As A Former Undocumented Immigrant With College Degrees, I Now Have The Opportunity To Finally Pursue The Life I Always Wanted

Daily Fashion Illustration 139. Thursday, March 13. 2014

Style submitted by Tomas Vega. -instagram @visionsdecisionsandrevisions
'After living in “the shadows” for 25 years as a former undocumented immigrant with college degrees, I now have the opportunity to finally pursue the life I always wanted.

What does this have to do with my choice in style? Well, for many years, I’ve had dreams and aspirations that seemed to go nowhere, among them the opportunity to be able to dress up for the job I wanted. I made the huge leap of faith a few weeks ago by going from relaxed Southern California to the tall and fast moving New York City metropolis. My goal is to finally pursue a career that I always wanted. For this, I have to dress up how I always wanted to dress up.

Every time I put on a suit, it is not just clothes that I wear, it is the hearts and souls of all those friends and family who have sacrificed and supported me along this adversity paved road that I travel. The suit I wear at an interview and hopefully a new career will not just show my “choice in style,” but it will be a personal reminder that these loved ones will be with me in every success to come. They have given me patience, confidence and most importantly, the suit represents hope. A reminder that this new chapter would not have been possible without wonderful support. They are the real threads and fabric of the suit that are making this dream come true. I proudly wear and carry their memories, but most important as a reminder of not forgetting where I come from.'