Hello again dear readers. I must apologize for letting so much time pass between posts, but nothing super exciting or stressful is happening at this time. I feel a little freedom in being able to say that nothing super stressful is happening, but I also know that in a matter of days (24 to be exact) our world will change yet again. I am counting the days until the trial takes place knowing that this could be the beginning or it could be the end of everything we have been fighting for. I imagine this is why I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Not to say that I have been productive during the time sleep eludes me, I’m simply not motivated to do a damn thing. I have a bedroom to clean, spiders to slay, and several projects that I have halfway completed.
Ashley is going on her fourth week of Preschool and she loves every minute of it. The program she is going to is run by the YMCA, and the teachers are absolutely wonderful. The problem is that she is attending a 3 day per week program because of availability and affordability issues, so the two days of the week she goes to my mother-in-law’s house are pure torture for me. Just this morning she latched onto my leg crying, “¡Mamí no! ¡Quiero ir a la escuela! ¡Mamí no me dejes!” So right now I am trying to work some financial wizardry to figure out how I can afford 5 days per week at Preschool. I am already on a financial scholarship offered to families in need by the Y, but my weekly fee would go from $67.20 to $109.20 which is outside of my price point. If there is availability, I may take the time to speak with the Director of the childcare programs to see if there is any way I can get additional assistance. I would like to take a moment to ask everyone out there to donate to organizations like the YMCA which are devoted to strengthening communities. You can donate to the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities at this link (https://www.ymcatwincities.org/donate/). Another wonderful organization that does an enormous amount of good locally is the Greater Twin Cities United Way and you can make a donation at this link (https://www.unitedwaytwincities.org/give/).
Being in this situation has opened my eyes to how much need there is out there for support and financial assistance. Luckily there are organizations devoted to helping people in need. Lord knows if I was able I would apply for assistance through the county, however immigration has my hands tied when it comes to asking for help. I cannot have assistance from the federal, state, or county programs that are supposed to help people in need. Well I need help, but asking for that help would invalidate our immigration case. I even talked to Alberto about it last night when I told him I was paying for Preschool, and I explained that immigration would deduce that if they granted him legal status that he would be a burden on society. I wholeheartedly agree when Alberto said, “¡Que pendejadas!” I wouldn’t have to ask for assistance if I had a husband that was working to help me support our family!
Ni modo, ¿verdad? Time to check out now, and hopefully I’ll be one this weekend again. I have a wedding on Saturday and Ashley is a flower girl. This should be interesting.
I support concrete and progressive immigration reform based on three primary criteria: family reunification, economic contributions, and humanitarian concerns.
Jeff Bingaman
Ciao
Interesting Spanish Words/Phrases:
¡Quiero ir a la escuela! I want to go to school!
¡Mamí no me dejes! Mommy don’t leave me!
¡Que pendejadas! What bullshit!
I have been griping about the fact that people say immigrants cost this country money forever. The number of women who have to apply for assistance when their spouses are deported is astounding. THAT costs the government money! The lack of logic in their ideas blows my mind. If a citizen and his wife separate, the father is required to pay child support because his children must be provided for. Why is it that the government makes it impossible for the children of those who are deported to be provided for by their parents or public assistance programs?
ReplyDeleteI hope court goes well for you and your family.
That's why I agree wholeheartedly with my husband: ¡Que Pendejadas!
ReplyDeleteHe didn't file taxes for a few years because of his status so the government got free money. He was eligible for a refund, he was just too scared to ask for it.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared about our upcoming court date, but I have a feeling that this is the door we've been trying to open for years and the padlock is being removed...