It’s easy for those of us who have been here for a while to forget the struggle of being a new immigrant, let alone the difficulty of obtaining permission to enter the country. How many among us waited for years — sometimes decades — to obtain a Green Card? Even those of us who were born here probably know someone who anxiously waited for years to be allowed to start a new life in America. We all know the stories of people who worked their way through poverty, saving peso after peso just to make ends meet.

For many Filipino-American families, America was not just a refuge but a miracle. This country was the answer to years of prayers, an opportunity to begin a new life in a land of prosperity, a way to build a better future for the next generation. For decades, Filipinos have come to America searching for the promises laid out in the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Some were so desperate for that new life that they came here as undocumented Immigrants, branded with the label TNT (tago ng tago, or, in English, always hiding). They were not attempting to flout this country’s laws because they believed themselves superior, but because they so badly needed to create a better life for themselves and for their families.

It is no different with the many immigrants trying to enter the country today. When hearing their stories, we must remember our own. Too many people criticize prospective immigrants for daring to seek refuge in this country, forgetting that they, too, come from families of immigrants who did what they could to find a better life.

We must not forget that we, too, come from a community filled with immigrants. Our friends and family members have also made sacrifices to follow the American Dream. We must remember to view immigrants, regardless of their legal status, with compassion, for we are not so different from them — merely more fortunate.

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