A Blog on Immigration in the United States - by Humberto Hernandez

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Humberto Hernandez at Pima Community College

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All of us have met an immigrant at some point in our lives. Although, have you ever asked yourself, how did they come to our country? What is their story? Why did they decide to leave everything behind to immigrate to America? Who is considered an immigrant? Well, if you ever wondered about these questions, you came to the right blog.

The reason why I am writing this blog

My name is Humberto Hernandez. I am the son of two Mexican nationals who raised me in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Even though I was born in Nogales, Arizona, I never spent a single day in an American school. Instead, my parents enrolled me in several Mexican schools throughout my entire childhood. “Why?”, you might ask. Well, my parents were not Americans. Certainly, they did not want to immigrate to America since they had a decent upper-middle-class life in Mexico. They didn’t even need to think about leaving home, much less stressing about finding jobs.

Everything must be “cool” up to this point, right? Not really… I have always been a curious person. I always wondered how I ended up being an American citizen when both of my parents and three siblings were all Mexican nationals. “HOW, WHY!?”, I asked my parents multiple times… I just couldn’t understand. My goodness, I even thought I was adopted at some point.

Back in 1998, my mother was pregnant, and I was about to be born. My father was working for Chamberlain Group in Nogales, Sonora, and they offered him a great insurance plan. Basically, my mom and dad could give birth to a baby in America along with a very cheap co-payment. My dad once told me that he paid like $50 USD for everything. Indeed, it was a nice plan, and I am glad they took that opportunity.

At this point, this is when I ask myself, “am I really an American?”. Legally, yes, of course. The thing is, I don’t really feel like one. I identify myself as a Mexican, even though I was not born in Mexico. Moreover, I feel identified as an immigrant; however, I am not even one at all. Isn’t that crazy? I am sure this affirmation may be causing a little bit of friction in your mind, and I understand. It is also hard for me to understand this concept, as I know I am neither a Mexican citizen nor an immigrant.

Long story short, I spent 18 years in Mexico before graduating from high school and joining the Marine Corps to become independent. When I was shipped to boot camp in March 2020, everything I experienced in the military was a cultural shock for me. I learned; however, how great the American culture is. Now I am starting to feel like a real American.

I described this little life story to you so that you can get a glimpse of what immigrants feel when they come to the United States. Most of the time, people do not immigrate to the United States because they love the country itself, yet they immigrate to provide for their families with a decent future in a potentially safe environment. Even though I was born in America, I never spent time here, so I did not know anything about “being an American”. I learned everything from zero, just like any other immigrant would. This is why it is so important to talk about immigration in the United States so that other Americans understand what really is behind the mind of an immigrant; moreover, how their lives are affected by laws, ideology, racism, mental health, and prosperity. In the end, we all pursue happiness, and we need to understand that concept as humans first, before even considering nationalities.

Figure 1: “Ni de aquí, ni de allá”

Photo of Humberto Hernandez as a child

Note: I was three years old in this photograph and it was taken in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. “Ni de aquí, ni de allá” literally translates to “Neither from here nor from there” which expresses the feeling of not belonging anywhere.

Why do people immigrate?

Immigrating to the United States is complicated and hard to understand for many people. It is based mainly on prerequisites such as reuniting families, improving the economy with licensed professionals, as well as helping refugees in need. In order to successfully immigrate to America, the desired expectations must be met. According to National Geographic (n.d.), “people may choose to immigrate for a variety of reasons, such as employment opportunities, to escape a violent conflict, environmental factors, educational purposes, or to reunite with family”.

The path to success

According to Budiman (2020) as of 2018, almost half of the immigrants in the U.S. are not English proficient. Many immigrants come to the United States without ever being able to hold a professional job. Nevertheless, those who pursue higher education tend to succeed in many aspects. For instance, “in 2018, immigrants made up 13.7% of the overall population in the United States, a slight decrease from 14% in 2016. That year, 12.6 million U.S. adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher were born abroad, comprising 17% of all U.S. adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher. College attainment rates for immigrants in the U.S. increased 38% between 2010 and 2018, while the attainment rates for U.S.-born citizens increased by only 24%” (Factsheets, 2021). Indeed, this shows us that immigrants are hungry to succeed, and accomplish their goals. In contrast, regarding Americans born in the U.S., the percentage of citizens with a bachelor’s degree has decreased in comparison to Americans born abroad. I can testify to this fact. For example, I joined the military because of the educational benefits involved in its service; however, you would be surprised by the alarming number of service members that do not want to use the “Tuition Assistance Program” while on active-duty status, or that do not use their GI BILL once they become veterans. It’s insane! Education is a great way to open doors in your life, why wouldn’t people want to pursue it? Especially when it’s free, as it is for veterans!

Does Immigration Benefit America?

Many Americans wonder if immigration is bad for their job advancement and opportunities, as well as the overall economy. According to Rouse et al. (2021), immigrants significantly boost the economy of the United States. By expanding the workforce, immigration most immediately boosts potential economic production. Additionally, immigrants raise productivity. In fact, “according to an analysis of 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data by the New American Economy, immigrants (14 percent of the U.S. population) wield $1.3 trillion in spending power” (Beyer, n.d.). Finally, we need to realize that the United States of America was built based on immigration, it is an immigrant nation. The majority of today’s Americans come from immigrants. Originally, only Native Americans belonged to our country. These varieties of cultures have impacted America in significant ways. For instance, we have a variety of music, food, holidays, arts, traditions, etcetera.

Indeed, immigration helps to build better economies. In my case, I was able to join the military so that I could afford college once my enlistment is up. I am planning to become an RN. Once I achieve that, I will get a job, and pay more in taxes as part of a significant salary increase. Immigrants come to America because they have a dream, the American dream, and they will work hard to accomplish that life.

References

Beyer. (n.d.). Immigrants Are Vital to the U.S. Economy. Joint Economic Committee, https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/6750b0f0-c851-4fee-9619-295582fd44e8/immigrants-are-vital-to-the-us-economy-final.pdf

Budiman. (2020, August 20). Key Findings About U.S. Immigrants. Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/08/20/key-findings-about-u-s-immigrants/

Factsheets. (2021, August 9). Immigrant Students in Higher Education. PNPI, https://pnpi.org/immigrant-students-in-higher-education/

National Geographic. (n.d.). United States Immigration. National Geographic, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/resource-library-united-states-immigration

Rouse et al. (2021, September 17). The Economic Benefits of Extending Permanent Legal Status to Unauthorized Immigrants. The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2021/09/17/the-economic-benefits-of-extending-permanent-legal-status-to-unauthorized-immigrants/#:~:text=Immigrants%20also%20make%20an%20important,also%20contribute%20to%20increasing%20productivity.