Wrestler Grapples with Life After Both Parents Are Deported

By Michelle Macaluso, Junior Reporter & Fox News
Published February 08, 2011

Arian Lucatero is the captain of his high school wrestling team and will likely compete for the California State Championship. For Arian, getting here hasn’t been so easy. He has been living without his parents for the last five years.

When Arian was in the seventh grade, officials discovered that his parents were in the United States illegally, and they were deported back to Mexico. Arian, who is a legal citizen of the U.S., decided to stay here in order to finish his education and earn a chance at a better life.

But for Arian, living alone without any support wasn’t easy. The city of Visalia has a huge gang presence and one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country. According to the most recent statistic, 26 percent of kids in the county dropped out of high school in 2008.

“I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault why my parents got deported. It’s just something that happened that I have to deal with now. It’s made me stronger,â€