PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) – As Pikeville prepares for its Independence Day weekend celebration, one small American flag inside City Hall is serving as a personal reminder of what the holiday means to Enrico Marino.
Marino came to the United States on a student visa in 2012 and moved to Pikeville in 2013 to attend the University of Pikeville. He said building relationships in the community helped him feel at home.
“Once you get to know the people that live here and you get to know them, all of a sudden that veil- that barrier that you create within yourself- goes away,” Marino said.
After earning his degree, Marino said he obtained a work permit and began working at a bank, where he met his wife, Kellie. He later received a green card and became a permanent resident.
“The forms themselves, you’re talking in thousands of dollars and it’s a lengthy process. It’s complicated,” he said.
Marino said he wanted more than residency and continued working toward citizenship, so he could vote and be considered a citizen of the United States. He achieved that goal after more work, money, and paperwork, at a ceremony in 2021.
“I had a very easy route for me. When you come legally, your options are a lot more simple. Not everybody has the same options,” he said.
He said the broader immigration debate can overlook the human reality many people face.
“I think one misconception is that every single one of them has an evil plot when, in reality, they don’t know what they’re doing and they’re lost. I don’t think they’re necessarily an enemy,” Marino said.
Marino said immigrants also often have a misconception that everyone born in the U.S. has financial freedom and an easy life, which is ignoring the diverse needs and gaps in the states.
He said coming into the country, or staying, illegally was never something he considered.
“To me, living in the shadows, as I call it- being here illegally- was not an option,” he said.
He said there was a time before he found his bank job that he thought he would not be able to stay in the states. So, he was prepared to return to Venezuela and potentially work in the business his father left behind.
A lot of his decisions, he said, have come by leaning on his faith and relationship with God for guidance.
He said he hopes people on all sides of the issue take time to understand the process, noting it can look different for everyone. He said he also hopes the discussion leads to unity.
“The politicians, media, everybody tries to create division in us, but I think that if we look past those things… what can we find in common with each other to understand each other better?” he said.
Now living in Pike County, working as the senior accountant for the City of Pikeville, Marino says he’s proud of the life he’s built in Eastern Kentucky.
“I love being an American. That’s the most important part,” Marino said.
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