According to the 2010 US Census, there are a total of 3.4 million Pilipinos and Pilipino-Americans in the U.S. However, if we take into consideration the undocumented Pilipinos who are living in the country illegally, the true figure is estimated to be much higher – anywhere between 4 – 5 million. These undocumented immigrants are known in the community as TNT’s, which stands for tago ng tago (always in hiding); but some of them, including Jose Antonio Vargas, are actually hiding in plain sight.
Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who was a former reporter for The Washington Post as well as a former senior contributing editor for The Huffington Post. In a shocking public announcement that would be sure to dramatically alter his life, much less his career, Vargas has revealed that he is an illegal alien.
This is what Vargas wrote in a New York Times article:
Over the past 14 years, I’ve graduated from high school and college and built a career as a journalist, interviewing some of the most famous people in the country. On the surface, I’ve created a good life. I’ve lived the American dream.
But I am still an undocumented immigrant. And that means living a different kind of reality. It means going about my day in fear of being found out. It means rarely trusting people, even those closest to me, with who I really am. It means keeping my family photos in a shoebox rather than displaying them on shelves in my home, so friends don’t ask about them. It means reluctantly, even painfully, doing things I know are wrong and unlawful. And it has meant relying on a sort of 21st-century underground railroad of supporters, people who took an interest in my future and took risks for me.
My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant
In an interview with ABC, Vargas said that he made the difficult decision to reveal his undocumented status as a way to fight for immigrant rights, as well as to hopefully help the passage of the DREAM Act, which would help undocumented children gain citizenship if they join the military or attend college. With this goal in mind, he founded Define American, which seeks to change the conversation on immigration reform.
What would you do?
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By paola on July 3, 2011 - 11:59am
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By apng1989 on June 30, 2011 - 5:15pm
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By FilipinaChicagoan on June 22, 2011 - 6:02pm
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Comments
As a former undocumented immigrant myself, I really feel for Vargas and for the millions of other undocumented immigrants in this country. I came to the U.S. when I was 2 years old because my father enlisted in the U.S. Navy, but Pilipina/o nationals were only allowed to enlist of they were unmarried. They did this in hopes of deterring large waves of Pilipina/o immigration... basically implying that they didn't really want us here. Of course, that didn't work, considering there are 3.4 million Pilipino/Americans accounted for in the U.S.
Anyway, my dad was supposed to be single, but he was married to my mom and they already had me. He lied to the U.S. Navy about his marital status, and petitioned both my mom and I to come to the U.S. a couple of years later. The U.S. Navy found out, and thus we were "illegals" until I was 16 years old and finally got my U.S. citizenship. My dad served the U.S. for 20 years, yet we were all considered "illegal" for so long. How is that right? How can a human being even be "illegal" in the first place?
I had recurring nightmares growing up that the police were coming into our house and taking us away. Criminalizing people for their immigration status, especially youth and people who came here as minors, isn't right and isn't fair. Immigration reform needs to happen now.
I applaud Mr. Vargas for his courage to share his narrative. His achievements debunks the myth of undocumented immigrants as being parasites in American society that depend on welfare and take away jobs from Americans. Because of his courage, American society's insight in the narrative of the immigrant community is broaden. Furthermore, he creates a new face for the DREAM Act movement. His courage has given Americans a better insight that immigration is not just a Latino issue but an American issue.
I am blown away by Jose Antonio Vargas' story. I read the NY Magazine piece til the end -- thank you so much for posting this. We've all heard some pretty powerful stories of undocumented immigrants here in the US. But not often enough do you get to learn how Americans are willingly helping a "illegal" youth reach their full potential, despite his legal status.
This took a lot of courage by Vargas to pour his heart out and expose his true identity. Who would want to expose the fact they are illegal? So they can be criticized, mocked and hated? I've actually heard anti-immigration folks debate and protest, and they are ugly and cruel. It's scary how many people are so close-minded in this country.
But I also do hope that Vargas' story teaches us all something. I hope a lot of people read this as well, and see that the immigration system is broken and must be fixed. If it weren't for his "underground railroad," yes Americans, who helped him, Jose would not have achieved all that he has in life.
This really opened my eyes to the whole immigration debate. I feel for Vargas, who has literally had to live a lie and never truly feel at peace. And I feel for his family in the Philippines, whom he has been torn from all these years.
I wouldn't know what to do if I were Vargas. But if someone like him came across me, I'd definitely think to extend my hand especially after reading this. I hope Jose finds peace and can feel whole again and I thank him for sharing his story!