Undocumented

On this episode, I chat with a man who grew up undocumented in the United States.

English Level: C1 🇺🇸🇨🇦

Show Notes:

Introduction (0:21)
Why did your family decide to move to the USA? (2:23)
What was the journey like? (4:00)
What was it like growing up as an undocumented child (7:56)
Did your friends know you were undocumented? (9:41)
What do you tell people who say you should be sent back to your country? (14:01)
How do we minimize the fears of local populations while also showing compassion for people coming from insecure regions? (18:04)
Short-term and long-term solutions for mass immigration (22:27)
Migration as a natural phenomenon (25:23)
Hypocrisy around immigration (26:21)
How do you wish you had been treated as a young illegal person? (28:26)
What are some positives you take from your experience as an illegal immigrant? (30:17)
What would you tell someone who has reservations about immigrants? (31:51)

Vocabulary Words:

Repercussion (noun): an unintended consequence of an event or action, especially an unwelcome one.
Reckless (adj.): heedless of danger or the consequences of one’s actions; rash or impetuous.
Marginalized community (noun): Socially excluded groups of people for different reasons, such as age, physical or mental disabilities, economic status, etc.
Shame (noun): a regrettable or unfortunate situation or action.
Diction (noun): the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.
loophole (noun): an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules.
Intercity school (noun): those found in such neighborhoods primarily catering to students belonging to low-income families.
Resent (verb): feel bitterness or indignation at (a circumstance, action, or person).
Ostracized (verb): exclude from a society or group.
Neglect (verb): not pay proper attention to; disregard.
Hypocrisy (noun): the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case.
Compassion (noun): sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
Migratory crisis (noun): the intense difficulty, trouble, or danger situation in the receiving state (destination country) due to the movements of large groups of immigrants (displaced people, refugee or asylum seeker) escaping from the conditions (natural or artificially created) which negatively affected their situation.
Humility (noun): the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people.

Phrases to Remember:

Poverty-stricken: extremely poor.
War-torn country: very badly harmed or damaged by war; torn apart by war.
meet up: come into the presence or company of someone, especially by arrangement.
swallow my words: Take back what one said, as in If they win I’ll have to swallow my words.
to out someone: to identify (someone) publicly
double-speak: language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words.
person of color: a person who is not white.