Photostories by Humans of St. Louis
The Mejia Family
Guadalajara, Mexico
Brayan: “I’m 22 and I just graduated from college with my associates degree in arts. My brother is 19 and working. And my sister is 17 and in high school. We were all born in Guadalajara, Mexico. We came to the U.S. about 12 years ago as a family – mom, dad, and us three. Our grandmother has been here in Illinois for 20 years. Before we arrived, we had maybe met her once when she visited Mexico. So we moved here to where she was for better opportunities, including an education, and we’ve been here ever since. We got in touch with the MICA Project through our church because the pastor knew about the organization. It’s been four years forming a great friendship with MICA. They’ve been able to help us with DACA renewals. We thought it was a great opportunity, although it had some risks because we were sending all of our information to the government. And, as we have seen, President Trump said he would end DACA and use the information it gathered, like our addresses, to do massive deportations. He has changed since he said that, which is great. So, originally we thought it was an awesome opportunity, but we had to be prepared. We had to try to go through our normal lives and try to do the best that we could, but recognizing that at some point something could happen. That’s the only way that we could prepare. I don’t think there is anything else that we could have done to be more prepared. So we all have DACA and mom has a work permit. Dad does not have anything yet, but we applied for a U Visa a year ago. We are still waiting for that to go through.”
“How do you explain what DACA is?”
Brayan: “DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, gives you a work permit so that you can apply for a Social Security Number, and with that you can get a license, and with that you can go to school. It is mostly intended for going to school and working. You can go to high-school without any documents, but what happens after you graduate and want to go to college? The Dreamers are the people who pushed for this to happen. DACA started in 2012 when I was a senior. I got really lucky because I could go to college the next year. It was awesome when I saw the news that day. I didn’t think I was going to be able to go to college, and DACA gave me the chance. The application costs $495.00. Once it’s approved, they send you to get biometrics done to see if you committed any crimes and to check that you are not in trouble with the police. Once you get that done, in about three months, or longer, you get the work permit again with a new expiration date.”
“How do you explain what DACA is?”
Brayan: “DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, gives you a work permit so that you can apply for a Social Security Number, and with that you can get a license, and with that you can go to school. It is mostly intended for going to school and working. You can go to high-school without any documents, but what happens after you graduate and want to go to college? The Dreamers are the people who pushed for this to happen. DACA started in 2012 when I was a senior. I got really lucky because I could go to college the next year. It was awesome when I saw the news that day. I didn’t think I was going to be able to go to college, and DACA gave me the chance. The application costs $495.00. Once it’s approved, they send you to get biometrics done to see if you committed any crimes and to check that you are not in trouble with the police. Once you get that done, in about three months, or longer, you get the work permit again with a new expiration date.”
Brayan is standing in front of an American flag and smiling at the camera.
“How did your plans change knowing you could qualify for DACA?”
Brayan: “I thought about working or going back to Mexico. Maybe I would try to save money and go to school over there. When I heard about DACA, everything changed. I could stay and I could go to school here. I could apply for scholarships to help with the cost, too, because it is not cheap. I ended up getting a scholarship for soccer, I played for two years, and that’s how I finished school. DACA is good for two years and then you have to renew it. This is the second time I’m renewing it, but it took care of those two years of my education completely. I think I am going to need at least four more years of school. Right now, I am still under DACA and I’m taking a break from school to work full time. I’ve been doing human resources for my company. After I finished with my associates, they gave me the chance to start.”
“How does it feel living in the U.S. year by year and not knowing if your DACA will be renewed?”
Brayan: “Uncertainty is really hard to live with. You could have a great thing now, but in six months or a year everything could be taken away. DACA has helped a lot of people achieve their goals, especially if they want to get a higher education. And even if they don’t get a higher education, they have better jobs because they can apply for better jobs. I am really proud of my brother and sister. My brother is going to try to be a mechanic and apply for college in a few months. My sister is still in high school and works hard, too. I know they are going to do a lot of things. We are blessed to be here right now.”
Brayan: “I thought about working or going back to Mexico. Maybe I would try to save money and go to school over there. When I heard about DACA, everything changed. I could stay and I could go to school here. I could apply for scholarships to help with the cost, too, because it is not cheap. I ended up getting a scholarship for soccer, I played for two years, and that’s how I finished school. DACA is good for two years and then you have to renew it. This is the second time I’m renewing it, but it took care of those two years of my education completely. I think I am going to need at least four more years of school. Right now, I am still under DACA and I’m taking a break from school to work full time. I’ve been doing human resources for my company. After I finished with my associates, they gave me the chance to start.”
