Summary: I had an hour long conversation last night with the gas station attendant in town about the ups, and downs of living the american dream. I pulled into the gas station to fill up my car when I see miguel usually hes always happy, friendly, willing to help with anything you need but last night he just looked really depressed. It was late, and I already came back from a friends house so I had no where to go but bed. I asked him what was wrong, and he told me that his Visa was expiring soon, and he had to leave for his home country "paraguay" on thursday. I asked a bunch of questions like why chose to come to america, and would he go somewhere else if he had the chance. Some of the reasons he gave me were just like I expected, but other things he told me I never heard it directly from a foreigner. He came here for the american dream, something most people that plan on immigrating to the united states have set in their minds. A "hope for a new culture, more freedom, money, and overall better life." is what he told me. He works about 400 hours give or take per month for minimum wage ($7.50 / hr) with no overtime doing the graveyard shift, and it's all cash. Estimated income per month $3000, cost of living per month with "the basics rent, food, car and cable television!" is $1000. With the extra money he saves some for anything extra he may want (iphone), and sends the rest back to his parents. Miguel told me for the first 6 months of living here he paid $700 for rent, had to share a bathroom with 7 other people, and slept on the floor with no bed. I couldn't imagine that, and at first neither could he. I wanted to know how much everything was in paraguay, he said I could buy a nice sized home for $30,000, and hire a bodyguard to follow me for about $250 a month. Kids will watch your car if you're in the store, or going to the beach for $.10, and you can pay the police to patrol your neighborhood (most are corrupt) for various amounts. (In paraguay they have their own form of currency the guarani. The conversion of USD to PYG *guarani* is currently about 4000 to 1. For example 5000 Guarani is enough to pay for a hamburger, and that would only be $1 USD.) Theres a huge drug/alch problem, and most kids don't even go to school they usually start work as young as physically possible.. Miguel was lucky enough to go to school, and even finished at a university. The guy who pumps my gas has a business administration degree, and works for a bank back home. Once he gets the chance to leave his country again, he may move to canada I don't think he liked america as much as he thought he would. He also has to wait 10 years or something crazy to become a legal citizen, unless he marries someone who lives here already. Theres not much more to the story other then sometime over this winter when it's summer there I plan on visiting him, for a couple of weeks to a month seeing what it's like to live in a underdeveloped country, and I know it'll make me appreciate the opportunities I've been given being born here more then it already has by talking to him.... or I'll love it there, and live like a fucking king!
That was a really great story thanks for sharing. Our immigration and visa system are so screwed up and unbeneficial for America and the people who try to come here. Poor guy.
Yeah definitely felt bad for him, but at the same time there are some benefits to being here on a visa / illegally. He gets free health care, he doesn't have to pay taxes, and he helps his family out enormously by basically making what their wages are for a year in only a couple of months.
Good story. Majority think that ilegals/visa just cause problems and what not. When the majority of them actually bust their ass more then we will ever just to have some money for them and their families. My parents came here legally since back then it was easier to become a citizen. They really worked so hard for my sister and I. My mom would actually walk around the city collecting cans just to buy my sister diapers and what not. It was us over them always, no matter how hungry they were. So grateful for what they have done.
The way the system works is so fucked up. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjzfGChGlE]YouTube - Immigration, World Poverty and Gumballs - Updated 2010[/ame]
get a heart? you know what, maybe you're right. maybe i should be more sympathetic to people from other countries who come here and take jobs. let me go and totally rethink my position on the subject...
yes immigrants work their asses off, they are hard working people that deserve better,anx it is not fair to them, but unfortunatly..what in this world is fair?
I dont have a problem with any immigrants, Just do it Legally like the rest of us had to. I do have a problem with people who come here illegally and live off welfare and the medical system though. Alot of immigrants work their asses off, and I have nothing but resect for them
um, no, i'm not joking? how am i supposed to feel? should i wish that he by some means stays here even when his visa is expiring?
So your saying that if he has a valid visa he isn't a immigrant who is "stealing" jobs, but the moment his visa expires he is? Fuck... Im too high, sorry if it sounds dumb. I'm not trying to start a argument by the way, just trying to understand your pov.
to help you better understand my point, i'll turn to John Goodman: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BFdiYDGCUU]YouTube - He's over nine thousand[/ame] if you really desire to reside in this lovely country of ours, just follow the legal process.
first off, race has nothing to do with this. the person with the expiring visa could be british or irish for all i care. the bottomline is, if you aren't legally eligible to be here/work here, you shouldn't be (for reasons such as taxes, emergency room fees, etc.). i could further elaborate on this train of thought, but that would take far more time/energy than i'm willing to expend. anyway, yes, i wouldn't mind mowing a lawn for $8 untaxed. i work at a cash register, it isn't much better.