Pursuing the Mexican Dream | Teen Ink

Pursuing the Mexican Dream MAG

December 30, 2012
By Anonymous

In “Pursuing the Mexican Dream,” author Mateo Mansilla-Moya stated, “I have realized that if I'm going to do something right in this life, it won't be in a country that lied to my family and me. It won't be in a country that mistreated my mom.” I found this unsettling.

While I'm sorry things did not work out as his family wanted, I feel that America is not at fault here. Yes, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency interrogated his mother and deported her, but that doesn't mean they mistreated her. It seems to me that they did their job. It is a well known fact that the United States has a large number of illegal immigrants and there is a lot of pressure on border officials. I think they should not be blamed, but rather commended for enforcing the law.

Also, Mateo claims, “We had no idea we were committing a federal crime” because the school told his family that they just needed student VISAs. If that's the case, then the school district and teachers should take some responsibility here. In a town so near the border, I bet they deal with this situation often. Instead of encouraging students to remain here illegally, they should have helped them file the correct paperwork and get started on the path to citizenship.

I wish Mateo luck in pursuing his Mexican dream. I commend him on his resolution to make his home a better place where all can find education and employment.


The author's comments:
I read this piece, and was upset by the author's point of view on America.

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 6 comments.


on Feb. 19 2013 at 5:09 pm
MateoMansillaMoya GOLD, Reynosa, Other
18 articles 11 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.

This is a response I wrote for this article, since the comment I submitted was not posted. Ckeck it out. TeenInk.com/hot_topics/letters_to_the_editor/article/526603/Pursuing-the-Mexican-Dream/

on Feb. 4 2013 at 5:24 pm
MateoMansillaMoya GOLD, Reynosa, Other
18 articles 11 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.

@Imaginedangerous is right. I am not attacking border officials for doing their job. I do am mad at them though. They can do their job, but they treated my mom as a criminal, and she is not.

Also, this article says that I said that the school told that I needed a Student VISA. They did not tell me that, I asked them for the I-20 Form for the Student VISA, and the school district tols us that we did not need it. Therefore we assumed it was legal to live there and attend school without that VISA. 

@Ponine: My mom did not know what we were doing was not right, as I just said. She traveled to Mexico City to visit my grandma, her mom, who was very sick, and when she came back she was detained... 

on Feb. 4 2013 at 4:57 pm
MateoMansillaMoya GOLD, Reynosa, Other
18 articles 11 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.

Great post! But there is a probloem here, I am not attacking border officials for doing their job, you are right, @Imaginedangerous, but I am indeed angry at them. They could do their job without treating my mom like a criminal as they did, because she is not. @Ponine, my mom did not know, she visited my grandma who was very sick, about to di, and when she came back she was deported. 

Ponine said...
on Feb. 3 2013 at 10:25 pm
Ponine, Anywhere, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To love another person, is to see the face of God." -Les Miserables
"You alone can make my soul take flight." -Phantom of the Opera

How can you say it was an honest mistake? The mother knew what she was doing, and tried to sneak back a second time. But this time, she was busted. I agree the the immigration system is messed up and needs to be revamped, but that is no excuse for breaking our laws. Had they applied for just a VISA, like they should have, they would still be happily living their lives here. I would question the entire family forced to leave within a few hours, the Government doesn't move that fast.

on Feb. 3 2013 at 4:31 pm
Imaginedangerous PLATINUM, Riverton, Utah
31 articles 0 photos 402 comments
"America" as a whole is not the same as "border officials." The article didn't attack border officials for doing thier jobs. It attacked the American immigration system as a whole. And the American immigration system is so messed up that it deserves to be attacked. It's designed to discourage legal immigration by making it expensive, confusing, and random. It's no wonder that peopel immigrate illegally- intentionally or not. They made an honest mistake. Is it really fair to uproot their entire life here and force them to move with a few hours notice... because of a library card? 

Ponine said...
on Jan. 22 2013 at 7:24 pm
Ponine, Anywhere, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
"To love another person, is to see the face of God." -Les Miserables
"You alone can make my soul take flight." -Phantom of the Opera

You may not know, but this article has been changed. The ending was altered to make the piece more politically correct. This was the actual ending submitted." "Well, I hope the author succeedes in finding his Mexican Dream, in Mexico. I hope he can make his home a better place so more people will want to stay there and recieve education there.