"I tried applying for a job when I was 16 and didn't know what a social security [number] was or what my legal status was," Gabriela, who asked that we not use her last name, told POPSUGAR. "So my parents had to break down what being undocumented meant." Gabriela said the moment was a learning experience — and a heartbreak.
"I realized that not everyone is treated equally. I felt like an outsider and didn't think anyone could understand what I was going through," she said. "It was difficult to process why my friends that got lower grades than I did could get financial aid but I couldn't."
Gabriela says the pressure to be perfect led her to an eating disorder. "It takes a toll on you psychologically, and you never know when it's OK to feel safe," she said.
While Gabriela did manage to recover from her eating disorder in 2009, the journey to overcome her binge-eating was not easy, especially because she had to do it on her own. Gabriela's parents urged her not to see a therapist, fearing it might reflect poorly if she ever applied for citizenship in the future. "Looking back, they were believing in a long-standing myth — one of the many reasons why some immigrants don't seek mental health help," Gabriela said.
Gabriela currently works as a paralegal for a nonprofit that represents mostly child immigrants pro bono, though she's currently shifting to public relations.
