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Published: November 22nd 2016
There’s an estimated 270,000 undocumented Filipino immigrants in the United States. A friend of mine just added herself to that list late last year. She and her friends applied for a visa saying that they were going to attend a conference in Philadelphia. Which they did, only they went to California after that to find work.
I was recuperating in Canada when she told me what she was trying to do in the States. She wanted me to visit her there. I was planning to go to Alaska instead with my family but when that didn’t push through I decided to visit my friends in California instead. One is now a US citizen working in the military, and the other an FOB undocumented immigrant.
G didn’t have a lot going for her back home. Although she and her friends were registered nurses working in hospitals, they made very little money. Barely enough to cover their expenses. That’s the sad thing about being a nurse in the Philippines. It’s one of the most expensive fields of study but is one of the least financially rewarding. They didn’t have much to lose. I think that’s one of the biggest reasons why
they didn’t have qualms about leaving home and trying to make it in America.
G picked me up in LAX. Her friend J, a Filipino US citizen who’s in the military (what is it with Filipino immigrants and the military?) drove her to LAX to pick me up and drove us back to the nursing home where G works. She was very excited to see me. She hasn’t seen anyone from our hometown for almost a year.
J helps out undocumented Filipino immigrants in Los Angeles. There’s twelve people that he applied cellphone contracts for. He drove them around when they didn’t have cars yet, helps them send money to the Philippines, and many other things that he does for them without charging them anything. I don’t know why he does it, or what he gets out of it. I later found out that it is not uncommon for Filipino immigrants to help out the undocumented FOBs. Perhaps because many of them were in a similar situation decades ago. They helped G and her friends find jobs. Mostly in nursing homes. G and her friends didn’t know anyone in LA when they went there. It was an absolutely
crazy idea! They just knew they wanted to work there. Probably because of the allure of Hollywood. They started networking by attending church and connecting with Filipinos there and the people they met made everything happen. They now all have jobs, bank accounts, credit cards, some have cars and drivers license. When M told his dad that he just bought a car, his father cried. It would not have been possible for him to afford a car as a hospital nurse back home. As far as his dad was concerned he was living the American dream. Driving a brand new car in Hollywood.
At $85 to $120 per day plus free board and lodging in the nursing home,
G was living her American dream too. I do not agree with how she did it, but I am happy for her. Her life might not be ideal in LA but it is still much better than her prospects back home. She can earn her one year salary in the Philippines in just one month in California! Who can blame her?
I stayed with them for a week in the nursing home where they worked. That’s when it got
real. They didn’t have their own rooms but slept in the living room or the garage at night. It was a strange experience staying in the nursing home. Most of their patients did not talk. It was rather depressing. One day they had a call that inspectors were coming. We had to leave and had to book a motel room where we can stay the night. I felt like a refugee in a cheap motel room that smelled like cigarette smoke.
Perhaps the only thing that’s stopping me from doing the same is that I can’t imagine not being able to travel the world if I was gonna get stuck as an undocumented immigrant in America. Also the fear of not having rights. G almost got raped one time and couldn't call the cops for help. There were also some employers who took advantage of them knowing that they would not be able to complain.
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Dancing Dave
David Hooper
The American Dream
How on earth can they estimate 270,000 undocumented Filipino Immigrants in USA? Sobering thought when Donald Trump is shortly to be inaugurated as the next President of the USA and campaigned to deport illegals. What is the feeling in the Philippines about that potential?