Your story is a disturbing parallel to modern immigrant stories in the US

I'm also one of them. I'm here in the US right now, I know how it is.

When I had Chinese Language class in the US when I was in highschool (it was a mandatory world language thin where you need 2 credits), I remember there was a presentation thing that I have to introduce myself in Chinese (which I already know lol, that's why I picked it over spanish), I told the class my family immigrated to the US when I was 8, then I think some kids whose parents are from Fujian were shocked my family came legally. Judging by their reaction, I think some of them, well, their parents at least, were probably unauthorized or maybe they struggled to get legal status. I think the kids themselves were born here, or at least they never admitted that they themselved came without permission, so I assume they are born here. One of my classmates, he was an acquaintance of mine (I wouldn't really call a "friend") and he told me his dad got into a bar fight and got deported... so he is just dadless... I felt kinda guilty my family is still together.

The first few years in the US, yea that was rough. I was in Brooklyn. My parents signed me up for afterschool programs so they can work longer. Basically treated that as free childcare lol. I remember that day when the first day of afterschool programs start. It was tuesdays and thursdays from dismissal at 3PM to 4 PM. My mom forgot to tell me.

So I, didn't speak english at the time, I kinda just cried for an entire hour... I'm seeing this in my memory... like in 3rd person view and I just remember that scene. Didn't know what was going on, I thought I got in trouble for something. Like... poor kid, I feel bad just observing the memory.

Later on, the afterschool stuff expanded to some ESL classed to like 4:45PM on tues and thurs days. Then I got added to some non-profit Chinese American afterschool program thing... and that was the part I kinda hated the most. A lot of ethnic Chinese kids. Lots of them ABCs ("American-born Chinese"). Their parents are probably busy working too.

I basically remained quiet for the first two years of this. I only talked to kids that spoke Cantonese. Just being invisible for the rest of the time.

Later on, when I learned some English, I still kinda kept my shy personality. Even the English-only ABCs that were foreign to me. I remember some of them bullied me. I still, sort of, remember some of their faces.

I often got picked up last at school. That scene is sad when I recall the memory. 6:30 PM, the clock continues ticking, sky getting dark.

I remember the sun just gone from the sky by the time my mom and I got to our front door of the rented house.

The healthcare thing... yea... I'm trying to find a psychaitrist right now... it sucks... Hard to find one that's taking new patients and also take your insurance.

A few years ago. My dad had some stomach issue and went to the hospital for like a few months, the bill was so big lmao. Like I think the bill was 4 or 5 digits before the decimal point or something. Luckily, we were insured. Still not a small sum, even then.

That said, overall, our lives improved after we came to the US (we moved around 2010). As for the undocumented... oh yea that's fucked. I could imagine the families being torn apart. I remember my classmates situation. I bet some of their families probably got separated under this admin's cruel crackdowns. We got very lucky to be able to just come here legally.