HOW SHE SEES IT Legal turns to illegal

By JACQUELINE AVILA
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
The year was 1990, and I was going to travel America.
That's what I intended to do, but the reality of going back to England after a month of exploring another country made me miserable.
I had previously worked in the States on a legitimate visa, working as a live-in "au pair" for a family in Georgia. I came by this position after answering an ad in an English newspaper.
This working visa lasted for 13 months. During this time, I applied for and received a Georgia driver's license because one of my duties was driving the children various places. Then I went to the Social Security office, showed the clerk my license and was able to get a Social Security number. Feeling homesick, I left the States after four months, only to return on a three-month visitors visa.
I desperately wanted to stay in America; I loved the country and its culture more than my own. Without thinking about any consequences, I decided to not return home.
Illegal Irish immigrants
I settled in San Francisco, where I found a group of Irish illegal immigrants that I had previously met on my journey through the states.
There was a network of illegal immigrants that would share information about things such as jobs and where to live. Typically, the men worked in construction, and the women worked as nannies and housecleaners. Most of the networking was done in English or Irish bars. There was always someone to show the ropes to the new immigrant.
Most of the nannies I knew lived with American families. It was quite the status symbol with the neighbors to have an Irish or English nanny. We spoke the same language, and the accent was a bonus.
That was the easiest part of living illegally: With my ability to blend in and "look (white) American," and unlike people of color, I was not discriminated against.
Looking through the local newspaper, I found an advertisement for a live-in nanny looking after two boys.
During the interview, I was asked about my legal status. My reply was that I had a visa and Social Security number. I did not specify how I obtained either. I got the job and started the next day.
During my time as an illegal immigrant, I was never afraid of immigration officials deporting me, perhaps because I was young and naive or because the consequences were not that severe.
I did hear of an INS raid on a bar one night. They took several Irish citizens away to the airport. They did not even get a chance to pack their bags. Fortunately, they did not have families in America.
Green card
After living in California illegally for about 14 months, I married a citizen and wanted to apply for my green card. (We divorced in 1997.) After submitting all the paperwork to the INS, I was called for an interview. I was quite nervous because I had no idea how the INS would react to my stay in the States.
I watched the INS officer's face for reactions as he read my file.
"You do know that you have been working illegally in the States for over a year?" he asked sternly. I told him that I understood that. After what seemed like hours, the interview was over, and I was on my way toward permanent residency status.
Why did the INS do nothing about my illegal residency? Was it because I was British, or because I was married to a military citizen, or because I was Anglo?
I can't say for certain. But in 2004, I finally became a citizen of the United States.
X Jacqueline Avila is a Star-Telegram senior design editor. Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.