Photo Courtesy of Jose Mejia
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Carried in his “courageous” mother’s arms at the age of 2, Jose Mejia said he made the long journey from Mexico City to the United States in 1997.
Since then, Mejia, 28, who comes from a family of 11 — four brothers, four sisters and his parents, Reyna Martinez and Raul Mejia — has known no other home. Settling in Port Richmond, Mejia grew up on Staten Island and graduated Port Richmond High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a minor in legal studies, and a Master of Science degree in management and healthcare administration, both from the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook.
Mejia appears to be very much like his peers who grew up on Staten Island.
However, these “Dreamers,” as they have been dubbed based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act, have to apply every two years to continue to live and work in the U.S.
About Author
