Ana the biochemist sought me out recently. She wanted to offer a counterpoint to some of the columns I write about other immigrant children. I’m only revealing her first name because sharing her full name could get her husband in trouble.
On the surface her story looks like that of many immigrants. She came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 15. Her father had entered the U.S. to go to Alaska months ahead of her but instead stayed in Chula Vista. He convinced her mother to bring Ana to U.S. schools, which he believed would be better.
The child of two engineers, Ana remembers wanting to follow a similar path.
“I wanted to be a scientist since I saw Jurassic Park in 1993,” she said, recalling her childhood ambition.
However, at the first high school she attended she was placed in remedial math. When she requested a higher-level math class, she was told, “Sorry, we don’t have that in Spanish.”
She moved to Castle Park High School, and despite being in a bilingual program, was able to take higher level math and science classes. Recalling her reaction when she entered Algebra II as a sophomore, Ana rejoiced, “Yeah! This is what I’m talking about!” she said.
Ana said she went to the school guidance counselor. “I want to be a scientist.”
The counselor tried to dissuade her.
“Oh, you have to go to a four-year college for that, and you don’t speak English.” Instead, he showed her a list of the classes which were available to her in Spanish. Seeing her limited options, Ana requested to be moved into English classes instead.
Ana was an excellent student. “I had straight As, because I had no friends,” she says. Her peers were immigrants, but “they were not like me.” They were a source of important information, however. Midway through junior year, Ana overheard two girls talking about the upcoming SAT exam. No one had talked to her about the test, and had she not asked them what it was, it’s possible no one would have. Her parents valued education, but had no way to help her navigate the system.
As if learning English, trying to plan a route to college, and feeling out of place among peers were not enough, Ana’s tourist visa expired and her status as an illegal immigrant became another source of stress.
“I knew anytime they could come kick us out. What helped is that we didn’t look Mexican,” said the petite 37-year old who is light-skinned and, these days, has salt and pepper hair.
After attending college here Ana made up her mind to return to Mexico and seek an advanced degree in molecular biology.
“Being without papers factored into every decision I made. Every time you drive, you worry the cops will catch you. You hope that no one asks you for any papers. Living like that is not a life.”
Before she could leave, however, Ana met a man. A kind man, a youth pastor and logistics analyst for the Navy. A U.S. citizen, a man whose security clearance could be jeopardized by an undocumented wife. They married in 2007 and he helped her adjust her immigration status. After 12 years, she was able to rest easy in the United States.
Today Ana, 36, is a U.S. citizen since 2014, and a biochemist with a Master’s degree. She wants to encourage other immigrants to persist. “It’s not easy. Too many people will tell you you can’t.” To Ana, steadfast dedication to one’s goals is the only way to reap the rewards of the American Dream. “I’m not the story of those immigrants who stay stuck.
Look at my story; can you tell me I didn’t have the same opportunities as others? Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” she said.
“We need more people to tell us we can do it. We need to hear more stories of people who made it.”
There ARE more stories that will tell you they don’t want to do it…
“help her adjust her immigrant status” that’s funny…she got a green card after marrying a U.S citizen.