“My life is more interesting because I'm an immigrant. Even though it was hard growing up, I feel like I wouldn't trade it for the world”

Story #13

Joel Alcaraz, 29, from Mexico

Interviewed & Written by Yiran Yu 

Edited by Madeline Humphrey

“Hey, Reagan is giving amnesty to field workers. You should come up to the United States with me.” 

Joel was brought to the United States when he was only one year old, when his father, a construction manager in Mexico, decided to move to America. 

“My dad originally was against that because he felt like he had a good life in Mexico, but his curiosity and his friend’s persistence led him to migrate to the United States,” Joel said in an interview, “and he found a job in central California.” 

In pursuit of more opportunities, all of Joel’s mother’s side of the family immigrated to the United States, while his father’s side of the family stayed in Mexico. 

“My life is more interesting because I'm an immigrant, and I've learned so much about myself and other people and communities. Even though it was hard growing up, I feel like I wouldn't trade it for the world,” Joel said. 

Growing up undocumented and in poverty, Joel said that perseverance has been infused into his blood. At the same time, however, Joel faced the pressure to fit in and avoid any possible mistakes. 

“I think the hardest part was pretending to be someone you're not, and also not having society help you out,” Joel said.

After ten years, Joel’s family completed the legal process and became US citizens. “I did more to get to where somebody who had more than me, and I think that has given me an incredible strength to move forward in life,” Joel said. 

Going to college was a metamorphic and eye-opening experience, according to Joel, as he was finally empowered to embrace his identity. 

“College also gave me the vocabulary to understand my history a little bit better,” he said.

Graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in anthropology, Joel emphasized the universality of human migration. 

“Being an immigrant is a very special thing, because it's such a human condition, it's so universal,” he said.

“Humans have been immigrating for thousands of years,” Joel continued. “It’s just in our nature and it's just a part of who we all are - immigration is in all of us.” 

Joel did not anticipate that he would end up choosing a career related to immigration. 

“Originally, I wanted to go into animation and do something creative,” Joel said, recalling his internship at Disney. But as life is full of serendipities, Joel is now working full-time as the social media coordinator at Boundless Immigration, a rapid-growing technology startup that dedicates to facilitating the immigration process with digital tools.

Joel said that working at Boundless allows him to give back to immigrant communities. 

“I mean it is a full circle,” he said. “I started off not having any help and just figuring out on my own, and now I'm helping thousands of people every day.” 

Joel said that Boundless aims to simplify the perplexing immigration process by providing applicants with more accessible and affordable resources. 

Reflecting on his family’s immigration journey, Joel said, “yes, it was hard, but it was also so rich and full of so many adventures and experiences.”

For migrants who might have similar struggles that he experienced, Joel advised, “I know it sounds cliche, but it does get better.” 

“You are in a position where your identity lives between two worlds and you get to move between those worlds,” Joel said. “You have a gift and you shouldn't see that as a detriment to your well-being, you should actually embrace it.” 

“Immigration is love, and people will do anything to overcome any barriers, whether political, social, economic, for their loved ones. Then, immigration is a human experience and also a loving experience. It's why people do it.”