“Vanessa” is a 20-year-old male college student who entered the United States from Mexico towards the end of elementary school. Vanessa’s family arrived in the country legally, but became undocumented when they overstayed their visas. Despite spending much of her life in the United States, Vanessa does not identify as “American,” particularly because of the hardships she and her family have endured because of their immigration status. In fact, she states, “The American dream […] it’s something that doesn’t exist for me.” In describing the hardships of being undocumented, Vanessa mentions that she is doing the best that she can, but because her situation is becoming increasingly difficult she is thinking about giving up and moving back to Mexico. She is frustrated and she is tired. In reflecting on how difficult living as an undocumented immigrant has been, Vanessa says simply, “I’m not living, I’m surviving.” Her difficulties have been compounded by the fact that she has not been able to reach out to others for fear of how they would react when learning about his immigration status. As Vanessa describes, “I go around showing a different face […] trying to scream for help.”
