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Why I Want to Vote
"She wanted us to grow up in a place where we would have more opportunities than she did as a child"
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By Luis Sierra
Immigration wasn’t one of the top domestic issues candidates addressed on the campaign trail. But, that doesn’t change the fact there were voters who went to the polls last Tuesday who are naturalized citizens. This election season prompted Youth Radio’s Luis Sierra to apply for US citizenship. The decision is one that might change his relationship with his family forever.
LUIS
Seven months before I was born, my mom flew back to México just so I could be born on Mexican soil. She wasn't in the U.S. legally, so leaving was a risk because she might not have been able to come back.
DAD (on tape)
Los tres nacieron allá, y después, les traiamos naciditos ibamos pa 'allá, y mi esposa se quedaba.
LUIS
This is my dad explaining that every time one of us was born, my mom would make the trip back to México.
DAD (on tape)
Después se venía con el uno o el otro. Son tres, no más nacieron allí.
LUIS
The trips were expensive because they had to pay for a 'coyote' to smuggle her across the border with my brother, my sister, and then me, after each of us was born. My mom was making a sacrifice that I will never forget. For a long time, my mom's decision didn't make sense to my dad, but now he understands.
DAD (on tape)
Bueno , es que ella quería que nacieron allá paraque fueron mexicanos uds.
LUIS
My mom passed away last year. She wanted us to be born Mexican, to be close to our roots. But she wanted us to grow up in a place where we would have more opportunities than she did as a child. I've been living in California for the past 22 years, and I've finally decided to apply for U.S. citizenship. It's the only way to really take advantage of those opportunities my mom wanted us to have.
DAD (on tape)
Según como dicen, fulano ganó tanto, y eso es la cosa, el dinero. Lo verde, el verde es lo que nos trae por acá.
LUIS
My dad says it's the green stuff that brought HIM here. As soon as we can fend for ourselves, he's packing up his bags, selling the house, and going back to Guanajuato.
DAVIS (on tape)
Are you a communist?
Luis: No.
Davis: Are you a terrorist?
Luis: No.
I met with Davis Del Pino, at the Central American Resources Center to start the process of naturalization. This is my application interview.
DAVIS (on tape)
Would you take up arms for your country?
Luis: I guess I'm supposed to say yes, right? Would I take arms for the United States? Yes I would. Arms of peace and love.
LUIS
It costs $390.00 to process the application, and eleven dollars to get my pictures taken. I've finally saved up enough to take my application into the post office
and send it off the Department of Homeland Security. But I knew there was no way I'd make it in time to vote in this presidential election. I also know a lot of people have lost faith in the electoral process here. Everybody keeps saying this was the biggest election in our lifetime. But I want to become a citizen to be able to vote in all the elections to come. Maybe we need to start thinking every election is the biggest in our lifetime.
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