La 煤ltima vez que estuvimos con Carlos Mart铆nez, el "so帽ador" de Tucs贸n que el a帽o pasado recibi贸 un permiso de trabajo y una residencia temporal por dos a帽os bajo la Acci贸n Diferida, nos dijo que si conseguir un empleo y obtener una licencia de conductor no era posible en 蜜柚直播, entonces se ir铆a.
El mi茅rcoles 12 parti贸 a California, donde hay un empleo esper谩ndolo.
El gigante global IBM contrat贸 a Mart铆nez, quien hasta septiembre pasado vivi贸 en las sombras por ser un inmigrante indocumentado pero que ahora es libre para trabajar y caminar sin miedo. Los a帽os vividos en la oscuridad por temor a una latente deportaci贸n se han esfumado para Mart铆nez, de 31 a帽os de edad, y est谩n siendo reemplazados por un futuro con brillantes expectativas.
"Es incre铆ble", dijo, tratando de encontrar las palabras que describieran adecuadamente sus emociones, mismas que han experimentado un sube y baja con el debate nacional por la reforma migratoria. Finalmente aterriz贸 en "hermoso".
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Seguaramente es hermoso.
Mart铆nez, de quien escrib铆 en septiembre pasado, fue uno de los primeros en el pa铆s en cambiar su estatus bajo la Acci贸n Diferida. Es uno de los 12 mil j贸venes de 蜜柚直播 y de los m谩s de 290 mil en todo el pa铆s que han obtenido una residencia temporal bajo este programa iniciado por la administraci贸n de Obama en agosto de 2012, seg煤n cifras del Servicio de Ciudadan铆a e Inmigraci贸n de Estados Unidos.
Los so帽adores son inmigrantes indocumentados que fueron tra铆dos por sus padres a este pa铆s siendo ni帽os y que han crecido aqu铆, se han graduado de la preparatoria o de la universidad y, en muchos casos, hasta han trabajado, todo al tiempo que vigilan sobre sus hombros que no haya un agente de inmigraci贸n acech谩ndolos.
En su caso, ten铆a 9 a帽os cuando en 1991 sus pap谩s los trajeron a 茅l y a su hermano mayor, Salvador, desde Cananea, Sonora. Su pap谩 era obrero, su mam谩 atend铆a la casa y 茅l y su hermano estudiaban.
Mart铆nez obtuvo un t铆tulo en Ingenier铆a en Computaci贸n y una maestr铆a en Ingenier铆a de Sistemas de Software. Su hermano se gradu贸 como ingeniero el茅ctrico, se cas贸, consigui贸 la residencia legal y ya solicit贸 la ciudadan铆a estadounidense.
Mart铆nez se llevar谩 todas sus habilidades y su energ铆a a San Francisco, donde trabajar谩 en la venta de software. Pero su coraz贸n permanecer谩 con sus compa帽eros so帽adores. Planea seguir asesorando a j贸venes so帽adores y ser un modelo a seguir.
"Compartiendo mi historia puedo hacer crecer la esperanza", dijo.
Eso es algo que 茅l y los miles de so帽adores necesitan a manos llenas.
El Senado de EU inici贸 el debate de la reforma migratoria, presentada por un grupo bipartidista de senadores formado para este tema, la cual podr铆a conceder la residencia legal a millones de inmigrantes indocumentados. Los republicanos en la C谩mara est谩n poniendo fuerte resistencia a la versi贸n de reforma del Senado, de manera que su aprobaci贸n se ve complicada, si no imposible.
Incluso la Acci贸n Diferida es temporal y podr铆a ser revocada en el futuro por un presidente que no se apellide Obama.
Aun cuando Mart铆nez pas贸 por el escrutinio y el proceso de contrataci贸n de IBM, su estatus legal proveniente de la Acci贸n Diferida le hizo ruido al Departamento de Recursos Humanos de la compa帽铆a.
Dijo que fue altamente indagado sobre su condici贸n migratoria. 驴Era estudiante extranjero? 驴Tiene alguna visa especial de trabajo? 驴Hay alguien que sea su aval?