“How does it feel living in the U.S. year by year and not knowing if your DACA will be renewed?”
Brayan: “Uncertainty is really hard to live with. You could have a great thing now, but in six months or a year everything could be taken away. DACA has helped a lot of people achieve their goals, especially if they want to get a higher education. And even if they don’t get a higher education, they have better jobs because they can apply for better jobs. I am really proud of my brother and sister. My brother is going to try to be a mechanic and apply for college in a few months. My sister is still in high school and works hard, too. I know they are going to do a lot of things. We are blessed to be here right now.”
A close-up shot of Fernando looking at the camera.
“Fernando, could you imagine going back to your country now?”
Fernando: “No, because it would be hard. We have a lot of family there and a lot of close relationships with our aunts and uncles and cousins. We miss them a lot, but once you go there, there is no telling if you are going to come back. It was hard to come here and adapt to everything, like speaking English and understanding the way of life. I have lived here pretty much my whole life now and I cannot imagine going back. I was seven years old when I left Guadalajara, so I don’t remember much. My oldest memory here is with my friends. When I first came here, I made five good friends. In the 12 years that I have been here, they have all been there for me. Now, I’m working full time. I love mechanics. It just comes to me. My sophomore year I dropped out of high school and started working full time to help in anyway I could. My boss was self taught and he has been teaching me everything so that I can get my GED and go to college for mechanics. I am not much of a studying person. I struggle to sit down for long periods of time. High school was a great experience, but it wasn’t for me. It was a hard decision to quit high school and work. Nobody wanted me to do it. I was 18, so I made my own decision. I was able to drop out without my parents’ permission, which made them upset. But now I know exactly what I want to do. My job put me in the direction of where I want to be for the rest of my life. Now I am just going to work as hard as I can to go to college so that I can become a decent mechanic.”
“How do you feel connected to your culture?”
Fernando: “I’m Mexican and I guess I’ll always be Mexican. It has been hard adapting. Luckily, we haven’t moved around a lot. I have made family here. It’s home.”
Fernando: “No, because it would be hard. We have a lot of family there and a lot of close relationships with our aunts and uncles and cousins. We miss them a lot, but once you go there, there is no telling if you are going to come back. It was hard to come here and adapt to everything, like speaking English and understanding the way of life. I have lived here pretty much my whole life now and I cannot imagine going back. I was seven years old when I left Guadalajara, so I don’t remember much. My oldest memory here is with my friends. When I first came here, I made five good friends. In the 12 years that I have been here, they have all been there for me. Now, I’m working full time. I love mechanics. It just comes to me. My sophomore year I dropped out of high school and started working full time to help in anyway I could. My boss was self taught and he has been teaching me everything so that I can get my GED and go to college for mechanics. I am not much of a studying person. I struggle to sit down for long periods of time. High school was a great experience, but it wasn’t for me. It was a hard decision to quit high school and work. Nobody wanted me to do it. I was 18, so I made my own decision. I was able to drop out without my parents’ permission, which made them upset. But now I know exactly what I want to do. My job put me in the direction of where I want to be for the rest of my life. Now I am just going to work as hard as I can to go to college so that I can become a decent mechanic.”
“How do you feel connected to your culture?”
Fernando: “I’m Mexican and I guess I’ll always be Mexican. It has been hard adapting. Luckily, we haven’t moved around a lot. I have made family here. It’s home.”
Paloma smiles at the camera.
“Paloma, do you like it here?”
Paloma: “Yes. Everything does not seem as hard as it would be in Mexico. Like, my schooling would be hard if I had to go back there. I don’t really know how to write or read in Spanish. I’m so used to doing all of that in English. I was in first grade when I moved here. I was five years old. My oldest memory there was playing with my friends. My parents always had to yell at me to come back inside. In the U.S. though, I would say my oldest memories are with my family, like when we’d go to Holiday World, a waterpark, we would always go as a family. A tradition I wouldn’t want to let go of is staying together as a family, not going our separate ways, and not forgetting about my mom and dad.”
“How do you feel at your age with the things that are going on politically?”
Paloma: “I have not experienced anything bad in school, thank God. One teacher asked me if my family and I were going to be fine. Other than that, it is hard to think of our future because we don't know what the new President is going to do or what is going to happen. I feel bad that I could get separated from my parents, or I might have to go to Mexico and not be prepared to adapt to be over there. Am I going to be able to finish school or will I have to start to work? I’m a junior now. The thing I like the most about school is my nursing program. I am working hard to get my CNA and become an OB nurse. My cousin in Mexico is an OB nurse. I like babies. I always get excited whenever nurses come and talk to our class. Graduating in May 2018 would be a huge accomplishment. I want to finish high school and then see what college brings. I just got my DACA renewed, so I have two more years.”
