Living in America as an Undocumented Immigrant: How I Survived the Ordeal

By M.J.

Without proper documentation, living in the United States is a heavy burden, so why do immigrants choose to remain, in the face of scorn and endless risks? And what of the political debates? There are those in America who would have illegal immigrants deported without delay, while others argue they should pay a fine and stay. The argument rages on, and headway seems to be slow in coming.

LIVING IN AMERICA AS AN UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT tells the true, first-hand account of M.J., an undocumented alien who lived in the United States for ten years without proper documentation. M.J. has been a careful student of the immigration debate, and his account gives substantial discussion to the issues, key players, and longterm effects immigration reform could have on America and its citizens.

M.J. lived his life in the U.S. in fear of being discovered as an undocumented immigrant, but through this experience he learned much of the human condition and why we view immigrants as we do. His story is one of life and work for an alien in a foreign place, but he does not intend to point the finger. He intends to educate, inform, and enlighten. The immigration debate does rage on, but one mans mind has always been made up.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Oct 29, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450256858

M.J.

M.J. received his associates degree in computer information systems from J.F. Drake State Technical College in Alabama in 1998. He works for a multi-national IT firm in Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Book preview

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

CHAPTER ONE

Growing up in Gambia

CHAPTER TWO

Drake School

CHAPTER THREE

Family Matters

CHAPTER FOUR

American Dream Versus American Reality

CHAPTER FIVE

Immigration and Race

CHAPTER SIX

From Hope to Despair

CHAPTER SEVEN

Facts About Immigration

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Economic Realities of Illegal Immigration

CHAPTER NINE

Preparing for the Reunion

CHAPTER TEN

The Reunion

CHAPTER ELEVEN

What Is Next for Immigration Reform?

Immigration Resources

References

Foreword

Let me first say that it is a great honor to be asked to write a foreword for a friend whom I have known for over twelve years. My name is Kerry Stanley, and I may not be known to any of you, but I am a friend of the author and I am pleased to present this book to you. I won’t begin to act like I know what it is like to be an immigrant or the struggles that one faces. Persistence pays in this journey that we call life. We are able to meet so many people with different talents and ambitions in life. Back many years ago, at the start of our young lives, M.J. and I were just workers in a manufacturing facility, and over time, we have joined each other again. It is an honor to work with such a humble, intriguing person who strives daily to make a difference in this complicated world.

Hope. What is hope? Hope can be defined in many ways. Webster’s Dictionary defines hope as to cherish a desire with anticipation. In this book, M.J. has exemplified the word hope. This book will take you on a journey of life as an immigrant in the United States and through some of the immigration issues that face this great nation.

From the outset, this book will tell the story of M.J. coming to America. Being naïve and having lots of misconceptions about how things work in America, M.J. thought that when he came to America, there would be many things that would be, in essence, handed to him. He had to work hard to obtain what some people consider to be the simple things in life: a car, a place to live, and utilities. The book will then take you down the path of school and how M.J. went to school to learn computer networking. He attended a small technical college in North Alabama while working part-time. Then M.J. will explain the importance of his family, the way he met his wife, the long courtship they had, and the fantastic birth of his daughter. Everyone has their own perception of immigration and race, and M.J. will explain his stance on these issues. As we all know, there are economic realities that factor into illegal immigration: jobs, taxes, health care, and many other topics. M.J. will address those topics and give you the advantages and disadvantages of illegal immigration. M.J. prepared himself for a trip back to his home country, and he will explain the process of what an immigrant has to do to travel outside of the United States. As he travels home, you will embark on his journey with him, and he will show how special it is to return home and see his family. Last but not least, immigration reform has been a hot topic in the last few years and the future is unclear as of now.

Some of us are fortunate enough to have been born in this great country of the United States, but others are not so fortunate. M.J. is an example of the American dream. He is a person who came to this country in search of an opportunity and has made the most of it. Oftentimes in life, opportunity knocks, but we don’t listen. M.J. listened! Please enjoy the story of one person’s life that we all should admire.

Kerry Stanley, Living in Hope …

Preface

This nonfiction book is a culmination of more than a decade of my personal life story in the United States. Also substantially discussed in the book is the perennial issue of immigration reform. In this book, I present an up-to-date analysis of the current immigration debate and the key players involved in this debate. Over the years, I have closely followed every aspect of the debate and gathered copious amounts of materials—newspapers and video material—as well as communicated with people who have played a role in it.

Deciding whether I should remain with an undocumented status or do something to change it has been a great source of deliberation for me. It was a matter of daily urgency for me since I knew very well the many dangers associated with living in the United States without documentation. Having lived in this country for fourteen years and not missed a single day of sending Uncle Sam what I owed, I would find it to be a moment of loss and tremendous regret if one day, out of nowhere, I were to be removed out of my home, headed for a detention center and possible repatriation later. The daily fears and the possibility of an agency raiding my neighborhood in the early hours of the morning were quite terrifying.

An understanding of the process of changing one’s status as an immigrant is crucial to determine whether one needs legal representation or not, which will depend on the nature of the immigration case. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) site[1] has a voluminous load of instructions and procedures that will serve well any reader who wants to know. I do not, however, endorse the exclusive use of any single source for guidance. I am a CompTIA Network+ certified and A+ certified professional and information technology (IT) technician. I am currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in management of technology at Athens State University.

Acknowledgments

It has taken me a while to get to this point in the writing process. The beauty of spreading the time line is that it has given me the opportunity to incorporate more material and new developments that add more meaning to the book’s existence. Getting here has not been easy. There have been many people who, in one way or another, have made it an actuality. Thanks to each one of them: Yusupha Jammeh and family, Kerry Stanley, Lamin Touray (Boynding), Tai F. Jammeh, Lamin J. Darbo, Kaddy Jammeh, Sharon Siekaniec for her help in typing the manuscript, Fatou Jammeh, Sulayman Bojang, Buba J. Darbo, Mustapha Jabang, Modou Njie Samateh, Fakabba, Boy Jammeh, Lamin Jobe and family, Yaya Jammeh and family, Nicely Family, Looper family, Arona Bojang and family, Kemo Krubally and family, and Dodou Sanyang.

Introduction

In the fall of 1989, the beginning of my first year at college, I and many other students descended on Gambia College to start the orientation for our different programs. This important day preceded an entrance examination which drew no less than two thousand potential candidates for the school of education, which was my target department. In the end, less than five hundred students in total were accepted the schools of Agriculture, Education, and Public Health.

Two days of orientation followed the first day in class. The first lesson was English composition. Our instructor was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Every Peace Corps volunteer was given a Gambian name. Her name was Ms. Manding Touray. She introduced herself and had all of us introduce ourselves.

My name is M.J., but you can call me M. I am a student at the Gambia College, and I’m here today because I want to be an educator. These introductions proceeded until all forty-five students had their turn to speak.

The first composition assignment of the day was about the structural adjustment program (SAP) in Gambia. The topic was What impact did the structural adjustment program have on Gambia’s educational sector? What precisely is the structural adjustment program (SAP)? In June 1985, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in collaboration with the government of Gambia implemented the program in other sub-Saharan capitals supposedly to cut back waste in government. After six months of sitting in the classroom, we were assigned to different schools within a 120-mile radius of the college for student teaching, where our professors would, for the most part, show up unannounced to observe