Plea for improved immigration status

To the world, the CNMI could be nothing, but for us, the CNMI is our world.

When the CNMI turned its back on us, I never lost hope. Because I believe that America is a land of freedom, equality, opportunities, hopes, and dreams. Now that the regulations for the transitional workers will be drafted, I am requesting your good heart to consider giving improved status for long-term guest workers who have worked and lived in the CNMI legally. To consider the contributions the guest workers have made in this island, not our island, but an island we have considered home.

I am not trying to boast but just want to inform that through the CNMI’s highest and lowest economic situation, we are here, we remain, as the key workforce.

We are willing to undergo the usual screening and processing of U.S. immigration laws, but please consider our length of stay, our contributions, our skills, professions, and experience. We are paying taxes in a timely manner, do volunteer community services, and never been a burden to CNMI government and community.

Whether the people of the CNMI admit it or not, our presence made living here more pleasant.

Please consider also the welfare of our U.S. citizen children. Because if you truly believe, that the children are the future, you might be loosing the best assets for the better future of the CNMI. For these children of guest workers are usually the ones excelling in whether academics and sports.

And these are the same children, representing the CNMI in every regional competition and come home most of the time with pride and honor for the CNMI. They may not have the blood of real Chamorro or Carolinian but the love for this island as their own homeland run in their blood too. They got the privilege to be called the citizens of the greatest nation, but please give them the privilege to stay in as much as they want together with their parents.

Be it known also that even some of the guest workers have been representing the CNMI in international competitions whether in sports or in arts and have proven themselves champions in their field. That helps the CNMI to be known in some part of the world.

And if what you are saying is true, that once federalization kicks in, there would be more stability in the CNMI economy, then the more you would be needing us. For we have proven ourselves to be survivors for we remain and stay throughout the CNMI’s economic ups and downs.

We may not be the best guest workers in the world, but we have tried and worked very hard to do the best we can to keep the CNMI economy survive.

We have endured the name calling—from animals to dreamers, to opportunist, to activist, for questioning and requesting to improve the status of our lives—and yet we opt to stay and work here, because we are believers of equality that the federal government would grant us.