An important part of Christmas is buying gifts for loved ones. Filipinos are busy filling their balikbayan boxes with pasalubong, to send to their families “back home.” The pasalubong may consist of clothes, food items, electronics, or other useful items, given as a way of “sharing one’s blessings.”
In fact, on Nov. 20, 2014, President Obama handed a wonderful Christmas gift to millions of people through his executive action, with DAPA and DACA, enabling qualifying parents of US citizens or green card holders, as well as certain children who entered the US before their 16th birthday, to obtain work authorization, SS#, driver’s license, relief from deportation/removal, and possible ability to travel back to the Philippines.
However, many Filipinos forget about what could be the most important “gift” for their family members: legalizing their status, or finding a way for their family members to immigrate to the US and be reunited, under the same roof, not only during Christmas, but all year round. I know that some people have been separated from their family members for many years, because they have not done anything about their immigration situation. Yet, if you ask the family members back home, they probably believe that nothing that could be bought in any store would mean as much as the family being together.
If you have not yet done anything about your immigration situation, and are spending yet another lonely Christmas in the U.S., maybe now is the right time to switch your spending priorities — from the usual balikbayan box items to the real gift a family wants — being together in the U.S., or applying for DACA or DAPA, if you or your child are eligible.
On behalf of myself and my law office, Maligayang Pasko sa inyong lahat!
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