Maria Teresa
a much younger woman
just wanted to find peace--literally
looking for safety for herself
and her daughter.
what did she have?
what did she bring with her that could be offered?
most of the times Maria Teresa felt that her needs
were much larger than her skills
she was “legal”
held a visitor/non-immigrant status (B2) at her arrival
going back home was not an option
the house was taken
the animals were sacrificed
the land abandoned
fear was in their hearts and souls
to maintain legal status
Maria Teresa learned USCIS/ICE’s requirements
carefully crafted to prevent people with no resources to stay
to learn English
must change visa status from visitor (B2) to student (F1)
had to offer proof of a US bank account with a minimum dollar amount
the number was equal to a full year tuition plus room, board and other expenses
that year, it was set for $ 35,000
Maria Teresa shivers remembering the requirement
still today, gets me overpowered, crushed, defeated
let’s play with numbers Maria Teresa says
I had $200 when I arrived
my visa status didn’t allow me to work
should I say more?
a much younger woman
just wanted to find peace--literally
looking for safety for herself
and her daughter.
what did she have?
what did she bring with her that could be offered?
most of the times Maria Teresa felt that her needs
were much larger than her skills
she was “legal”
held a visitor/non-immigrant status (B2) at her arrival
going back home was not an option
the house was taken
the animals were sacrificed
the land abandoned
fear was in their hearts and souls
to maintain legal status
Maria Teresa learned USCIS/ICE’s requirements
carefully crafted to prevent people with no resources to stay
to learn English
must change visa status from visitor (B2) to student (F1)
had to offer proof of a US bank account with a minimum dollar amount
the number was equal to a full year tuition plus room, board and other expenses
that year, it was set for $ 35,000
Maria Teresa shivers remembering the requirement
still today, gets me overpowered, crushed, defeated
let’s play with numbers Maria Teresa says
I had $200 when I arrived
my visa status didn’t allow me to work
should I say more?
Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto is a faculty member at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Espinosa-Dulanto holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum Theory and Educational Policies for Linguistic Minorities from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Espinosa-Dulanto's writing as well as her academic research departs from identifying herself as a woman of color, a Borderlands Mestiza, and a non-mainstream person in the US. From that perspective, she explores the construction and transmission of knowledge. Dr. Espinosa-Dulanto is a veteran teacher, she has taught in urban and rural settings, in the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. In addition, Dr. Espinosa-Dulanto is an avid ethnographer who uses narrative inquiry, photography, and poetry as tools to learn and communicate. Currently, she is working in two projects, a Poetry Collection, "Finding Home in Memory: Stories of Immigration, Diaspora, and Dis/location” and, she is conducting research on the USA/Mexico border
