XXXXX came to Flagstaff from Guadalajara, Mexico in 1995. As a mother and wife, she has worked cleaning houses and has been involved in activism in the immigrant community.br/ br/ strongldquo;The objects that I brought (the cleaning gloves and the ceramic heart) represent that we (as immigrant workers) are not only a work source, but we are also putting our hearts into this society.rdquo;/strongbr/br/ My hopes for others (in American society) who are not immigrants, is that they do not get carried away by what the news says we are; ldquo;the worstrdquo;. Because the reality is that there are bad immigrants and bad non-immigrant people. (Being an immigrant or not) does not determine the goodness of someone. There are bad people also who are white. There are good people too that are immigrants. (The news) does not determine anything.br/ I would also like them to know that we do not come here to steal anything from the Americans. We come here to look for a better life, to raise our children, to care for our children first. Our goal is for them to be good people, but also to contribute to society.br/ The truth is that it is very difficult (to become legal). It is not true that the immigration process is a chain. My dad practically lived all his life here in the United States and I requested American citizenship in 1997 until this date today, we cannot arrange the papers. Itrsquo;s been 21 years since we put in the application and it still has not been granted to us. We are not here without documents because we havenrsquo;t tried. Many people say, lsquo;Why donrsquo;t you just apply and get a social security number?rsquo; But it really isnrsquo;t like that. There are many obstacles and now with this president, if the door was narrow before, now it is much narrower. It is getting harder and harder to do things.br/ I think that more than anything, the public in general should see people in the (immigrant) community as they are. Not disregard them because lsquo;They are an immigrant, they are going to use the system, they are going to be a criminal, or they will take advantage of everythingrsquo;, but that they know us as who we are.br/ To come to a new culture and maintain your roots is not disrespect for the new culture that you are living in but rather trying to keep a bit of who you are. I believe that one must adapt to the new culture, but we must not forget who we are and where we come from and our customs.br/ br/ ********************************************br/ XXXX llegoacute; a Flagstaff desde Guadalajara, Meacute;xico en 1995. Como una madre y una esposa, ella ha trabajado limpiando casas y ha estado involucrada en activismo en la comunidad inmigrante.br/ br/ strongldquo;La miacute;a (objeto del corazoacute;n y guantes de limpiar) representa que no solo somos una fuente laboral (de trabajadores inmigrantes), sino tambieacute;n estamos poniendo nuestro corazoacute;n en este sociedadrdquo;./strongbr/br/ Ojalaacute; que otros (en la sociedad Americana) no se dejen llevar por lo que las noticias dicen que somos, lo peor. Porque pues, la realidad es que hay gente mala inmigrante y no inmigrante. No determina la bondad de alguien. Hay gente mala tambieacute;n de los blancos, hay gente buena tambieacute;n igual que los inmigrantes. (Las noticias) no es algo que va a determinar.br/ Me gustariacute;a que supieran que no venimos para robarles nada los Americanos, que venimos para buscar una vida mejor, de formar a nuestros hijos, de hacerlos primeramente para nosotros. Nuestra meta es que sean gente de bien pero tambieacute;n que contribuyen a la sociedad.br/ Y es la verdad que es muy, muy difiacute;cil, no es cierto que la inmigracioacute;n es en cadena. Mi papaacute; praacute;cticamente vivioacute; a toda su vida acaacute; en los Estados Unidos y maacute;s bien la mayor de la ciudadaniacute;a Americana ella me solicitoacute; en 1997 y hasta esta fecha todaviacute;a no, no podemos arreglar los papeles. Entonces ya llevamos que 21 antilde;os de que metimos la solicitud y todaviacute;a no nos toca. No estamos aquiacute; sin documentos porque no hemos intentado. Mucha gente dice, lsquo;iquest;Porque no agarras un nuacute;mero de seguridad social y solicitar?rsquo; Pues si fuera si de faacute;cil pues queacute; bien verdad. Pero son muchos obstaacute;culos y ahora con este presidente si la puerta era angosta, ahora estaacute; muchiacute;simo maacute;s angosta. Cada vez es maacute;s difiacute;cil para hacer las cosas.br/ Creo que maacute;s que nada, el puacute;blico en general para la comunidad (inmigrante), que veamos la persona como es, no hay que quitarla porque es inmigrante, va a vivir del sistema, va a ser criminal, o bien aprovechara de todo. Entonces que los pongan, que nos conozcan como lo que somos.br/ Venir a una nueva cultura y mantener tus raiacute;ces no es falta de respeto para la nueva cultura en lo que estaacute;s viviendo, sino maacute;s bien tratar de mantener quien eres. Y yo creo que uno se debe adaptar a la nueva cultura, pero no debemos olvidar quienes somos y de donde venimos y nuestros costumbres.