NOAH HOLT Staff writer

The Roar sat down with Gabe Gutierrez, junior Applied Mathematics major, to discuss what being an immigrant truly means to him.

Q: How old were you when you came to the United States?

A: When I entered the United States I was 8-years-old.

Q: Why did you have to leave your country of origin to come to the U.S.?

A: I did not decide to come here on my own. Since I was really young, I was brought here with the rest of my family. But I suppose to answer the question, I was brought here to have a better life. I remember coming over as if it was yesterday. It was an amazing yet dangerous experience.

Q: What do you want other people to know about being an immigrant?

A: Having the title of an “immigrant” is not a bad thing. Ignorant people think we are here to take their jobs. In reality, humans, and even animals, migrate to different places to have a better life and to be able to survive in this world.

Q: Do you feel like people treat you differently because you are an immigrant?

A: I think everyone is treated differently based on how a person treats others. I treat everyone with the same respect, but I feel like sometimes, because I am from a different part of the world with a different background, I am viewed and treated differently. To me, that is not a bad thing. I do not wish to be treated the same as others.

Q: What is the hardest part about being an immigrant in the United States today?

A: I suppose not being able to do or have the things that people who are not immigrants is the hardest part about being an immigrant. But we have to get accustomed to that life.

Q: What does it feel like to be an immigrant in the United States?

A: I do not feel any different than if I was not an immigrant. That is just a title that has no meaning to me.

Q: What is the best part about being an immigrant?

A: I believe the best part of being an immigrant is that I stand out from everyone else. My background makes me unique and that is a great feeling.