Story by: Luz Elena Herndandez
I needed a job after high school to help my family and to be able to pay for college. I opened my computer to fill out job applications and questionnaires from Safeway, Old Navy and Target. What’s your name and address? Do you have a high school diploma? What would you do if a customer needs help? I breezed through the questions until I got to the one that read, “Please enter your social security number.” I didn’t have one.
Sitting in my room I remember feeling so frustrated because I was born in another country. A place I don’t remember and haven’t visited since I was two. Because I don’t have legal status, I couldn’t do even the simplest things that my friends could do. I had never been able to find a job that paid me at least minimum wage. Pell Grants were not an option. Plus, I had a never ending fear of getting my life taken away from me.