Saturday, January 31, 2009

My Last Fight

My Last Fight
Poverty forced me into this fight when I was a child. When I was growing up in my dreams I saw a big fight, but I didn’t know when it will come. When I was young and when poverty pushed me out of my beloved country I knew that the fight had just begun. Eight years later; after several times risking my life, after countless challenges, after overcoming so many obstacles, now that I can raise my head with dignity after so many humiliations I feel nothing but sympathy for those who don’t want me here, I feel that the moment has come, and I feel that finally the final round has arrived. I will win this time.

I must win this fight in order to contribute to the betterment of this great nation. I must win this fight in order to live with the same dignity as any other citizen. I must win this fight to live with rights and responsibilities, to leave behind the shadows and come into the light, to play by the rules of law, and to fulfill my promise; the promise of a better life, of a brighter future for my country, for my mother, for me, and for my whole family.

In this long and painful journey I have seen mothers cry. I have seen families fall apart. I have witnessed hopes vanish, dreams left behind, goals that were never achieved, and countless people who after long battles and painful experiences had no choice but to give up. For these friends, for these colleagues, an immigration reform never came; their lives didn’t change, and their families have been condemned to continuing poverty, to continuing misery.

In this long and painful journey despite all the obstacles and challenges I have kept my dream alive; - to have the freedom to work and travel has been my dream since I arrived in this great nation-. Despite my economic status and my limitations with the English language, I have tried to educate myself; and despite being forced to live in the shadows I have worked hard to learn from others, I have tried to find better opportunities, I have fought with courage and dignity; but to have a better future, to change my life, to help my family my country and this great nation I must win my last fight. I will win this time.

My last fight is to demand from the shadows of the nation an immigration reform that can bring me and millions of others into the light. My last fight is to step out onto the path to new endeavors, to new challenges, to a better future. My last fight is the fight of twelve million people; we must not give up, we must not fail, we must raise our voices and demand our rights. I believe that in Washington they will hear us one day. I believe that reason will overcome politics one day. And I believe that my last fight, our fight will be won one day.

Fausto Sicha
faustosicha@aol.com

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