Immigration and Border Security, Interview Example

What country did you leave to come to the United States? I can to the United States from San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

At what age did you immigrate, and was your original intent to become a permanent life-long resident of U.S.? I can to the United States at the age of 19 and the hope was to become a permanent life-long resident. Even though the terms were not known as to how long I would be able to stay and work in the Bay Area, I had hoped that if I worked hard I would be able to stay and gain legal status as a resident.

What factors lured or forced this relocation? Where I come from, work is limited, and pay is even more limited. I was lucky because I was able to complete my education, most of my family dropped out by the age of ten to work in order to pay for food and a place to live. Opportunity in Honduras is limited, and even with an education an average day would be about $50-$75 us dollars. The cost of living is much lower in Honduras, however so is job security and regularity. Having an education, the best option for me was to come to the United States and learn a trade where income was far more regular and beneficial for the hours worked.

Tell me about the memories of the place/landscape you left behind… How does it differ or compare to how you see the Bay Area? Life is Honduras is far different than the Bay Area. We have very few paved roads, power would go out daily because the equipment cannot handle the usage, and television was not the backdrop of our existences. Most houses were shacks with minimal ability to lock the doors or keep outsiders out if they want to come loot the house. The environment was beautiful, and life was far simpler there. We did not have technology to depend upon and we actually communicated with individuals face-to-face. Cars were limited to those who were well off and most people rode bikes or took a crowded bus. The Bay Area is highly populated and very up-to-date with the latest and greatest of everything. It is heavily dependent upon technology and the cost of living is very high. The Bay Area is beautiful too, but life is not simple and the days are not long here.

What do you miss most about your former country? What do you miss least? I miss my family the most from my former country. What I miss the least is the lawless society and inability to enforce laws. The police officers are corrupt and never there to protect the people. If the cartel decides they want to rob your house, the police will not protect you, they will look the other way.

How often are you able to travel back? I have only been able to travel back home once since moving to the Bay Area. The work requirements and cost associated with traveling home has limited my ability to go as often as I wish I could.

Tell me about your experience(s) leading up to arrival here, and any details in your dealings with the international border crossing.  The hardest issue I had was with the United States Embassy in Honduras. They lost some of my paperwork so they denied my visa at first. I had to resubmit the paper work and make another appointment. When I arrived at the Embassy in Tegucigalpa they didn’t have my appointment scheduled and I had to make the trip for a third time. After the paper work was processed, there was no issues with the international border crossing.

If conditions or circumstances in your home country were different, or changing for the better, would you have stayed or perhaps consider going back? If Honduras was no longer a third world country and there was more opportunity to make a living and provide for my family I would love to go back. Honduras is my roots, it’s my blood, and if there was advancement in the economy and ability to enforce laws, I would love to go back and live there again.