American Me….. Part One
By Cesar ……08/04/09
I guess you could say that this story American Me is what made me such a staunch supporter of
immigration and Latino civil rights in this country. The story is my nightmare of discovering that I
was an illegal immigrant in this country myself in the eyes of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(“ICE”) who had me deported to Mexico after failing my burden to prove citizenship.
This story is not unusual per se. Even if I was born in this country I had a legal obligation to have proof of
that fact. I did not. Mexico and I had previously got acquainted and feel at home there.
For those of you born in this country after the 1950/60`s, you probably are not familiar with my own
situation of meeting my burden to prove citizenship. You may have read on this subject or you may have
been told by some older relative or friend. So before I tell you my story, you will also read of
how ICE`s draconian decision to deport American Me to Mexico created a demon in me of revenge that
would unleash a flood of drugs and illegal immigrants into this country under my own hand………
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I was the last of six siblings brought into this world by a midwife back in the days when these “Parteras”
commonly practiced their trade, by coming into the homes of expectant mother to deliver the child. In
those days Hispanic mothers generally would prefer to have their children at home, instead of a Hospital.
Shortly after my birth, my entire family broke up due to the hardships wrought upon us as the Great
Depression rolled through our lives, leaving scars of pain and death – and extreme poverty.
This is American Me:.
After a march for immigrant and Latino civil rights a few years ago, a very unusual occurrence took
place that would change my life forever. At that time there was no such thing as a dragnet by ICE to
weed out illegal immigrants and deport them to Mexico and other countries. Some marchers decided
that a cold drink was in order after a hard and hot day of walking and shouting.
A fight broke out in the bar which I frequented in which I was not involved. I was there because a lady
friend was a bar tender and was not at the march, I wanted to know why. Allegedly a gun was pulled
and shots were fired so the police rounded up those inside for questioning, including American Me.
Of the six arrested, all were from Mexico with legal status and held jobs and had family connections in
the city. With their green cards they proved legal status and were released if not charged with fighting.
My Identification cards were not enough to prove citizenship and legal status in the country, as anyone
can get those, I was told so I was required to show my birth certificate that would show my legal
citizenship. Here is where I found myself trapped in a deceitful Midwife birth controversy because there
is no proof in any hospital in this country that would show that indeed I was born in Texas.
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Standing before a make shift commission of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at the
immigration offices I was informed to arrange my businesses through family members because I was
to be deported to Mexico immediately – without a hearing, due to probable cause to believe I was in
the country Illegally. As grounds for their decision I was told that my lack of proof of citizenship, when
I said that the midwife had died some years ago, and absence of outside witnesses to my birth in Texas
it was legally permissible to have me deported.
As I have pointed out, being the last of six siblings brought into the world by a midwife at a time of great
human suffering and turmoil, resulting in the separation of all family members it has to follow that not
only the birth document was lost, and even if the birth report was filed with the bureau of vital statistics
that alone would not prove legal immigration status for me. For any woman, whether she comes from
Mexico or another country, can easily bring a child with her, find a midwife in this country and file a birth
report with the vital statistic office. However, because there is no evidence that the woman had that child
in hospital, it follows that there is no valid birth certificate. To prove citizenship through midwife birth, one
has to have affidavits from the midwife and others present during delivery, including matching the handwritten records of the midwife of the birth.
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So you may wonder why Hispanic woman were so uninformed at the time of my birth. For I could have
avoided all my troubles with deportation if only my Mother had chosen to have me in a hospital. When a
child is born in a hospital, the doctor delivering the child draws up a birth record (certificate) with
witnesses right there at birth. A raised seal is placed on the certificate that prove originality of the document. That will show that I was born in the hospital in Texas, thus making me a natural born citizen of this country, no??
No evidence was found that a midwife existed or that I was born in Texas. Therefore on a cold November
day I was driven by car to O`hare International Airport and put on a flight to Texas. At around 5 pm I
got off the plane in Brownsville and handcuffs were placed on my wrists as I was put into a waiting car
that would drive me the short distance to the Mexican Border side of Reynosa. I smiled a the ICE goon
as he handed me over with the deportation documents to Mexican officials. I looked back to the U.S.
side of the international bridge and thought to myself, I`ll be back!
continued
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