Social Security Administration

We spent our Cesar Chavez holiday at the Social Security Card Office. Felix was applying for his brand spanking new card and I needed a replacement since I hadn't seen mine since I was 16. Before we even left the house I warned Felix to stay calm if he was put into a tough situation. We parked out front then had to walk around the back of the building to where the card office was.

The security guard checked my bag at the door then we went on in and each took a number from the computer. It was completely empty that day - we were the only ones in the waiting area for quite some time. The SSA office is reminiscent of a DMV except with comfier chairs and significantly less people.

I got called up to my window first and the guy behind the counter was personable and kind of silly. Turned out he lived pretty close to us. We talked about how nice the weather was and how he was making a trip to McKinley Park later. He had me confirm my information then gave me a reciept saying my card would arrive in about two weeks.

Felix had an entirely different experience. He presented his Employment Authorization Document and his passport and the guy asked (in a thick accent drenched in "I'm not from here") if he had an extension. Felix said, "Excuse me?"

The guy replied, "Yeah, do you have an extension on your passport? This is expired. I'm not going to be able to help you."

Felix responded that the whole point of his legal process was to fix that issue but "I can go ahead and leave the country and come back in 10 years to apply for a SSN." He ended on the note that his lawyer informed him he only needed his EAD.

The guy asked for any other ID such as a birth certificate and Felix said, "Sure I've had that on me all along" and handed it over. The guy ran off to get his manager who said that it was ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM and to go ahead and finish up Felix's application.

"I am going to be able to help you after all," he said. Yeah, no shit jackass. At this point Felix felt bad for being kind of a dick so he made an attempt at small talk. The dude ran through a questionnaire with him and to the question, "Have you ever received government assistance?" Felix replied jokingly, "I wish! School is expensive!"

The guy put down his piece of paper and looked at Felix. "Look, I'm not asking this for any benefit of mine. I don't want to know, it's just the questions I have to ask."

Felix apologized and said he was just trying to make conversation then went on with the questions. When we finally left Felix told me the whole story described above. That dude was lucky I was already outside.

The thing that got to us was not the fact that he was rude - that guy was just doing his job, albeit he should have asked for further identification BEFORE saying he couldn't help Felix. No, the problem is that it was so blatantly obvious that he too had been through the immigration process. Now that he has a cushy government job he can't remember what it was like to be unsure and fearful?

Hmph. Whatevs, the card is in the mail.

Turning everything in just to wait

Well we finally dropped off all our documents.

Getting the medical done was a nightmare - the cost skyrocketed from the $175 we were quoted to $315 thanks to some missing shots on his shot record. I gotta wonder if a tetanus shot is really worth how much they charged us. At least he has his updated varicella vaccine now. Poor guy has never had chicken pox so what a nightmare it'd be if he got that or shingles now... Eek. He tested positive for TB on his arm so he had to spend another $50 to get an x-ray of his lungs. No TB there. Then the idiot at the front desk kept saying his payment didn't go through. We printed out bank statements and got confirmation numbers from the bank and they still wouldn't buy it. They got in touch with the vendor who processes all their payments and almost two weeks after the exam we finally got our sealed I-693.

I had a hell of a time getting University Enterprises to write my confirmation of employment letter. I contacted the same person twice by e-mail then finally called her and got her machine. I left a professional yet nasty voicemail saying it was my third attempt to reach her within 10 days and as she had no vacation notice up I assumed she was in the office. I ended up going to the office to demand a letter and the woman at the front desk didn't seem surprised that the other lady was such a nightmare to deal with. She typed it right up for me and sent me off within 5 minutes of getting there.

We spend another $60ish on passport photos since he needed 4 and I needed 2 but got extra so I could eventually get a new passport. I'm thinking we should have just done them at home. We have a white wall and pretty nifty camera. Ah well.

We headed over to Golden1 to add him to my bank account and after making us squirm for a while they eventually told us they couldn't add him since his ID was expired. I could tell he got upset but we still had to get $1366 worth of money orders so we just handled that then took off.

We dropped off the docs in the afternoon and the lawyer's office was locked. We had to call to get let in and the intern was rude about Felix's difficulty understanding the bizarre buzzing/locking system on the door.

It was a crappy, crappy few weeks and especially the last day. At least now our documents are in. Now we wait until the lawyer asks us to come in and sign them (I think?) before they get sent off to the big bad immigration office. We're really getting tired of all this and it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It'll be over soon.

The name change game

We've been married for about a month and a half now and probably twenty people have asked my what my new last name is. My last name is the same was it was two months ago, five years ago, and 21 years ago. There is now law requiring me to change my name.

I've said several things - I kept my name so it's easier at school, I'll change it when I have kids, etc. People do it for a variety of reasons - some for tradition, some for ease once children are born, some in order to honor a family they feel did a lot for them. Look it up. More men are taking women's last names than before, many stating that their in-laws helped them through hard times or something similar. Other couples have been combining their names, breaking the hyphenation rule and even blending them into one. A well-known example is Mayor Villaraigosa. He and his wife combined their names.

Aside from those innocently asking for my new name I've been bothered already by my university's financial aid office. They asked me several times to submit my legal name change and my new Social Security card. I got so exasperated I finally went to the office in person. I explained to the woman at the desk I hadn't changed my name. She smiled and very genuinely asked if it stayed the same because, by coincidence, my husband had the same last name as me. 

My brain jumped to, "Is this really the only way she could believe I kept my name?" I told her it was too complicated to change it at school and that maybe I'd change it when we have kids. There I went, spitting out the same old excuse. She seemed appeased by this though. She made me submit a handwritten and signed/dated statement that I had not changed my name then sent me on my merry way.

I'm keeping my name because I feel that I've accomplished enough under my current identity that I want to keep it as-is. Also, it was my father's last name and he passed it down to me. My husband is a great part of my life but my dad dedicated eighteen years to raising me. Maybe when Felix has put in his 18 years I'll reconsider.