[Hope2Improve]

I was brought to the United States illegaly when I was only seven years old. I have lived in the U.S for 11 years now. I graduated high school last year and while I was in school I did community service, National Honors Society, Professional Chorus, Advanced Placement classes, musicals & Plays, and many more activities. My parents migrated to the U.S illegaly, but they have a work permit that both me and my 20-year old brother are not eligible for because we entered after 1998. I work in a market as a cashier and I feel so out of place. I want to go to college. I want to drive, travel, audition for movies in California, do so many things that I am not allowed to do without papers. My brother and I have very special gifts. What I mean by this is that we are very intelligent and wise for our age. He is a master at mathematics and I am very passionate about Literature and Psychology. It hurts to see natural born citizens living on welfare and food stamps knowing that they have the opportunity to improve themselves and they choose not to, and I work hard everyday in a job that I detest because I have no choice. I feel like if I'm being held back and I want to be someone important. I want to educate myself and work my way to success, but not having papers and trying to do this is like trying to walk on water. I know many people blame parents and call them criminals, but all you think about when making such a big decision is that your kids will get to live in a place where criminals don't rule the government, and a place where education is the number one priority. Unlike the U.S, central american countries don't have privileges for every single person. But in the U.S we have the opportunity to improve ourselves. When I was a little girl I use to see the U.S as a place filled with promises, but now I find myself so stuck and I see all my friends move on and I'm left behind. Please God, help us.

[JudyKayTee]

Sorry to be so blunt but if you need help from God, then you have to pray and/or ask for it.

If you want to be in the US LEGALLY, then you have to consult with an Immigration Attorney.

I perfectly well understand your position that anyone should be able to enter the US in order to better himself/herself. I have no idea why your parents chose to enter illegally. I also understand that US citizens feel illegal immigrants are taking jobs from US citizens. I will mention that I am actually an ex-Fed who worked in Customs/Immigration. I saw illegal immigrants on a daily basis and am sympathetic to both sides.

I saw people who never attempted to enter legally attempt to enter illegally. Many of them would have qualified but once they were in the US illegally, they were deported and the legal way was pretty much closed to them.

I don't know how you entered school, got a SS number, how your parents got SS numbers, if you are all illegal. Do you have fraudulent papers?

Here is one site: Becoming American: Understanding legal and illegal immigration | LegalZoom

Yours is less of a legal question and more of a discussion. Perhaps it should be posted on one of AMHD's discussion boards.

As I said - the answer to the legal part is: You need an Immigration Attorney. The very bad side of things is that once someone contacts Immigration on your behalf your parents are in the spotlight.