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Garcia Riopedre
MARia
I am a sister from the Beta Xi chapter at the University of South Carolina and I was initiated Spring 2017. I am 21 years old and I am a DACA recipient.
How old were you when you came to the United States, and do you remember much of your home country?
I came to the United States when I was about 3 years old. My dad came first when I was six months old and, later my mom and I followed. Unfortunately, I do not remember much about Mexico. I was very young so all I remember is what I’ve been told by my parents.
How did you find out that you were undocumented?
I sort of knew ever since I was little that I was undocumented. But since i was young, I didn’t fully grasp the concept. It officially hit me when I was in about third grade. W e had to fill out a worksheet and, it was for our nickname. When i crossed the border i used someone else’s name. I wasn’t sure what a nickname was so I filled out my fake name and everyone didn’t understand why I filled that out. I came to the realization that I was the only one that had a name like that because I was not a citizen.
How has the announcement about DACA being appealed changed your life? How does it make you feel?
Initially I was very worried. My past permit would have expired in December so it would have been one semester before I graduated. I feared that after all the hard work I had done I was not going to be able to graduate. I also feared of getting deported since i was already on the radar. I had already filled out my renewal application and was in the process of renewing. My biometrics appointment was already set for September 5th (which was the same day that president Trump was going to announce the official cancellation. I was not sure If I should still show up or if ICE agents were going to be there to scoop me up. My boyfriend called the office to confirm that I should go and would be okay. I was fortunate to receive my renewal the following week so I am good for another two years. Also, I have a visa application in the system so hopefully I get that too before my DACA expires. In all honesty, I was