By: Richard Mendoza
(Photo credit to: Jose Ubaya)
For Jose Ubaya, being an immigrant and a DACA recipient has never been a crutch. “I never let it hinder me; my mother always taught me, regardless of what you look like and what people perceive you as, you do what you need to do in order to move forward,” said Ubaya. Jose, a 22-year-old graduate of California State University Northridge has had many challenges thrown his way. Being an immigrant from a foreign country comes with challenges that many people, especially young kids are not readily prepared to tackle. From learning a new language, to finding school and job opportunities, housing, and government support, the list is long.
At a young age, many people are told to dream big. That dream may be easily attainable, or it could take years of work, luck, and dedication. What does the dream of a young immigrant from a foreign country look like? Is it a dream to find a new home away from violence and persecution? Could it be one filled with hope that they may one day be able to afford a life of luxury and comfort in a new country? Is it one with the ambition to start a family and provide a good life for them? The life of an immigrant is difficult. There are obstacles and challenges that many migrants work to traverse through in order to find success in a country that is not their homeland. Those who come to the United States from other countries have different reasons. Their reasons for migrating may differ, but ultimately, they share a similar goal, to build a better life. For Jose Ubaya and his family, their reasoning for leaving Mexico was to achieve that goal. Despite the cards stacked against them, the Ubaya family found success. Their definition of success might look different than others, but finding work, a home, and a place to put their children into educationally was more than enough.
Although Jose ubaya and his family had built a life here in the United States, as stated earlier, there were many challenges they dealt with. One of these big challenges was the fear of deportation. The deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) program is an immigrant program/policy created in 2012 under President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. The program is designed to allow certain people who came to the United States as children and meet several guidelines to request consideration of deferred action for a period of 2 years, subject to renewal according to the U.S citizenship and immigration services. “Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer removal of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion” (USCIS, 2023). According to the Anti-Defamation League, approved DACA recipients are eligible for work authorization as well as other benefits, such as being shielded from deportation, although every two years there is a $495 fee to request DACA.
Over the years since its creation, there have been many attempts to remove the DACA program. In 2017, President Donald trump made his first attempt to have the program terminated, having once called DACA “illegal executive amnesty”. The negative backlash and opinions of political figures and administrations towards DACA added to the fear of being deported and losing benefits which plagued Jose ubaya and his family over the years. That fear over the years led to a build up of anger and motivation for Ubaya. “When you’re younger you are fearful about the rumors you hear…I’m more pissed off [now] than scared,” said Ubaya. “My mindset now is we’re not going to take it, to settle for less, we’re not going to leave because we have so many people backing us up…There’s evidence that proves how important and vital immigrants are,” said Ubaya.
Ubaya has also been open to admit the internal self-reflection that comes with being an immigrant. Because of his status, Ubaya is not able to leave the country. While Ubaya would have enjoyed the opportunity to study abroad or the opportunity to visit another foreign country, or even return to Mexico, the limitations placed on him as a DACA recipient mean he cannot do such things. The ability to freely travel might have allowed Ubaya to explore other school and work opportunities, but that is not the reason he questions his legal status and life. The ability to travel meant that Ubaya could have returned to Mexico to see relatives and family who have passed. “There have been moments where I wish I could have visited them or I wish I could have seen them.. But because of my status, I couldn’t have and I feel like in situations like that you go to the immediate emotion of blame, you want to take out your anger and the first thing you go to is your status or your situation,” said Ubaya. “It turns into like a hate almost, but I try not to take it there because things happen for a reason, and if I wasn’t an immigrant, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now. I wouldn’t be pursuing the dreams and aspirations that I’m going for now,” said Ubaya.
After all this time, traversing through some of the biggest obstacles one could face in life, Ubaya graduated from Cal State Northridge in May of 2023 with a degree in screenwriting. His former goal and intentions of helping people could still come true. Instead of in a governmental or political role, Ubaya hopes his stories and work in the film industry can impact the current generations and the next ones. Rafael Nieto, an Emmy and Golden Mike Award-winning television professional as well as professor at Cal State Long Beach, understands the importance of stories like Jose Ubaya’s as well as other stories of different communities, cultures and people. “It’s extremely important because other people have stories to tell aside from the ones we predominantly see,” said Nieto. “It’s important for people to be open and immersed into diverse mindsets, ideas and cultures they aren’t used to seeing,” said Nieto.
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