X.Z.

What is being an undocumented immigrant like for you?  

“I migrated to the U.S. because of China’s family planning policy. My family gave birth to more than one child, so I had to leave China. When I arrived, I hoped to receive asylum protection... but it was later denied... Not having a status means it is difficult to do anything. It means I can’t travel, and even when my family member passed away in China, I couldn’t even go back to see them one last time... It was hard to speak to anyone outside of Chinatown. I just want to live and survive in the U.S. Every day it is the same, work, and survive, even if I don’t have status, I still pay for taxes. No matter if it is only a couple of hours, I still pay my taxes.”

What does justice and safety look like to you?

“When I was beaten up by my coworker... the police showed up immediately. However, they didn’t really do much, all they did was show up. They didn’t care about how I was doing or my injuries. Instead, I was afraid that they were going to deport me... The HongMen Association helped me and my family find a place to live and helped a lot of the people in the community with different issues. The Chinese Progressive Association also supported me a lot here, also helped me find Greater Boston Legal Services to assist me with Legal issues. I felt really comfortable in this community and have always been this way for the past 20+ years.”

This is the plant that the interviewee waters and takes care of every day. He is proud of its progress of growth and how strong it looks.