My Name Is Jae and I am Undocumented

Published February 20, 2009 @ 05:00AM PT

After months and several weeks of non-stop crying and denying that I would leave my house, I realized my parents had made their minds. We were moving to the best place on Earth: The United States of America. It was only ten years after my parents had decided to move from South Korea to Argentina, when they agreed that my education would excel further in the "EEUU." I was only fourteen when I found out that I'd be leaving all my friends behind and how the "smartest Asian boy at school" would no longer be part of the school. It was all just a matter of time.

At first, it was difficult to adapt, having no friends and having trouble understanding. I still remember this time I went to the local grocery store and asked where "sugar" was. The nice lady, after giving me a disdainful look, would mock my accent and make me repeat "sugar" after her. It was when I succeeded at pronouncing "sugar" when she told me that sugar was on the aisles to the left. It was not that big of a deal. After all, when I ask my friends how "fob" I sound, they tell me that they can't tell me apart from an average American.

At first my parents brought me here through an H-4 visa.

This is a type of visa that children and people related to a technician obtain as a single person is hired by a large business in this country. Apparently the H-1 holder, my father, is the only lucky person to obtain a social security number which does not expire. I was a legal resident while it lasted.

I was admitted to a public High School in the state of GA with the legal documents which back then sufficed. As of today I find myself with a couple papers that clearly state that my papers have expired and I drive around without a license. Why did I let them expire you might ask. It wasn't anyone's fault really. Well, I guess we could blame the bad economy and how the business that hired my father went bankrupt. My parents were just not able to make the money to renew our papers which coincidentally expired a month after my grandmother passed away back in Korea. Only my mother visited due to the hard times that we were going through. I think I could have grown a couple more inches if I had had less stress back then.

Having been issued a social security number, my dad was able to start his own business which made enough money for my tuition to this incredibly expensive private school I got accepted to. Taking thirteen AP exams throughout High School was a lot of fun. Well, if I had to do it again I'd probably strangle someone but that's beyond the point. Being successful at academics I managed to begin my education as a future Doctor of Medicine at Emory University. It was my dreams coming true until my parents found themselves with a direct impact from the reclining economy and tuition was just impossible to create. So I attended Emory University for three years and studied there for a double major in Biology and Chemistry. As a matter of fact, I have completed my degrees but I am short in a few requirements here and there to graduate. This year all my friends will graduate, I on the other hand will remain reticent and probably feel jealous but that's all I can do for now since I am a man and men do not cry.

My DREAM has always been to become a physician, for those who do not know what this means, I mean a doctor. I am currently twenty two years old and taking school off due to not being able to create tuition. I drive illegally short distances around places to try to make some money to help my parents a little.

One thing for anyone reading this story: I haven't given up on my dreams and hopes quite yet. I just accept this as a challenge to more difficult things that I will be facing as a Doctor. So why should anyone else give up on their dreams. Let's not let this misery happen to the younger ones. I plead : Pass the DREAM ACT 2009 and allow the other students and myself fulfill our dreams.

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Comments (11)

Follow your dreams Jae and hang in there,
you will become a Doctor.

Drop me a line, anytime you need help or want to talk.

Posted by Prerna Lal on 02/20/2009 @ 08:04AM PT
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Jae,
Jae, thank you for sharing your story. You obviously have so much to contribute to this country.

I've written this elsewhere...but just thought you might be interested in this story about an undocumented student who became a neurosurgeon: Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa. At the age of 19, he hopped a border fence from Mexico into the United States. He started out as a migrant farmworker and a painter. But he worked hard, taking night courses and studying English in his spare time. He eventually got a scholarship to attend U.C. Berkeley. After CAL (my alma mater), he went on to Harvard Medical School and eventually joined the staff at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as a neurosurgeon. He has won numerous awards for his research into the role of stem cells in brain tumors. But just imagine if he had been apprehended before he could obtain his citizenship - what a loss to this country!

I'm hoping you can get a scholarship to continue your education.

