My Name Is Jae and I am Undocumented

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.