My life as the wife of an illegal immigrant.
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
I am writing this because recently I have heard too much in the media about illegal immigrants and from people that I think probably don’t know a single one and even if they did they probably aren’t aware of it. As if an illegal immigrant wore a sign or introduced himself as Juan “illegal immigrant” Lopez. I feel that I need to speak up in defense and for once be the voice of someone who knows first hand. I am an American citizen married to an illegal immigrant. Just to make it clear, we were married too late for me to be able to apply for his residency, now this way no one will say that he married me just for that reason.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard lately that illegal immigrants come here and take our jobs and if they’re not working they are getting welfare. To top it off, that they send ALL the money they get back to Mexico to their families. I want to set the record straight and I’m willing to bet that over fifty percent of illegal immigrants identify with what I’m about to tell you.
First of all, when a person comes here to the United States illegally most likely the best job he can expect is an entry level possibly below minimum wage job that your average American citizen would turn their nose up at. For example warehouse, farm worker, gardener, factory worker or food service worker. As a matter of a fact these jobs are the reasons that most Americans are encouraged to go to college to avoid. Illegal immigrants do these jobs, most work very hard without complaining and sometimes without even getting a lunch or a break and of course they couldn’t complain even if they wanted to because they are employed illegally. So my point would be that illegal immigrants come here to work they are not taking and jobs that the average American would be interested in doing and obviously not getting welfare if the reason they came here in the first place was to work. I am sure they couldn’t get welfare even if they tried. I know this by experience and trust me welfare requires mountain of information and paperwork for a person to be able to receive benefits. In addition my husband, his family and most of the people that we know (many being illegal immigrants as well) believe that welfare is for lazy people and wouldn’t dream of asking for that kind of hand out.
Yes it’s true that occasionally we send money to my husband’s family in Mexico and that most illegal immigrants help their families back home when they can. It is also true that is costs money to live here in America (yes even illegally). They still have to pay rent, buy food, clothes and other necessities. They buy cars which need gas, they buy furniture for their home (in some cases receiving credit from stores) but in most cases paying for their purchases in cash. And guess what, they pay taxes too. Conveniently that fact goes overlooked when the ignorant decide to start throwing stones.
The majority of Mexicans who enter the United States illegally are not coming here so that they can continue to break the law. They’re coming here because they want the opportunity to work for a better way of life and they’re willing to risk their lives for it. Once here they work. They pay taxes (trust me this is the case more often than not everyone we know receives a pay check with taxes already taken out). Companies might be able to get away with hiring workers illegally but they can’t get away with paying huge numbers of employee’s with cash. Illegal immigrants spend their money here, it’s impossible to avoid considering the high cost of living.
Mexico is a poor third world county. It is a hard place to live and I know because I’ve been to the state where my husband is from. I’ll tell you what though; the people there wouldn’t let you tell them that. Don’t you dare let them hear you call them poor or say that they’re having a hard time of it because it’s their way of life. To work hard for the food that they eat, the clothes on they wear and the roofs over their head is what life is all about and they are humble and noble people that would still give you the shirt off their back even if it was the only one they owned. The people in my husband’s family aren’t the only ones either, just because Mexicans don’t have a lot of money or nice things doesn’t mean that they can’t wait to receive the first hand out they can get or that they would steal the shoes off your feet. Yes I know that Tijuana isn’t a very nice place but you can’t judge a whole country because of one city. If that was the case the United States sure would be in trouble.
Yes my husband entered this country illegally. I am absolutely positive that he would have done it the right way if he would have been willing to wait longer. I guess he just couldn’t bear to watch his mother and father work their fingers to the bone one day longer. His mother begged him not to go but obviously she raised him to go out and work hard for what you want.
So ever since 9-11 and the repeal of SB 60 (bill that would have made it possible for illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses) every where we turn we hear people in the media spewing insensitive, uninformed information about the human beings that enter their country illegally. One of these human beings is my husband that works hard so that I may stay home with our 3 year old son and these people would have him sent back to Mexico and away from us. But not to worry because I would go with him and there would be 3 less people in this greedy, lazy, and overcrowded country of my birth.
