Por Obed Arango
Highly talented immigrant students with DACA or without DACA today face great difficulties in being able to advance in their studies after High School. They are young people with many talents and with a fighting spirit. I wrote this short story after seeing CCATE students fill out the common application with dreams in their eyes.
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Personal Statement (600 words)
La salida
Debo decirles que en realidad escribo mi ensayo personal en español, no se preocupen lo someteré en inglés, un primer reto de quien migra es el idioma. Llegué hace cuatro años y medio a este país. No daré detalles de mi recorrido, pero si dejarles saber que soy de Cadereyta, Queretaro. Cuando cumplí 13 años me llegó el mensaje de que un señor pasaría por mi hermana Marta y esta servidora muy temprano en la madrugada, y la encomienda de mi madre fue muy clara: “Elena pon cadenas en la reja de la entrada, candados a cada puerta y las llaves arrojarlas al río”.
Vulnerabilidad
Justo cuando llegamos a Phoenix Arizona mi hermana y yo fuimos detenidas por la patrulla fronteriza cuando el coyote hablaba por teléfono a mi madre para que depositará los seis mil dólares para nuestro cruce. Mi hermana y yo fuimos llevadas a una casa para menores, ahí estuvimos un mes sin saber si nos permitirían llegar a Reading, Pennsylvania. Mi hermana y yo en esos momentos éramos las personas más vulnerables, pues estábamos a la suerte de Dios. Rogamos mucho a la virgen y lloramos mucho.
La llegada
Ell presidente Obama en el 2014 anunció que los menores detenidos en la frontera debían ser llevados a sus padres y que entrarían al programa conocido como DACA, (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), pude ver a mi madre después de ocho años. En cuanto la vi lloré y no sé cuándo paré de llorar. Solo recuerdo que la abracé nuevamente y no quise soltarla ya más.
La escuela
Las preparatorias de los Estados Unidos son muy distintas a las de México, las de acá son edificios fríos y en bloque, con pasillos que conectan todas las secciones. Mi maestro Edward de matemáticas dice que soy su mejor estudiante y hace unos días él me comentó que yo debía ir a la Universidad. Mi amigo Roberto dice que lo que he logrado es porque los inmigrantes desarrollamos todo nuestro talento porque las circunstancias son adversas. Él quiere estudiar filosofía, le sienta bien.
La Universidad
La Dra. Brecht es un ángel, es profesora de la Universidad de Pennsylvania y colabora mucho con la comunidad, ella invierte sus tardes con un grupo de chicas todas inmigrantes para avanzar en los retos que tenemos. El verano pasado ella me llevó al campus de UPenn y pude visitar las facultades. En cuanto entré a la escuela de leyes supe que deseaba ser abogada para hacer justicia para mi pueblo, mi sueño es ir a Penn Law. ¿Lo lograré? Sé que mucho depende de este ensayo. Aunque no todo, les explico…
Trump
Si en verdad ustedes piensan que soy buena candidata para ir a la Universidad requeriré de su apoyo, pues estudiantes en mi situación tenemos un gran talento pero falta de acceso a recursos financieros. El presidente Trump eliminó el programa DACA. Cuando DACA termine solo podré recibir las becas privadas que ustedes consigan para mí. Por mi parte, ustedes deben saber que dentro de mi hay un Río Bravo que define mi espíritu de emigrante que es el que me ha traído hasta aquí para tocar la puerta de esta bella Universidad a través de este breve ensayó de 600 palabras.
Mi sueño
Sueño con ser la primera en mi familia en ir a la Universidad y como mi amigo Roberto dice: “todo el conocimiento del mundo desde todos y para todos” eso deseo ser para mi familia y para mi comunidad.
(Ahora a traducir este ensayo).
English Version:
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Personal Statement (600 words)
The exit
I must tell you that I originally wrote my personal statement in Spanish, but don’t worry, I will submit it in English; the first challenge for those who migrate is language. I arrived in this country four and a half years ago. I will give no details of my route, but I will let you know that I am from Cadereyta, Queretaro. When I turned 13, I received a message that a man would pick up my sister Marta and this humble servant very early in the morning— my mother’s order was very clear: “Elena put chains on the entrance gate, padlocks on each door, and throw the keys into the river.”
Vulnerability
When my sister and I arrived in Phoenix Arizona, we were detained by the border patrol, just as the coyote was on the phone with my mother, asking for the six thousand dollar deposit for our crossing. Shortly after, my sister and I were taken to a children’s home, and we stayed there for a month without knowing if we would be allowed to get to Reading, Pennsylvania. In those moments, my sister and I were the most vulnerable, as we were at God’s mercy. All we could do was beg and pray to the Virgin and cry.
The arrival
In 2014, President Obama announced that minors detained at the border should be taken to their parents and entered into a program known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Through this program, I was able to see my mother after eight long years. As soon as I saw her, I cried so much, I don’t know when I stopped crying. I only remember that I hugged her and would never again let her go.
The school
High schools in the United States are very different from those in Mexico; US schools are cold, blocky buildings with hallways that run through all the sections. My math teacher, Edward, says that I am his best student, and a few days ago, he told me that I should go to university. My friend Roberto says that my achievements are in part because as immigrants, we develop remarkable talents due to our adverse circumstances. He wants to study philosophy; I think it suits him well.
University
Dr. Brecht is an angel; she is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and often collaborates with the community, investing her afternoons with a group of girls, all of whom are immigrants, to help us make progress in terms of the challenges we all face. Last summer, she took me to the UPenn campus, where I was able to visit different programs. As soon as I entered the law school, I knew that I wanted to be a lawyer and serve justice for my people. My dream is to go to Penn Law— will I achieve it? I know a lot depends on this essay. And although I won’t go into everything, I’ll elaborate…
Trump
If you really think that I am a good candidate to go to this University, I require your support, as students like me have great talent but lack of financial resources. President Trump eliminated the DACA program. When DACA ends, I will only be able to receive the private scholarships and aid that you get for me. With this in mind, you should know that within me, there is a Río Bravo that defines my emigrant spirit, a spirit that has brought me to knock on the door of this beautiful University through a short 600-word essay.
My dream
I dream of being the first in my family to go to university; as my friend Roberto says, “all knowledge of the world from everyone and for everyone,” that is what I want to be for my family and my community.
(Now to translate this essay).
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