一个移民孩子通往安全的漫长道路

It has taken me years to accept my legal status as a DACA recipient and to have the courage to openly discuss my journey. 尽管有巨大的困难和挑战, 我的生活既谦卑又有启发性, 我期待着分享我的故事.

我的家人搬到了美国.S. from Pakistan when I was 4-years old, looking for the promise of a better future. 我小时候很快就被同化了, 还有我的两个哥哥, adopting English as my third language and falling deeply in love with my new home. 在美国之前的生活.S. 成了一系列的遥远, 雾蒙蒙的小插曲, replaced with childhood memories of our small two-bedroom apartment in Forest Hills, 纽约, 和朋友玩手球, 去上学, and appreciating my mother's magical cooking at the kitchen table.

It wasn't until high school that I realized something felt different. I was confronted with the reality that I somehow was different—not in a physical sense, 但在我个人的分类中. I realized my parents entered the country legally, but overstayed their visa. While they meant well and adjusted their status to become permanent residents, the consequences of their actions would not be felt until years later, 而这些行动将带来沉重的代价.

In 2009, my parents woke up to alarming news from Pakistan—my ailing grandmother was in the hospital. My parents did not feel like they had a choice and decided to return to Pakistan. 我的二哥决定和他们一起去, while my eldest brother and I chose to stay in the country.

我记得开车去机场的情景. The silence was deafening and said more than any words could. It was like we were quietly mourning the loss of something—which, in truth, we were. 这将是我最后一次见到他们, as their departure from the country meant they abandoned their legal case, 触发10年禁令.

在接下来的几年里，我一直在怨恨我的新生活. I had just started college, and I felt powerless, numb, and alone. Due to the ban, I could not visit my family and they could not visit me. I also could not get myself to talk to my close friends about the situation. My immigration status felt like a badge of shame, and one that I forcibly inherited.

最后，生活还在继续，我适应了我的新常态. 运气好, in 2012, 奥巴马总统通过行政命令创建了DACA, allowing me (as a childhood arrival) to continue to live in the U.S.我可以选择每两年更新一次身份.

我的父母和哥哥也适应了. 我的母亲, 一个没有受过正规教育的可爱女人, learned how to use a cellphone so she could text me good morning gifs or audio clips from thousands of miles away. She would continue to text me every day for the next 12 years.

In 2017, my father was admitted to the ICU in Pakistan for a life-threatening condition. 在命运的残酷转折中, I felt trapped in the same predicament as my parents—do I see my father for the last time or do I give up the only place I call home? I spoke candidly about my situation with my manager and was informed that if I decided to visit my father, 我可以在伦敦办公室工作.

Thankfully, my father survived and went on to make a speedy recovery. Nevertheless, I was speechless and overwhelmed by this show of compassion. The largest bank in the world was willing to stand side-by-side with me during my time of need and did not see me as just another employee. 很长一段时间以来，我第一次感到不孤单.

1月28日, 2022, I finally reunited with my parents after their application for permanent residency was approved. I remember pulling into the driveway and seeing my mother standing in the front yard waiting for me. Though time and stress had aged her, her warm smile was unmistakably the same. All my mother wanted to do for the rest of the day was hold my hand and lean into my body, 好像要确认我是真实的.

我不是在寻求任何人的同情或怜悯. 出于这个原因，我尽量避免分享我的故事. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I was given due to the DACA program, 即使这意味着我一直处于法律的边缘状态. My journey has molded me and graced me with the understanding that time is a perishable item, 珍惜我所拥有的. It has also taught me how important it is to work at a place where diversity and acceptance of others is truly valued.

在美国还有60多万其他DACA受益者.S. 他们中的一些人可能没有我那样的支持系统. They may also not be aware of the resources at their disposal. I am sharing my journey because I want to add a human element to the conversation and help create an open forum for those in similar situations – a safe place where people can share their experiences and know they are not alone. In the end, we are all Dreamers, and our diversity is what brings out the best in us. 我希望我的故事能鼓励其他人分享他们的故事.