Posted by a d on 02/21/2009 @ 07:28PM PT
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P.S. btw, it's okay to cry. Really...you should see my "macho" boyfriend when he's moved to tears by something (he's really more of a "sensitive poet" type). he,he. But just ignore the mindless ignorance of the restrictionists (they are not even in your league). You just keep working towards your dream...we are rooting for you to succeed. :-)

Posted by a d on 02/22/2009 @ 05:34PM PT
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These two comments have been deleted by the moderator of this forum but I'll answer to them regardless:

-"I hope you are able to finish your studies and become a doctor back in your home country. Good luck to you."-
I can't... first of all, I haven't lived in Korea since I was only 5 so I wasn't educated in that country at all since then, even if I am fluent in the language I'd still have difficulties understanding the academic terminology. Also, remember I went to High School as well as College like the rest of the people here. Anything you learned after the age of 14 I learned it the same way you did. Just because you know their language doesn't mean you can become a doctor in medicine just by going back to the "home country."
-"there was someone out there that was born here or was her legally that never got the chance to attend school because you took the spot." -
Yes I did. On the other hand, from the 10,000 people that applied 7,000 were rejected and about 1,000 chose other schools instead and not only that but I went through a perfectly competitive application system and I got in. It was a battle and I won it. I only applied to one school. If that's your argument, those students applying to 8 different schools are taking 7 spots that others could have had.

Posted by Jae H on 02/23/2009 @ 11:48AM PT
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Oh!
Now I understand how this site work. If I agree then my post is allowed. If I disagree the unknown moderator of this forum deletes my post. I for one would like to know what rule I broke that got my post pulled. I still have a copy and I never said anything that was not true. Well your tactics will not work as I will continue to work against having people in America in violation of our laws. Especially those that can not afford to obtain required paper work but can afford to attend an "incredibly expensive private school".
Delete all you want but I will still be here.
Peace

Posted by Philip McCleary on 02/23/2009 @ 05:19PM PT
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I felt that your comments were demeaning, unkind and insulting. So I reported your post as a personal attack, which it was. So blame me, if you like (no me importa!). This is a pro-immigrant community, so if you CHOOSE to post here, please do so with RESPECT for everyone on this site - this includes undocumented students and pro-immigrant citizens. Sorry, but you don't have free rein to bully and demean people on this site.

Posted by a d on 02/23/2009 @ 05:42PM PT
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The moderator is not unknown. It is me. I deleted your comments, and I'll delete future ones at my discretion. I go through this with each new restrictionist commenter and it's a revelation every time.

This is not a forum for nativists and restrictionists. You have those elsewhere. Now you know.

http://immigration.change.org/blog/view/a_note_on_comments

Posted by Dave Bennion on 02/23/2009 @ 07:18PM PT
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My dad has a SSN, pays for business taxes and hires people whom he pays. Oh wait... he hires people to work?... Sorry that he chooses to spend most of it on his undocumented son. That's his personal choice not mine. Also, I wouldn't say "untrue" just biased.

Posted by Jae H on 02/23/2009 @ 07:28PM PT
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Dave,

You're awesome!!!!!

Posted by Etrangere M on 02/24/2009 @ 06:56PM PT
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Hey Jae. I guess I kinda know how you feel. I'm a South Korean undocumented immigrant and came to the U.S. when I was 3 months old. I am now 17 and moving on to college. I too, want to be a physician. I only recently found out why exactly I might not achieve my goals or dreams. It was a huge shock. I grew up here, I made friends here, I passed a test to attend a specialized high school here. I'm not even close to fluent in Korean. I feel as American as anyone else, but legally I'm not. There are people who've never met me yet they hate me and people like me. My parents work extremely hard to support their family and they even pay taxes. We don't have health insurance, or any insurance for that matter. We can't own or drive cars. I just wish that people would try to understand rather than hate. They want to send me "home" but I don't have the slightest clue what that place is like. I can go on and on, but I don't want to sound whiney. Anyway, I feel for you Jae.

Posted by D P on 02/25/2009 @ 07:21PM PT
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Jae,
Keep your head high up because all this negativity is pure ignorance. These people don't understand that it's not about money, it's not that we are not willing to pay for our legalization, the option is just not there. You and I both know what it's like to live in the shadows and it's not a good place to be. I'm glad to see that more of us are coming out to share our stories! We WILL win this battle, whether they like it or not.
=]

Posted by Nancy A on 03/02/2009 @ 12:02AM PT
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