Javier R. Quiroz Castro came to the United States when he was 3 years old and applied for DACA when he was 22. After studying nursing at university, Quiroz is now able to work as a nurse. He said he has worked hard to represent people in the community. In red states.
Javier R. Quiroz Castro is a beneficiary of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a policy introduced by the Obama administration in 2012 that deports undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children. exemption.
This spoken essay is based on a transcript of a conversation I had with Ms. Quiroz, 32, from near Houston, Texas, about pursuing a career in nursing in the United States. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
My parents are from a small, poor town in Mexico. They didn’t think I had a future there and knew others who had immigrated to the United States in search of a better life, so they decided to do the same.
We came to America when we were three years old. We settled in Nashville because my parents had contacts there.
We were in the country illegally, but we didn’t know that at the time.
As a child, my parents and I had to work hard to make a living and were constantly afraid of being deported. In 2013, at age 22, I applied for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and was granted a work authorization card, allowing me to pursue a career in nursing.
I am grateful for the opportunity to work in the United States, but in a society where Dreamers, who refer to people protected under DACA, are used as political pawns, I am grateful for the opportunity to work for people like me. I think something more is needed. .
Our family worked hard in America.
After arriving in America, my father took a job in the construction industry, which involved hard labor, hot summers, and harsh winters. My mother cleaned the house and office. Neither of them spoke English, but they were very witty.
We started at the bottom. I remember sharing an apartment with another family, sleeping on the floor, and there were cockroaches. My parents then scraped together enough money to live in the mobile home I grew up in.
I spent my childhood playing, but I also worked a lot. When I wasn’t at school, I helped my mother with meals and cleaning.
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I didn’t know we were in the country illegally or what that meant until my parents told me when I was about 10 years old. As I grew up, I wondered why my parents had to work so hard, but I realized that we always had less money than others. I couldn’t understand why I always had to hide from the police.
I went to kindergarten without knowing English, so I took language classes to get my English back up. At home, I was always reading bills and letters. I also took care of my three younger brothers.
My parents didn’t have a social security number or credit line, so they always paid in cash. Eventually, they got their driver’s licenses, but there was always the fear that they wouldn’t be able to renew them.
When some of our family members died, we were unable to return to Mexico. For a long time we wouldn’t even travel from Nashville for fear of the law. We were always looking over our shoulders.
Over the years, my parents have worked hard to achieve the American Dream.
I wanted to be a nurse, but I had a hard time getting into university.
I grew up valuing my family, so I always had a desire to nurture others, and I wanted to work in the medical field.
I couldn’t apply for government aid because I didn’t have a Social Security number. My parents said that if I was accepted into university, they would help me pay for my education from their own savings.
I applied to six universities in hopes of finding one that would give me a chance, but I was either told I couldn’t get in because I didn’t have the documents or that I had to pay an international fee to get in.
Through a local youth program, I found a private Christian college that accepted me into its nursing school. Even though I was paying my monthly fees in cash, it still presented its challenges.
Even getting training experience at a local hospital was difficult because I didn’t have an ID or social security number to use for background checks.
Applying for DACA opens the door to working legally in the United States.
A year before I graduated nursing school, President Obama announced DACA.
I remember hearing that the president was going to give me a chance to work and live the American dream without fear of deportation. For a long time I felt alone and felt like I had no options. He opened the door for us. I will be forever grateful.
I applied for an adjournment of the case in 2013. I remember being fingerprinted and doing a background check as part of the process. I trusted the government with my information because they said they would protect me. From the time I first met with my lawyer, it took 6-8 months for my work authorization card to arrive in the mail.
I earned my nursing degree and license and moved to Houston with my wife, who is a US citizen and also a nurse. We have two children and a home in the suburbs of Houston. My husband and I currently work at a hospital in the city.
Because you must submit a DACA renewal every two years, you can only plan your life in two-year increments.
I want to become a U.S. citizen and obtain legal status in the United States through the Biden administration’s announcement that some spouses of U.S. citizens will be able to apply for status without leaving the country.
The traditional process would require me to leave the country and be away from my family, which is something I never wanted. There is a risk that something will happen and you will not be allowed to re-enter the country.
I live in a red state and want to advocate for other people who don’t have DACA
I am one of the lucky people who benefited from DACA, but I know there are many others who have not. When I became a DACA recipient, I wanted to prove Obama right and prove that Dreamers are not bad people.
I was invited to introduce President Joe Biden at an event in June 2024 commemorating the 12th anniversary of DACA. Biden announced an executive order to help spouses of U.S. citizens obtain legal status. It was surreal. My wife and I met with the President to thank him for our service as nurses. It was moving to attend this event on behalf of the people and watch the President announce executive orders for the benefit of the people.
When the Trump administration tried to take away DACA, I fought hard on behalf of others in my community. I worked in nursing during the pandemic during the Trump administration and treated Trump supporters. You can tell because you can see a red hat in the corner of the room.
I’ve only ever lived in red states and have friends on both sides of the political spectrum. When immigration comes up in a conversation, some people say I’m fine, but the people at the border are not. It reminds me that my parents and I were once in that situation.
I believe that Dreamers are being used as political pawns no matter what government they are in. I feel like we are forgotten and only seen during elections. These protections are a small step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.
America needs hard-working, talented people, and many of our citizens want them. We are here to work and contribute to the economy.
