SC Dreamers, other immigrants, deserve pathway to US citizenship
Though my sister was living in the United States and painted a rosy picture of her life here, traveling so far and leaving my loved ones behind was not something I had considered.
In India, I had a job that I enjoyed and two young children. Starting life all over again was something I dreaded. As a child, I had endured pain and constant longing for my parents because they had immigrated to Kuwait to help improve our family’s finances. I always felt that if we could earn a living in our own country, there would be no need to travel to far off lands.
My husband worked for a finance company and while he was visiting Bombay, his boss informed him of his plans to visit the U.S. He asked my husband to accompany him to the American embassy there and then insisted that he should apply for a visa, too. My husband applied and that meant I had to go, too.
An immigrant’s journey is never easy.
One must make many changes and adjust to a new lifestyle, work, and rules. In India, I rode a two-wheeler on the left side of the road. In America, I had to drive a car on the right side of the road.
Even such a simple adjustment can be difficult for an immigrant. Imagine trying to buy a car without an established credit history.
Seeking more opportunities, I moved many times, from New York to Tennessee and later to South Carolina.
I made Subway sandwiches, worked in day care, checked in guests at motels, managed franchisees, and eventually owned a business. I have tried it all.
One in six workers in the United States is an immigrant just like me.
Immigrant business owners, meanwhile, account for 10% of all self-employed residents in South Carolina and 22% in the nation.
False stereotypes about immigrants have hurt our communities, but immigrants are an important part of American life. That’s why as an immigrant I want to see Democrats and Republicans alike stand up for the children, known as DACA Dreamers, who live here not knowing what the next day will bring.
DACA, which stands for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, came about in June 2012 when the secretary of Homeland Security “announced that certain people who came to the United States as children and meet several guidelines may request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal. They are also eligible for work authorization.”
DACA status, however, does not give these children lawful status.
These are children who have studied in our schools and worked multiple jobs to finance their higher education as financial aid is denied to them in 15 states, including South Carolina.
Dreamers eligible to enroll in the DACA program have applied to avoid deportation and continue studying or working, and, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the program includes some 590,070 individuals including 5,750 in South Carolina.
It’s time for Congress to stand up for these children and give them a pathway to citizenship in the only country they call home.
Their futures are on the line.
Marz Attarwala is an author and CEO of Aman Enterprise LLC in Lexington, South Carolina.