Asian Fortune: The Day a Filipino Student Discovered He Was Undocumented
It’s a story countless other undocumented students could likely tell as well. Ray Jose told his to Asian Fortune.
Ray was born in the Philippines and came to the United States with his parents when he was nine years old. He did well in high school and excelled in track. He did so well three colleges offered him scholarships.
When he told his parents, they started crying. They told him he couldn’t accept his scholarships and likely would never fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor. For the first time, he learned he was undocumented.
There are an estimated 1.2 million AAPI immigrants in the United States without documentation.
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“At first I was really upset my parents kept it from me, but they were just trying to protect me,” Jose told Asian Fortune. “They didn’t know how to break it to me. What bothered me the most was that if you’re in that situation, it’s like no matter how hard you work, it’s demoralizing. . . you’re still going to hit a wall.”
But this story could have a happy ending. Jose is now attending college. You can learn more about Jose and other undocumented students in Asian Fortune.
