#comprehensiveimmigrationreform

I have been undocumented since 2002, the year I left South Korea with my family after the late 90’s financial crisis. My parents began working in a dry cleaning store (a “seh-tak-so”), where my mom was denied pay for at least a month under the excuse of “learning how to do the job.” That year, a lawyer who promised green cards for all of us turned out to be a scam, and we were left undocumented. 

I graduated from elementary school and middle school without having any idea of being undocumented. Then, my high school years began. During those years, my school decided to enroll some students to take college classes at a nearby college. I was one of those students. I remember how, in the application, there was a part where we had to fill in our social security number. I didn’t know whether or not I had one, until my older sister informed me. Even though I didn’t have a social security number, I never considered myself to be undocumented…until I realized I couldn’t do certain things my other friends where doing, like travel. I couldn’t go visit my grandparents, couldn’t drive, couldn’t get financial aid for college.