I did not always know that I was different. I came to this country at the age of one, so I consider myself to have had an American upbringing. I love everything there is to love about this country, from its culture and to its diversity. It is kind of hard to say I assimilated into American society because I was raised by it. At an early age, my parents would try to tell me that I was just a bit different than the other kids. They would stress to me the importance of staying out of trouble, but I didn’t understand the significance of it. The only moments I felt different as a child were when other kids would mention their relationships with their grandparents. Although I was young, I understood that I could not travel and visit my grandparents in Mexico, which made me feel like I was missing a piece of my childhood everyone else had.
Like many others, I learned that higher education is the ultimate equalizer. It is the equalizer of rights, status, and opportunities. I’ll admit, I did not find my way or purpose right away. As a high school student, I was average in my academics and did the bare minimum. I did not fully understand the hardships and struggles that life would throw at me after high school, especially with my undocumented status.
As I started to gain a better sense of direction throughout my community college career, I then decided the next step was moving on to a university. I was accepted to transfer to a California State University in the fall of 2016. It was not only an exciting time, but also the toughest year of my life. My paternal grandfather passed away from illness in Mexico, precisely on my father’s birthday. Because of our immigration status, we were not able to be there with my grandpa in his last days nor were we able to attend his funeral. My grandfather stopped traveling to the U.S. when he was diagnosed with spinal cancer. It had been three years since the last time we saw him. I remember holding on to my father crying, feeling helpless, and sorry. This was without a doubt the worst time in my life, but even in the darkest of places there was a light. My grandfather’s passing served as the light to finding my purpose. It reminded me that I was different, but I saw the silver lining; my parents selflessly came to this country to give our family the opportunity to be successful. My parents made the ultimate sacrifice to leave their home so I could have a better future, so I made a promise to myself that my family’s suffering would not be left in vain. I realized the way to repay my parents for their bravery started with furthering my education because it is an instrument with the power to transform the lives of not only myself, but everyone around me.
Today, my future is in limbo. DACA has provided me with the ability to pursue my dreams by giving me the ability to work and be protected against deportation. In the past, multiple legislative bills have failed to pave the path towards citizenship for young Dreamers like myself. With DACA in jeopardy, lawmakers have introduced The Dream Act of 2017. This program serves as the most crucial component to my present and future success. DACA has allowed me to get a driver’s license, obtain a job, build credit, and attend college. These are all privileges that can be taken for granted and easily taken away from students who rely on DACA to pursue not only their higher education aspirations, but a medium towards socioeconomic stability for their families. Through all the uncertainty, I remain driven by my purpose. There is no success story without struggle and I believe, against all odds, that I will prosper.
Gustavo is an undocumented, undergraduate student at a California State University where he studies Business Administration and Finance. After graduation, he plans to work for an accounting firm. In the future, he plans to attend law school to become a corporate finance attorney.