Je Suis Americaine

I have been discussing many things with my lawyer, regarding my immigration status. As luck would have it, or actually, not have it, things are looking dim. Which happens to me all the time, so I don't expect luck to start shining down on me.

I need options. I have a plethora of people, offering me advice, laymen's advice, I might add. That does absolutely no good, and has me explaining to these caring people why their plan isn't going to work. It's hard not to get sarcastic about it, but I have to remain genuine, because these people sincerely care for me, and want to help. I say, that unless you are an immigration attorney, please don't.

Let's unfoil some common questions, shall we?
Why don't you apply for a green card?
Believe me, I get this question quite a bit. If I could apply for a green card, why do you think there are a growing population of undocumented aliens? Please don't underestimate my ability to deduce logic. I am a highly intelligent individual. If it were as simple as that, it would have been done. And it's not just a matter of "easier said than done."
You should marry a citizen. Why don't you?
First of all, that is violating the sanctity of marriage. Secondly, I'll need an accomplice, which is hard to find. It's hard to find a man who wants to get married quick and is willing to do a quickie divorce, oh, in three years or so. Also, it's deceiving U.S. immigration.
Come on, you can tell a little lie.
Yes, as deceiving as I do seem, I probably can. However, I want to live in the US because it is a country that guarantees freedom and rights and celebrates independence, among other great things (no matter what y'all cynics say. I know y'all would have to agree, the US is at worst, the lesser of many evils). I don't want to take my first step as a legal resident by doing something fraudulent.
Why can't your boss sponsor you?
There are many regulations and qualifications regarding that. The company has to have so many employees, and unfilled spaces, and the candidate has to posess some sort of remarkable talent or ability, for example, an Olympic quality gymnast. You all know I can barely touch my toes. Under normal circumstances, the applicant must have a bachelor's degree at the very least, and demonstrate special skills.
What about the shortage of nurses in the US? If there is such a great need for nurses, why has it been so difficult for you to get accepted into a nursing program?
Well, nursing shortage isn't just in the hospital. It's a nationwide shortage of all sorts of nurses, which means that nursing instructors are also hard to find. The shortage of nursing facilities with qualified nursing instructors are one of the things that are clogging up the system. I can't do anything about that.

So that's just some of the many questions I face. I hope you liked my brief FAQ. I know so much about the immigration system in the US, that I can probably work as a legal secretary without any more education.

Since my dad left, which was shortly after I turned 18, I have been taking care of my family's immigration situation. That's for the last 5 years. Of course, I had a lot of help, from my uncle and my mom, but it was no easy process. I have successfully obtained a student visa for my mom and submitted an application for her green card process. Just this month, I got notice from my lawyer that my brother's student visa had been approved. So all I worry about is my situation. How did mine get so screwed up? Well, I try to blame it on the school. I let the school handle the process, instead of my lawyer, and some papers went missing, and a lot of things started to roll downhill. It's going to be a rough, uphill road. I hope I make it.

One of the most distressing questions of all time is this: Why can't you just go back to Korea? That is actually very hard to answer, but to put it shortly, I don't fit there. I have been too Americanized. I have tasted total independence and freedom and abundant opportunities to have it all censored. In the US, if a woman in her 40's decides to get an MBA, or even an AA, or JD, or whatever, it's usually pretty simple. In fact, there is little discrimination. Some schools welcome that she has more experience than the traditional student, and thus can bring more into the classroom. In Korea, it would be extremely difficult. While many older men and women in the US are going back to school and finding second careers or just advancing in one -- people in other nations can't be as fortunate. That's just one example. Of course, nothing is impossible. If I were a woman in Korea and I decided to go to college (mind you, I am already too old to start college by Korean's standards) it would be possible, but I would face a tidal wave coming against me. I just can't do that.

I know it's just so vain to say so, but I honestly believe that I can be great, and I will be great. Whatever I become, I will grow into a person who will be beneficial to society, to a relatively important degree. I don't know if that will hold true, if I were to live in another place. How can I leave, knowing that I may miss out on so much greatness? How can I spend the rest of my life, knowing that just a slight turn of fate would have made me a great human being, that would have helped so many along the way, and alter the way life is for many?

Because of my current, dire situation, I know one thing. If this all pass as I wish, I can't just stop with myself. I plan on making some sort of change for the immigrant population. I am not in a situation to do so yet, nor do I have enough education and the information that I need. But social reform, here I come. Watch out.