Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

mobile.nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 337 posts

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#81

Post by ebiester »

phillmv wrote: post #10
Shenglong wrote: post #3

Even if I weren't open to letting educated members of society earn a legal green card, I think this would've changed my mind. The inability to obtain US citizenship even though I was attending a consecutively #1 rated program on the continent, at one of the best schools in the country really dimmed my own hopes. I remember wanting to apply for an internship at MIT Lincoln labs for anti-ballistic missile defense, and…

Have you tried Canada? We're kind of like the US, but better.

Honestly? Totally rooting for global warming. For your sakes.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#82

Post by jshen »

haberman wrote: post #65
nick-dap wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is living in limbo for a decade, with literally no single piece of paper identifying you as a human being is "cutting in line?" And why can't we tackle these problems at the same time? Why can't we even tackle these problems _one_ at a time? The Dream Act has been under review since 2001. It is a bill that can be voted on and passed in literally two days. Why not? ... I'll answer. Our impotent Congress, two year…

> How is living in limbo for a decade, with literally no single piece of paper identifying you as a human being is "cutting in line?" Because other kids who might have liked to live in the US and go to a top university didn't get to. You got what you wanted faster because your family broke the law. I still believe that children who are brought here illegally should get a lot more leniency because they weren't respons…

You seem to be assuming that something is right because it is the law. I'm inclined to question that assumption.

I could also make the usual snarky comment and say that by the letter of the "law" we owe native americans a whole bunch of land. Maybe even the land your house is on.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#83

Post by lutorm »

nick-dap wrote: post #58
haberman wrote: post #28

I have no beef with this guy who was basically forced into breaking the law before he could have responsibility for his actions. But overall I just feel that the compassion about immigration is misplaced. I don't understand why all the pro-immigration people say "look at these poor undocumented immigrants -- we should make life better for them." I think the people we should have compassion for are the people who are…

How is living in limbo for a decade, with literally no single piece of paper identifying you as a human being is "cutting in line?" And why can't we tackle these problems at the same time? Why can't we even tackle these problems _one_ at a time? The Dream Act has been under review since 2001. It is a bill that can be voted on and passed in literally two days. Why not? ... I'll answer. Our impotent Congress, two year…

I agree it seems heartless to not grant kids like this guy residency. The problem I have with this is that that would just make the moral hazard stronger. Parents already smuggle their kids into the US to give them a better life. If they knew that these kids would then be eligible for legalization, it's hard to see how even more people wouldn't try.

I'm not a Minuteman and I'm not going to argue for any border fences, but it seems like the root cause of the problem is that the risk of getting caught is so low that many people try it. The real solution would be to make people not want to immigrate illegally in the first place.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#84

Post by wunderfool »

legal immigrant (now citizen) here

immigration is a pain in the ass. we stood in line at the INS at 3am (back before they instituted appointments), and i'm not just talking tech people...i mean everyone, from all over the world and all walks of life. it sucked but we all did it.

we stood in lines and paid the fees and waited and followed the rules. if you don't, adios. i have zero, ZERO pity for everyone who has tried to come across as a charity case when they really just wanted to jump the line or not deal at all. to even get back in line i would assess a $10k fine on all of you, regardless of income or background.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#85

Post by lupatus »

lutorm wrote: post #74
lupatus wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. But, he was not a minor or forced against his will when he decided to check the citizen box on the I-9, or when he decided to pursue a writing career in New York instead of Manilla, or every time he decided as an adult to stay in the USA while knowing he was here illegally.

I suppose if you suddenly were to find out that you were actually illegally present in the U.S., you'd be a good, law-abiding noncitizen and cheerfully go back to the country you don't know?

Yup. :)

Nations are basically large families.

Imagine you spent your whole life thinking you were part of Family A. But then, you discovered you weren't biologically part of Family A or actually adopted by Family A, instead Family A kidnapped you. Would you be inclined to stay with Family A, or would you seek out Family P - your biological family? Similarly, would you want to stay with Nation A or go seek out Nation P?

I would go seek out Nation P.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#86

Post by reddweb »

nick-dap wrote: post #51

I'm in the same boat. It's been difficult. I cannot express how grateful I am to Jose Vargas for writing this story. I was brought here as a kid 13 years ago. I'm 24 now. I also graduated from a "top" university -- like that matters. I guess my parents weren't smart enough to get a fake social security card for me back then, I wish they were. I've also been fighting for the Dream Act for what feels like an eternity.…

Its simple. Do you implement the LAW ? or let law hijacked by emotions/plight? The legal aliens are idiots?. There are literally billions of people living below poverty line, who will sacrifice everything just to come to America - legally!!! Hardships, emotions and empathy has no place when you take into account 300 million citizens who are legally bound to support the system (tax, servcies, public shcools, hopsitals etc)

The real gem of this story is that the Secret Service and Whitehouse staff/security couldn't catch the fake social security card/number, that Vargas submitted.

LoL! If those institutions cant catch, then who can? Anybody can come here illegally and live/work enjoy. The fear (no reason for it) they have is similar to fear we have of accident - it rarely happens but needs vigilance/careful.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#87

Post by wunderfool »

andrewcooke wrote: post #72
tokenadult wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spouse of first-generation immigrant to the United States here. And back in the 1990s I used to be an immigration lawyer for a small law firm on the west coast. Yes, the personal story of Jose Antonio Vargas is rough on him personally, but a better basis for setting the policy of immigration in the United States would be the stories of the many people who patiently wait in line to be admitted to the United States thr…

the usa is a big country. if it has more immigrants it also has more wealth and more resources. the statistics for number of new citizens per capita remove that bias. and then the USA ranks #26. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/imm_net_mig_percap-immigra...

no actually we don't have "more resources" as population grows

the freshwater supplies all over the US are in peril. naively presuming we can continue to push towards some 400 million number simply isn't taking into account our actual inability to provide water, clean air, energy and infrastructure capacity for all of these people

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#88

Post by Aloisius »

How difficult is it really to have a green card wedding? The only knowledge I have of it is from TV, but surely in a country where a good chunk of the population doesn't take marriage seriously, finding someone to marry you for citizenship wouldn't be difficult.

You could even build a startup out of it... USMailOrderSpouses.com.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#89

Post by kelnos »

lutorm wrote: post #83
nick-dap wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is living in limbo for a decade, with literally no single piece of paper identifying you as a human being is "cutting in line?" And why can't we tackle these problems at the same time? Why can't we even tackle these problems _one_ at a time? The Dream Act has been under review since 2001. It is a bill that can be voted on and passed in literally two days. Why not? ... I'll answer. Our impotent Congress, two year…

I agree it seems heartless to not grant kids like this guy residency. The problem I have with this is that that would just make the moral hazard stronger. Parents already smuggle their kids into the US to give them a better life. If they knew that these kids would then be eligible for legalization, it's hard to see how even more people wouldn't try. I'm not a Minuteman and I'm not going to argue for any border fences…

Or do the opposite: make it so easy to immigrate legally that few want or need to do it illegally.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#90

Post by hugh4life »

anigbrowl wrote: post #60
jacis wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think what may have thrown some people off is your usage of the word "scheme". For myself, it elicits more negative connotations and throws off the message somewhat without spending more brain cycles.

I see your point, and have updated it to say 'project' lest people get the wrong idea. I was rather upset by the sweeping declaration above that I was committing a felony, why I think should be deleted by the author since it's totally unfounded.

You and the idiots who voted me down still don't get it... and your edit changes nothing. You can't act as an agent of employment for someone you know is illegal.

"If anyone is interested in investing in a project to legally provide work opportunities for undocumented immigrants"

Post reply on HN