For many of us we don’t give this much thought. But for the woman I met yesterday her day is consumed with franticly trying to get identification. You see… she is Japanese and married her American husband in Japan in 2006. They have a 3 year old daughter. He brought her to the United States in April 2010 to ‘visit’ his parents. Shortly after arrival he informed her they could not return to Japan. Shortly after this… he methodically began ‘hiding’ all of their passports and papers. Yesterday she arrived at the ECH with a small bag, court service papers from the restraining order he placed against her, and tears. All she needed was an ID she said. She can’t request a family court hearing without an ID. You see…. He kicked her out and kept their daughter. Now she is homeless with no identification in a strange country with no knowledge of where to start to try to put her life back together. Her husband’s actions have quite effectively turned her into an ‘invisible non-person’. She is a ‘nobody’ floating in limbo.
Fly home? Can’t … no ID, no passport.
Get money from family? Sure.. but money alone doesn’t get you an ID.
Ok but she can get a new passport with money right? No… she must prove who she is.. which requires ID.
Call the cops? Sure.. but again she needs to prove who she is.
Get an attorney? Sure.. but ultimately she must prove to someone that she is who she says she is…
How do you do that?? Why…..with ID of course.
Fly home? Can’t … no ID, no passport.
Get money from family? Sure.. but money alone doesn’t get you an ID.
Ok but she can get a new passport with money right? No… she must prove who she is.. which requires ID.
Call the cops? Sure.. but again she needs to prove who she is.
Get an attorney? Sure.. but ultimately she must prove to someone that she is who she says she is…
How do you do that?? Why…..with ID of course.
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