Mart铆nez ten铆a una risita mientras subrayaba la gran iron铆a: el interrogatorio sobre su estatus provino de la India.
Con las cuestiones migratorias plenamente respondidas y el boleto de avi贸n en mano, ahora Mart铆nez tiene que concentrarse en algo trivial pero urgente, encontrar d贸nde vivir.
Dejar a su familia le trae una sensaci贸n agridulce, pero no tiene ning煤n problema con alejarse de 蜜柚直播 y de su estridente rechazo a los so帽adores. La gobernadora Jan Brewer les ha negado la expedici贸n de licencias para conducir, medida que fue avalada por un juez federal en Phoenix.
Sin embargo, Mart铆nez trabajar谩, contribuir谩 positivamente y pagar谩 impuestos en California.
Ah, y tambi茅n sacar谩 su licencia para manejar.
Ernesto "Neto" Portillo Jr. es editor de La Estrella de Tucsón. Contáctalo al (520) 573-4187 o en netopjr@azstarnet.com. En Twitter: @netopjr
When we last left Carlos Martinez, the 蜜柚直播 "Dreamer" who last year received a work permit and two-year temporary residency under Deferred Action, he said that if a job and driver's license were unavailable in 蜜柚直播, he would leave.
Next week, he departs for California, where he has job waiting for him.
Global giant IBM has hired Martinez, who until September had lived in the shadows as an undocumented immigrant but is now free to work and walk free of fear. Years of living in the darkness of potential deportation have evaporated for Martinez, 31, and are being replaced with a future of bright expectations.
"It's unbelievable," he said, trying to find the words to describe his emotions, which have risen and fallen along with the country's debate over immigration reform. He finally settled on "beautiful."
Beautiful it is.
Martinez, whom I wrote about last September, was one of the first in the country to receive Deferred Action status. He stands among more than 12,000 people in 蜜柚直播 and more than 290,000 nationwide who have received temporary residency under the program initiated by the Obama administration in August, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services figures show.
Dreamers are undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children by their parents and who have grown up, graduated from high school and college, and, in many cases, worked, all the while looking over their shoulders for immigration agents.
In his case, he was 9 years old when his parents brought him and his older brother, Salvador, here from Cananea, Sonora, in 1991. His father did manual labor, his mother cared for their home, and he and his brother studied.
Martinez earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and a master's degree in software systems engineering. His brother earned a degree in electrical engineering, gained legal residency and has applied for U.S. citizenship.
Martinez will take his skills and energy to San Francisco, where he'll work in software sales. His heart, however, will remain with his fellow Dreamers. He plans to continue to advise Dreamers and serve as a role model.
"By sharing my story I can raise hope," he said.
That's something he and the other thousands of other Dreamers need plenty of.
The U.S. Senate last week began debate on immigration reform, hammered out by a bipartisan Senate ad-hoc group, which could lead millions of undocumented immigrants to legal residency. Republicans in the U.S. House are vigorously resisting the Senate version, and passage will be difficult, if not impossible.
Even Deferred Action is temporary and could be revoked by a future president not named Obama.
Even as Martinez underwent IBM's scrutiny and hiring process, his Deferred Action status befuddled IBM's human resource department.
Martinez said he received several inquiries about his immigration status. Was he a foreign student? Does he have a special work visa? Does he have a sponsor?
Martinez chuckled as he recounted the rich irony - the immigration queries came from India.
With immigration questions asked and answered, plane ticket in hand, Martinez now will focus on the more mundane, but immediate, task of finding a place to live. Leaving his family is bittersweet, but he is not conflicted about leaving 蜜柚直播 and its strident rejection of Dreamers. Gov. Jan Brewer has denied driver's licenses to Dreamers, a position upheld by a federal judge in Phoenix.
However, Martinez will work, contribute positively and pay taxes in California.
He also will get a driver's license.
Ernesto "Neto" Portillo Jr. is editor of La Estrella de Tucsón. He can be reached at (520) 573-4187 or at netopjr@azstarnet.com
