few minutes to read our story and share it with others.
Backstory
My family migrated to the United States in 2003 from Sri Lanka, a country that was embroiled in a civil war and caught up in political turmoil. As minority Christian Tamils, we were subject to the religious and ethnic violence and prejudice that was, and still is, rampant against the Tamil community there. Our lives were in danger every day. For the sake of my safety and future, my parents left their home and sought asylum in the US.
Our family filed for asylum upon our arrival, and were, unfortunately, denied. For the past 16 years, they exhausted every legal avenue, expending so much of their hard-earned money on lawyers’ fees to appeal their case and one day have our asylum granted. In 2009, my parents were told to begin reporting to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). For the past 10 years, they have reported diligently and without fault as many times as requested — and every time, they risked being detained and deported. They suffered in silence as they endured this mental abuse, in a state of constant fear and uncertainty about our lives and future in this country. This burden has taken a heavy toll on both their mental and physical health, which is even more precarious as they reach their mid-60s.
Living in the US as undocumented immigrants was very difficult for my parents. All this time, they worked incredibly hard to sustain our family and achieve their dream of giving me a college education. My father worked multiple jobs, putting in 12- and 13-hour workdays, to meet our needs, and my mother worked tirelessly at home to provide us physical and spiritual nourishment. With the constant risk of deportation, and the difficulty that being an undocumented immigrant brings to earning a living, they found the strength to sacrifice themselves physically and mentally for my well-being, and they persevered to give us a better life.
Current Needs
Then, this September, after almost 2 decades of striving to attain legal status in this country, my parents finally had no choice but to self-deport, as ICE left them with no other options and they could no longer bear this burden. Unfortunately, they have returned to a country that is still recovering from civil and political tension, and is now wholly unfamiliar to them. The political and religious climate remains such that their lives are still in danger. Having been eagerly involved in their church ministries in New Jersey as worship leaders who delivered sermons, my parents are incredibly disheartened that they may not be able to safely and openly practice their faith due to the ongoing religious tensions.
Further, the weather is oppressively warm all year round, and the last months of the year are monsoon season, so when it is not incredibly humid, it is pouring rain. The climate itself presents a huge learning curve for my parents; considering their age and having grown accustomed to New Jersey winters, it is very difficult for them to go out and familiarize themselves with their new environment and find work. Our family house, which suffered initial damages during the 2001 tsunami, and has been unattended for all these years, has fallen apart, and so they are living in dire conditions, with a leaky roof and no ventilation. The house has no water supply system in place, so their access to clean water is scarce. The shock of this sudden exile and the new, harsh environment has left them mentally and spiritually defeated.
In addition, the cost of living in Sri Lanka is extremely high, but due to their health, age, and social status as Christian Tamils, their employment options are incredibly limited. At their age, they have medical needs that consistently need to be met and cannot be delayed, but medical care in Sri Lanka is also very expensive. They both suffer from high blood pressure, for which they take medication. Even a minor delay in taking this medication can leave them feeling faint, lightheaded, and unsteady until they take their dose. My father is suffering from worsening symptoms of diabetes, which causes increased swelling and pain in his feet. This presents a huge obstacle for my dad to find even low-skill labor work, as he is now unable to exert himself for long periods of time. Further, last year, my mother suffered a serious fall down a flight of stairs that left her with a broken left wrist and a shattered right shoulder, for which she had replacement surgery. This injury has significantly reduced her mobility and makes it difficult for her to take on any full-time employment as well.
How You Can Help
Due to this array of obstacles they now face daily, my parents are in great need of any financial help. As a recipient of DACA, I am not guaranteed my own status in the United States, and I cannot leave the country to visit them and help them get settled. I work, but there is only so much financial support I can send to them while I also provide for my own cost of living in the US. I feel powerless that I am able to do so little for them after they sacrificed endlessly for me and our family for so many years.
I ask that if my parents or I have impacted you in any small way, that you kindly consider helping them as they make their way through this significant change in their lives. No amount is too small; anything that is donated would be greatly appreciated and would go a long way toward helping my parents get situated and find their footing. If you cannot donate, I ask that you please share this fundraiser.
Thank you all so much for your time and generosity.
Organizer
Jenni Anand
Organizer
Newark, NJ