My name is Jason and I'm an American Citizen and this is about my boyfriend Harold. Harold was brought to the United States from the Philippines by his parents at age five. He attended elementary school, middle school and high school here. Other than the struggles that came with his sexuality he had no reason to think he was in anyway "different" from his peers. That was until he turned sixteen, eager to apply for his driver's license and his parents dropped a bomb - he 'had no papers'. He was an undocumented immigrant. He was shocked and devastated; he felt American in every way, but because he didn't have a piece of paper, it didn't matter. What was he supposed to do? Return to a country he didn't even remember, leaving behind everyone he loved and everything he knew? For what - a life as 16 year old runaway in a strange, new country? Or remain here in the only country he had ever known. Not surprisingly, he chose to remain here.

Harold is now twenty-two. Everything I take for granted is out of reach for him, such as such as access to higher education, the ability to work, drive, rent an apartment, and most importantly live without the fear of being deported to a foreign country. Because of his inability to work legally, I must bear the financial responsibility in the relationship, forcing me to work long hours just to provide a meager existence for the both of us.

Beyond this, his status makes everyday tasks turn into massive ordeals. For example, my landlord recently notified me that before my boyfriend could move in with me, . I would have to submit his social security number, and credit history for their approval. Due to his status, he doesn't have either. So we opted to leave his name off the lease. Things were fine until one day one of our neighbors alerted the landlord of Harold's presence. I was notified that if I continued to have an "unauthorized roommate" we would be evicted. Harold as forced to go into hiding,only leaving the apartment at odd times during the night so as not to run into a neighbor. As a result, I also rarely get to leave the apartment and we're forced to whisper to each other in our own home. Every time I check the mail, or hear the phone ring, my stomach clenches in fear and I am scared that it is the landlord notifying me that they know he's still here and that we will be evicted. As difficult as it is for me, Harold is the real prisoner. I don't know how much longer Harold or our relationship can handle spending weeks at a time trapped inside our apartment. He desperately wants to be able to obtain a job, get a license, step outside our apartment without making us homeless, but most of all show his face without fear. It can be very difficult and stressful dealing with this situation and to watch someone you love pay for a situation he did not create. As difficult as everything is with an undocumented partner, I love him so much that I feel that it is worth it. I just wish we could have a normal life where we aren't paying for an action neither of us had any control over.

Right now our only hope is congress passing legislation such as the DREAM Act or allowing same sex couples to qualify for immigration through marriage and today we will march with thousands of others so America remembers that we exist.