Katie's Personal Story
My name is Katie, I am currently a student at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. I've had the privilege of living a comfortable, middle-class life in the United States. My parents provided me with many opportunities to be successful in school and in a future career. During my high school career, I volunteered frequently at the Heartland Mission Omaha. This was where my inspiration to fight for immigration advocacy began to flourish.
I had the privilege of meeting current immigrants while volunteering at the mission. Their personal stories shook me to my core. It was here that I discovered the effects of class-based immigration. Many people worked in low-income jobs for more than 15 hours a day to provide for their children. I learned that in order for an immigrant to legally come to the United States they must have thousands of dollars to meet the regulations. The only way for many of them to immigrate to the United States was to go around the system. The immigration system encourages the rich, well-educated, and professional to immigrate. The amount of poverty that modern immigrants face is due to the class-based immigration system. This experience has made it come to my attention that immigrants in the United States are facing many challenges financially and socially.
The class-based immigration system allows only the wealthy and educated to enter the United States. The challenges that modern immigrants are facing result from laws and regulations of the immigration system. The overbearing cost and hoops that people jump through to enter the United States discourages the American value that is quoted on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free". The RAISE Act puts merit-based immigration into effect. It aims to reduce immigration and the number of green-cards given out by 50%. If the RAISE Act had been in effect when my ancestors from Germany came to America, they would not have been able to immigrate. Only the wealthy and educated meet the RAISE Act criteria, leaving out those who desperately need social and economic help in the United States.
Katie's Family Photo
Photo Courtesy of Author
German Immigrants at the Turn of the Century
Photo Courtesy of Author
Heartland Center
Photo Courtesy of Heartland Center Omaha
I had the privilege of meeting current immigrants while volunteering at the mission. Their personal stories shook me to my core. It was here that I discovered the effects of class-based immigration. Many people worked in low-income jobs for more than 15 hours a day to provide for their children. I learned that in order for an immigrant to legally come to the United States they must have thousands of dollars to meet the regulations. The only way for many of them to immigrate to the United States was to go around the system. The immigration system encourages the rich, well-educated, and professional to immigrate. The amount of poverty that modern immigrants face is due to the class-based immigration system. This experience has made it come to my attention that immigrants in the United States are facing many challenges financially and socially.
The class-based immigration system allows only the wealthy and educated to enter the United States. The challenges that modern immigrants are facing result from laws and regulations of the immigration system. The overbearing cost and hoops that people jump through to enter the United States discourages the American value that is quoted on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free". The RAISE Act puts merit-based immigration into effect. It aims to reduce immigration and the number of green-cards given out by 50%. If the RAISE Act had been in effect when my ancestors from Germany came to America, they would not have been able to immigrate. Only the wealthy and educated meet the RAISE Act criteria, leaving out those who desperately need social and economic help in the United States.
Katie's Family Photo
Photo Courtesy of Author
German Immigrants at the Turn of the Century
Photo Courtesy of Author
Heartland Center
Photo Courtesy of Heartland Center Omaha
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