A Reclamation of My Rights as an (Un)documented Person
This article really resonated with me, I think in part because the author and I are two completely different people. He was undocumented; I'm a natural citizen. He is queer; I am straight. He is black; I am white. But despite all of our physical differences, there are some similarities present. For the most part, he and I both believe people should have the same rights. There are some that I disagree with him on, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, right? For instance, he mentions that "I Have a Right To Not Be Deported". I personally disagree with that statement, just because if you are here in the United States, or any other country for that matter, illegally, then you should be aware of the consequences that come with it. I don't think deportation should be the first thing to happen if you are ever found undocumented, but one of the last steps if someone fails to comply with the rules. When we had the guest speaker, he mentioned he was a DACA child. In that case, children really had no choice when they came to this country, because they were a minor and had their parent making their decisions for them. Earlier that same day, we had a guest speaker in my education class who came and talked to us about the immigration process. She had previously worked for the U.S. government for immigration in Washington D.C., but now she runs her own company for immigration straight out of San Marcos. I thought it was quite the coincidence that I had two people in the same day talk to me about DACA. Before, I was unaware of what DACA was, but by the end of that day I considered myself relatively informed on the topic.
This article also made me realize the struggles that undocumented people go through. Being a natural citizen, I never have to worry about being denied worker's compensation or being raided by the police force. I don't have to worry about being threatened by my employer, all because I am a natural citizen. There are many, many more things I never have to worry about, but undocumented people worry about daily. Because of my natural status, I think I take many things for granted, and undocumented people don't have that luxury. As for intersectionality, the author has many. He is black, but he is also queer. He is undocumented, but he is also male. I think those are two of his biggest intersectionalities. I enjoyed this article, as it has made me more aware and opened my eyes to the everyday struggles some people face but that have never crossed my mind.