Paloma: “Yes. Everything does not seem as hard as it would be in Mexico. Like, my schooling would be hard if I had to go back there. I don’t really know how to write or read in Spanish. I’m so used to doing all of that in English. I was in first grade when I moved here. I was five years old. My oldest memory there was playing with my friends. My parents always had to yell at me to come back inside. In the U.S. though, I would say my oldest memories are with my family, like when we’d go to Holiday World, a waterpark, we would always go as a family. A tradition I wouldn’t want to let go of is staying together as a family, not going our separate ways, and not forgetting about my mom and dad.”
“How do you feel at your age with the things that are going on politically?”
Paloma: “I have not experienced anything bad in school, thank God. One teacher asked me if my family and I were going to be fine. Other than that, it is hard to think of our future because we don't know what the new President is going to do or what is going to happen. I feel bad that I could get separated from my parents, or I might have to go to Mexico and not be prepared to adapt to be over there. Am I going to be able to finish school or will I have to start to work? I’m a junior now. The thing I like the most about school is my nursing program. I am working hard to get my CNA and become an OB nurse. My cousin in Mexico is an OB nurse. I like babies. I always get excited whenever nurses come and talk to our class. Graduating in May 2018 would be a huge accomplishment. I want to finish high school and then see what college brings. I just got my DACA renewed, so I have two more years.”
Paloma and her mother sit together on a bench and smile at the camera.
“When you first heard about DACA, what did you think about it?”
Paloma: “I knew Brayan and my mom were excited about it, so I was excited about it. Brayan told me that when he was in high school, he couldn't get his driver's license. He told me that I am pretty lucky that I can and I got to take Drivers Ed, which is something that he didn't get to do when he was my age.”
“Do you find yourself meeting other people from Mexico in your same situation?”
Paloma: “Yeah, and I have good communication with them. I always try to help them out if I can.”
“Why does this place feel like home to you?”
Paloma: “Being here for a long time made it home. I am so used to being here and I am so used to the places around here.”
Paloma: “I knew Brayan and my mom were excited about it, so I was excited about it. Brayan told me that when he was in high school, he couldn't get his driver's license. He told me that I am pretty lucky that I can and I got to take Drivers Ed, which is something that he didn't get to do when he was my age.”
“Do you find yourself meeting other people from Mexico in your same situation?”
Paloma: “Yeah, and I have good communication with them. I always try to help them out if I can.”
“Why does this place feel like home to you?”
Paloma: “Being here for a long time made it home. I am so used to being here and I am so used to the places around here.”
The Mejia family stand together in front of a pond.
“What are you most proud of being the oldest sibling in the family?”
Brayan: “I am proud that I was able to finish my associates. It is not where I want to be yet, but it is done. I think I showed my younger siblings that it can be done. I am not a school person, but it was something that had to get done. I had to be focused. It took me three years to get a two-year degree. For one thing or another, I had to drop out to go to work to help out with the family. But if you have your mindset, you can get it done. They saw that they can accomplish it, too.”
Brayan: “I am proud that I was able to finish my associates. It is not where I want to be yet, but it is done. I think I showed my younger siblings that it can be done. I am not a school person, but it was something that had to get done. I had to be focused. It took me three years to get a two-year degree. For one thing or another, I had to drop out to go to work to help out with the family. But if you have your mindset, you can get it done. They saw that they can accomplish it, too.”
A close-up shot of Paloma and her mother holding hands.
Brayan: “DACA is great and it gives a lot of people opportunities, but I don't think it's the best thing for us. DACA is not permanent. If I was to write policy, I would write something to give us a path to citizenship; something that is permanent. Once you qualify and you have it, nothing can take it away from you. Being here, we deserve that. I already feel like a citizen. I work here. The government takes taxes when I get my paycheck. I go to school. Everything that I have done is here. I feel like I belong here. I like to do interviews like this because it is an opportunity for people to learn. Oftentimes, people don't know how it is for people like us. They don't know our personal lives and the struggles we go through on a daily basis. People need to know that it is not as easy as they think. If DACA does not continue, we would need to work hard, and save money, and move our lives back to Mexico. I don’t think there is much of a future here without documentation. There would not be many opportunities for school or for work. Still, we’re a pretty united family. If one goes, we will all go.”