John, 

I’ve lived in the United States for nearly my whole life, but I’m still not seen as a true American. I am one of 11 million immigrants waiting for a path to citizenship, our lives in limbo while politicians fight over our futures. Together, the sum of our immigrant stories represent the resilience that shapes America. 

Like many other kids, my parents had to make tough choices to provide us with better lives. My parents dreamt of bigger things for me, and so when I was two years old, my family moved to Queens, New York from Mexico. I always knew I wasn’t born here, but there wasn’t much else different from me and my classmates. 
 
One of the first times that I realized the limitations of my status was before the 2016 presidential election. While all of my friends were registering to vote, I had to sit on the sidelines in the most important election of my lifetime. And I had to live with the dire consequences of that election, too.