Sam is a Filipino Salvadoran makerspace instructor and technician based in Sacramento, CA. Her father’s family immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador as asylum seekers due to the civil war. Her mother’s family immigrated from the Philippines in the U.S. in the 80s. Sam was born a U.S. citizen due to birthright citizenship, and wants to use the privileges and protections of citizenship to speak up for immigrant rights.
“Migration is a very natural thing for all species. It gives people the opportunity that they wouldn't have on other occasions. It helps keep the country diverse, It helps bring in more people, it helps different thinking come into the country.”
What brought your parents to the U.S.?
My mom's family came to the U.S. in 1980 in search of a better life. They were struggling and not doing too well, and there were 5 siblings on my mom's side, and the eldest was sent to the U.S. first, to scope out the land and figure it out, and then slowly, over the course of, 5 or 10 years, everyone slowly started coming, but it took a long time to get everyone together again.
And then for my dad, they came in 1981 due to the Civil War in El Salvador. My dad and my uncle were at the point in their education that they were being forced into serving two years in the Salvadoran Army in order to graduate high school. And if they didn't serve, they wouldn't get their diploma. So my grandma sent my Dad and his older sister to the U.S. And then I think it took 3 or 4 years for his other brother and for his mom to finally make it over.
A lot of people hear, oh you immigrate to the U.S, and it was simple. In both of my family's instances, they were teenagers when their families were completely broken up and sent to the U.S. I didn't realize how much trauma really came out of kids not having their parents with them during their teenage years, and older siblings having to parent younger siblings when their parents weren't in the country. I just didn't realize how difficult it was till I started sitting down and doing the math of when everyone actually came, and just seeing that it took years.
And no one was the same after that. It's just a little bit startling to see that they tried to do it, the “correct” way, legal way, and still, there was so much trauma. Because the conditions that lead to why people come and then the ways that our society is made out to be versus what it actually is.
What does being a U.S. Citizen mean to you?
I don't even think this is the right word but, freedom? I feel like being a U.S. citizen meant giving my parents the freedom that they deserve. I went to El Salvador for the first time two years ago, and I went to my dad's home where he grew up. He never talked about it. Actually seeing the homes and seeing all the lead steel doors over all the windows, over all, the doors. Seeing him point out his bedroom, and seeing bullets all over the windows and all over the steel sheets.
My idea of being a U.S. Citizen is just, privilege, and just not having to deal with the fear that so many other countries have to go through. At the same time, I'm very thankful to be a U.S. Citizen. I understand the sacrifices and the struggles my parents and their families had to get through just to be able to give me this opportunity. So, I'm very thankful because I didn't have to grow up struggling as hard as they did.
Maybe it's because I'm first gen, I just don't feel right with the privilege? I see my parents get teased, even at work–they just retired, but they'd get teased up until their last days for having accents, for still not getting English 100% correct. And in my brain, I'm like, you've been in the U.S. longer than you've been in your own home countries. How is that still not enough, enough time to show you are as American as others here.
Why do you care about birthright citizenship?
Migration is a very natural thing for all species. It gives people the opportunity that they wouldn't have in other occasions. It helps keep the country diverse, it helps bring in more people, it helps different thinking come into the country. There's so many positive things. I don't understand how people could not be for it?
My parents were always afraid that they could get sent back. That's always been a fear. Even with the world and how it is now, my parents were wanting to go back to their countries and now they're scared to even visit. I feel like at the same time that's why there's so many strong people that got birthright citizenship that are now speaking up and fighting, because we wouldn't be who we are today, we wouldn't be where we are. So again, the privilege of, I don't have to worry, I can say whatever I want, do whatever I want, and I can't get deported. This is the first generation that can really speak up and stand up for people who are trying to migrate.
What do you think about Trump's attempts to end birthright citizenship?
All I can think about is just how hateful it is, how dividing it can be. Like, the little bit of news clips that we do see of kids having to represent themselves in court. I can't imagine how many more people would have had to go through that if birthright citizenship wasn't a thing, or how many kids would feel abandoned or alone. Because you're a kid, you might think your parents are abandoning you or, like you're forgotten, but in reality, it's totally different.
It’s not just doing harm on people of color and people who are immigrating here, but also people that are already here. Just seeing couples get torn apart because of birthright citizenship, or so many families.
Why do you think The Trump administration is focused on repealing birthright citizenship?
It's all just fear-based and a distraction from other laws and bills that they want to put in that will do a lot more harm. It's a great distraction for them being able to pass bills, for billionaires to be able to make more money. It's really just fear. Not wanting to be around people that are different from you. I feel like dictatorship is fear-based. Being able to be a dictator, you have to make sure that everyone is in fear of things getting worse.
At the height of the pandemic and rising anti-Asian hate, longtime local organizers identified the need for collective organizing and advocacy among the isolated nature of Asian-serving organizations in Sacramento at that time. The Asian American Liberation Network’s mission is to build power in the Asian American community to advance social justice and build towards the collective liberation of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) to ensure our community’s dignity and self-determination. https://aalnsac.org/