Although I live as a part of this issue every day it is so much bigger than I am and I could go on and on with valid points that will most likely be ignored and written off by the “great” people of this country. At least now I can say that I stood up for the man that takes care of me and his family. What a horrible law breaker right?
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard lately that illegal immigrants come here and take our jobs and if they’re not working they are getting welfare. To top it off, that they send ALL the money they get back to Mexico to their families. I want to set the record straight and I’m willing to bet that over fifty percent of illegal immigrants identify with what I’m about to tell you.
First of all, when a person comes here to the United States illegally most likely the best job he can expect is an entry level possibly below minimum wage job that your average American citizen would turn their nose up at. For example warehouse, farm worker, gardener, factory worker or food service worker. As a matter of a fact these jobs are the reasons that most Americans are encouraged to go to college to avoid. Illegal immigrants do these jobs, most work very hard without complaining and sometimes without even getting a lunch or a break and of course they couldn’t complain even if they wanted to because they are employed illegally. So my point would be that illegal immigrants come here to work they are not taking and jobs that the average American would be interested in doing and obviously not getting welfare if the reason they came here in the first place was to work. I am sure they couldn’t get welfare even if they tried. I know this by experience and trust me welfare requires mountain of information and paperwork for a person to be able to receive benefits. In addition my husband, his family and most of the people that we know (many being illegal immigrants as well) believe that welfare is for lazy people and wouldn’t dream of asking for that kind of hand out.
Yes it’s true that occasionally we send money to my husband’s family in Mexico and that most illegal immigrants help their families back home when they can. It is also true that is costs money to live here in America (yes even illegally). They still have to pay rent, buy food, clothes and other necessities. They buy cars which need gas, they buy furniture for their home (in some cases receiving credit from stores) but in most cases paying for their purchases in cash. And guess what, they pay taxes too. Conveniently that fact goes overlooked when the ignorant decide to start throwing stones.
The majority of Mexicans who enter the United States illegally are not coming here so that they can continue to break the law. They’re coming here because they want the opportunity to work for a better way of life and they’re willing to risk their lives for it. Once here they work. They pay taxes (trust me this is the case more often than not everyone we know receives a pay check with taxes already taken out). Companies might be able to get away with hiring workers illegally but they can’t get away with paying huge numbers of employee’s with cash. Illegal immigrants spend their money here, it’s impossible to avoid considering the high cost of living.
Mexico is a poor third world county. It is a hard place to live and I know because I’ve been to the state where my husband is from. I’ll tell you what though; the people there wouldn’t let you tell them that. Don’t you dare let them hear you call them poor or say that they’re having a hard time of it because it’s their way of life. To work hard for the food that they eat, the clothes on they wear and the roofs over their head is what life is all about and they are humble and noble people that would still give you the shirt off their back even if it was the only one they owned. The people in my husband’s family aren’t the only ones either, just because Mexicans don’t have a lot of money or nice things doesn’t mean that they can’t wait to receive the first hand out they can get or that they would steal the shoes off your feet. Yes I know that Tijuana isn’t a very nice place but you can’t judge a whole country because of one city. If that was the case the United States sure would be in trouble.
Yes my husband entered this country illegally. I am absolutely positive that he would have done it the right way if he would have been willing to wait longer. I guess he just couldn’t bear to watch his mother and father work their fingers to the bone one day longer. His mother begged him not to go but obviously she raised him to go out and work hard for what you want.
So ever since 9-11 and the repeal of SB 60 (bill that would have made it possible for illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses) every where we turn we hear people in the media spewing insensitive, uninformed information about the human beings that enter their country illegally. One of these human beings is my husband that works hard so that I may stay home with our 3 year old son and these people would have him sent back to Mexico and away from us. But not to worry because I would go with him and there would be 3 less people in this greedy, lazy, and overcrowded country of my birth.
Although I live as a part of this issue every day it is so much bigger than I am and I could go on and on with valid points that will most likely be ignored and written off by the “great” people of this country. At least now I can say that I stood up for the man that takes care of me and his family. What a horrible law breaker right?
