One the president’s action does not help

I am a third-generation United States Marine who carried on my family’s proud tradition of serving and protecting my country. 

When President Obama said he would take steps to protect almost 5 million people from deportation, I listened carefully.  And I realized that one family that won’t be protected is mine. 

{mosads}My brother-in-law, Rithy Yin, is one of the most kind hearted people you’ll ever meet. He is an active member in his church and volunteers for a local community outreach program that helps troubled teens. He is also a great uncle and enjoys spending time with his 7 nephews and nieces. 

But Rithy has a final order of deportation. The president’s executive order won’t keep him where he belongs: here, with our family. 

In the mid-1980s, when Rithy was only a baby, he and his family fled from one of the worst genocides of the 20^th Century in Cambodia. His father was killed by the Khmer Rouge, and he and his mother and siblings (including my wife, Ravynna) survived by escaping through the jungle into Thailand, where they joined other refugees in squalid camps.  They eventually came to the United States, sponsored by an American family in Ohio. The Yin family was welcomed with open arms and quickly adapted to their new lives as Americans.  

A few years later, Rithy and Ravynna’s family decided to relocate to the Seattle area to reunite with a larger Cambodian community. What they didn’t anticipate was that this move landed them in a neighborhood that was plagued with drugs and gang violence. Rithy’s older brothers moved out of the home early, and his mom was still in shock from the trauma she suffered during the genocide. Rithy was bullied at school, and picked on for being poor. This all led Rithy to turn to the streets to find acceptance. If you are thinking that this sounds like a recipe for disaster, then you would be right. Rithy was incarcerated at the age of eighteen. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, which he served in its entirety. During his time in prison, Rithy grew up. He finished his GED, took classes to improve his skills, and worked in the prison’s church ministry, reaching out to new inmates who needed support. 

But, that wasn’t enough for the government. After he got out of prison, ready for a new beginning, they sentenced him again to be deported back to Cambodia. Rithy hasn’t been in Cambodia since he was born. 

By definition, an American is: of or relating to the United States of America or its people, language, or culture;a native or inhabitant of America. No one questions my commitment to my country. I am an American veteran and so are multiple members of my family. Collectively, throughout multiple generations, we have willingly participated in numerous wars to protect the liberties and freedoms that our fellow Americans enjoy. My family instilled in me the morals and values that come with the traditional southern upbringing, which are that love for humanity supersedes self-gratification and sense of entitlement or superiority over those who are less fortunate. Simply stated, we are all human and we all have equal rights as humans.  

Rithy is an American by definition. He was raised as an American, went to American elementary and high schools, lived and worked as an American with legal status for three decades, was incarcerated as an American. And now, because our immigration laws refuse to recognize his struggle to overcome so many obstacles in his life and give back to his country, he will be deported as an American.  

It’s great that the president’s immigration reform protects many families from being ripped apart and destroyed. But, Mr. President, don’t forget my family, and the families of other refugees and immigrants who may have stumbled along their way, but want nothing more than a second chance. 

To Congress, I urge you to think about the American values you speak of defending, and defend my family when you consider comprehensive immigration reform. 

Rithy is a brother to me, and I know of no better American than him. Let him stay with us, where he belongs. 

Tolliver is a retired U.S. Marine Corps. lance corporal.