My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant Article

George Larach
GPHC
2/7/19
Immigration Blog
I read an article called “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant”. It is an autobiographical recollection
of events by Jose Antonio Vargas, a Filipino native who illegally immigrated to the U.S at the age of 12.
It details the massive shift of culture and lifestyle and coming to terms with knowing he shouldn’t legally
be in the U.S. There’s also a “B- Plot” of him coming to terms with his sexuality and coming out as gay to
his family and friends. This article is an announcement to the world that, despite being a well established
journalist who has worked for multiple major companies, and sharing a Pulitzer prize for a work on writing
about HIV, he is still an illegal immigrant. He talks about his close encounters with the law, and the terrible
stress-inducing paradox of not drawing too much attention to himself, but at the same time working on
nationwide articles and studies. He talks about how he can’t stay in one job for too long before his
employers begin to ask questions about his nationality. He thanks the people who supported him and
helped him avoid legal issues. Jose said that he was tired of hiding and decided he should confess and tell
his life story as an illegal immigrant in the form of an article for the New York Times. It’s a touching and
emotionally heavy article, and serves as a testament that not all immigrants are here to cause harm, and
are simply looking for a better life; a message a surprising amount of U.S. citizens simply refuse to
believe.   

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