1
At the age of 10, being the oldest child, my mom a dressmaker and my dad a farmer; I was given the responsibilities of taking care of my 2 younger brothers and 2 younger sisters and do household chores as well. I never had a childhood and was going through hardship in life where we sometimes just sprinkle sea salt over our steamed rice so that there's a little taste to it... and sometimes just plain rice, that's all we have for a full meal. I vowed to myself that I would not allow my future family to suffer like I did as child.
At 17 years old, my aunt who worked as a diplomat at the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, brought me here in the States as her domestic helper. For 5 straight years I worked for my aunt who was a doctor, my salary was only $50.00 a month and on the 5th year, she increased it to $70.00 a month. I was able to send my month's salary to my family and help out my younger sibling's schooling…
When President Reagan passed the Amnesty law, I read and understood the law. I begged my aunt doctor to help me process my papers so that I can become a legal citizen, but she said “NO”. If I'm not going to stay with her and forever as her maid then she's sending me back home to the Philippines. I asked her if I could work part-time at K-mart or something that way I could pay for the lawyer myself...but the answer is still “NO”…
I didn't want to go back to the Philippines, I still want to have a better life and see what America has to offer. My aunt doctor left me no choice, so in February 1988 I ran away…
While waiting for my flight, my heart was pounding especially every time I see security guards roaming around the airport. Finally I was seated and when that plane lifted off the ground, I felt like there's this big thorn being removed from my chest…
The day that I arrived in California, my grandfather's brother took me to an attorney. I relayed my story to him and he asked me if I have any ID or any form of identification. I had nothing not even my passport. Because as soon as I arrived in Washington back in 1981, my diplomat aunt asked for my passport and never gave it back. The lawyer asked what proof do I have to show that I have been in the States all this time?...I kept every letter I received from my family and friends. I brought the shoebox full of it and that's all the proof I showed to my attorney…
Just three weeks after I filed my papers, I received my working permit, and my very first "real" job was being a cashier at Kmart, then I got a full-time job at a health insurance company. Three months later, I received my temporary green card and I went home to the Philippines to visit my family for the first time in 8 years. It was a very sentimental reunion…