DREAM Act
My Name is Mei Lau and I am Undocumented
Published October 23, 2009 @ 06:00AM PT
[This week's DREAM Act guest post comes from Mei Lau, who is eligible for the DREAM Act and represents the essence of the American DREAM--a high school graduate at the age of 15 who merely wants to attend college in this country. She is undoubtedly and irrevocably an immigrant that America needs and this country should find a way to retain her intellect and services instead of turning her away. Going back to her country of origin to apply for a visa to re-enter will not work in all likelihood so please do not make that suggestion].
My name is Mei Lau, a 15 year-old high school graduate. My brother and I arrived in US following our mother, who was an international student at the time, when I was nine and have been educated here ever since. But right now, I can't even be considered an international student anymore because mother cannot afford her tuition fee due the harsh economy for the past two years.
We both skipped two grades and entered high school at the age of 12. My IQ was proven and officially tested to be over 150. I maintained a 4.66 GPA in school with 4 AP classes and 2 college computer course, and finished all four years of high school math in my freshmen year. I went on to score a 5, highest score possible, in AP Calculus AB test in my sophomore year. Everyone including my counselor, teachers, friends, family, and myself was absolutely certain that with such a young age and brilliant record, I could get a full scholarship.
Quite a few were offered to me - with the requirement of being a permanent resident or US citizen. I was not. And several schools that accepted me regrettably informed me that they could not provide me with a full scholarship. Even the full scholarship the state university should provide to the students with 3 AIMS exceeded was denied to me because of my status despite the fact I completed my entire high school years here.
The most they could grant to a non-US citizen student like me cannot even cover my tuition that is essential if I wish to attend any college. My mother is a single-parent that had to take care of two kids while barely graduated high school. She was a student herself and had to work all day to cover her own tuition fee and our living expenses. I never saw her taking a break in four years from work other than during national holidays. She never bought anything for herself but still we struggle financially. She cannot possibly cover my college expenses.
I am underage, obviously, and cannot even get a student loan. Most scholarships either have an age or citizenship requirement. I can't even legally work because I don't have a social security number. I'm running out of ideas and have yet to find a solution.
I dread what the future may bring. Am I going to be forced to drop my education so young with my level of intelligence just because of where I was born? I lived here nearly as far as I remember. US is my home. I never knew another. Yet, opportunities are all being close to me because of the fact I was not born here. My brother is about to graduate within two years. If the DREAM Act is not passed by then, he is about to face the same dilemma I am facing. I really don't know what to do right now.
(Photo courtesy DreamAct2009)
My Name is Diana and I am Undocumented
Published October 16, 2009 @ 01:00AM PT
[This week's DREAM Act guest post comes from Diana, a DREAM-eligible future entrepreneur in Georgia who refuses to let fear rule her life. Visit Dreamactivist.org to find out how you can help pass the DREAM Act.]
I am about to turn 27, I have lived here for 18 years, but time is running out quick for me. Though I have not had the privilege of finishing college because of my immigration status, I have pushed forward and tried to learn as much as I could and can from the people around me who were and are willing to teach me, and I continue to try to contribute to the society and community around me.
For a long time I was afraid of doing many things for fear of being deported, but I have finally taken this to heart "a life lived in fear is a life unlived". I refuse to give in and cheat the system by marrying in order to obtain legal status, but I also refuse to continue to hold myself back and so God willing I will soon fulfill my dream of opening my own business. This is the best way I can think of to honor and contribute to this wonderful country that I consider my own, because regardless of what a piece of paper says, I have always believed that it is what you feel that matters most. I hold no grudges, for I have had opportunities here that I would have never had in my birth country.
My only and dearest wish is that I am allowed to continue to show even more how truly thankful I am for those opportunities. To anyone who may read this and who find themselves in the same situation: Don't let fear stop you, life must go on always, even in the face of incredible injustice. The best way to show that you deserve to be an "official" U.S. Citizen (because in our hearts, or at least in mine, I have always been), is to live your life as best you can, take every opportunity that comes your way to fulfill your dreams, and don't let fear stop you and hold yourself back from giving the best you have to offer.
I have wasted many years, but not one more day, not one more minute will I give to fear. Even if the worst happens, I will always continue to strive to better myself, to learn as much as I can about as much as I can, and in this country or in another I will always do my best to contribute and make the city, town or country where I live the best that it can be.
Also, no matter where I end up, I will always be thankful to this country because this is where I learned that with hard work, dedication and steadfastness, you really can achieve anything you want. It is because I have lived here that I now know that if I can achieve one of my most challenging dreams without having a college diploma and facing all these legal barriers, the limits of what I could accomplish with the former and not the latter do not exist.
(Photo courtesy DreamAct2009)
Portland City Council Calls for Passage of the DREAM Act
Published October 14, 2009 @ 05:52PM PT
I just found out from a tweet by Mayor Sam Adams of Portland that the City Council of Portland in Oregon adopted a resolution for the DREAM Act today. The resolution is here.
Papers the Movie, which is based in Portland, Oregon, deserves credit for making this possible. It was after seeing the great documentary constituting the struggles, dreams and aspirations of five undocumented students that the City Commissioner decided to draft and present a resolution to the City Council.
The City of Portland now joins Philadelphia, Oakland, Santa Ana, City of East Chicago in Indiana, Chicago, Los Angeles and 8 more cities in Los Angeles County in proclaiming support for the federal DREAM Act.
Take Three Steps to Stop Alonso's Deportation
Published August 26, 2009 @ 04:56AM PT
[Ed. In my inbox recently from Dreamer Alonso Chehade:]
I was brought to the United States from Peru when I was 14 years old. Eight years later, I am being deported for reasons I cannot comprehend. On March 14, 2009, I and a friend went to visit some friends at Western Washington University and rather than driving back home late at night we decided to stay at our friends ' place. The next morning, not being familiar with the area we took a wrong turn on the highway and ended up near the Canadian Border. I was stopped by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities and when it was discovered that I was undocumented, I was arrested and jailed for 2 weeks. I am set to be deported on September 25th with a flight ticket scheduled for September 17th to a country I barely know.I have lived in the United States for 8 years. I have never had any problems with the law. All I ever wanted to do was to go to school and have a successful career, but our broken immigration system prevented me from continuing my career path after I graduated from the University of Washington.
Unless you step up and help there is little hope that I won't be deported on September 25th. I humbly urge you to immediately take action to stop my deportation.
EZ Act Now
SIGN | CALL | FORWARD
Help Me in 3 Steps & 3 Minutes!
1) Sign my online petition. (1 min.)
NOTE: Physical Petition Form available upon request.
2) CALL & Leave a Message (2 Mins.)
@DHS Public Comment Line 202.282.8495
NOTE: This is a voicemail line. You will not have to speak to anyone but only leave a message. This is a direct line, which means you will not have to go through many line transfers to get to the right place.
"Use the *CALL SCRIPT / Pre-read before calling"
*CALL SCRIPT: My name is (your full name) and I am calling regarding Jorge-Alonso Chehade's Deportation. File Number A88-738-410. Alonso qualifies for the DREAM Act and has a clean criminal record. I would like to humbly request that you take action to immediately halt his deportation. Thank you for considering my request.
PD: If mailbox is full, PLEASE try again the next day.
3) FORWARD This message to 5 More contacts (cut and paste into an email, or send the link to this blog post by email or Twitter)
DREAM Act Not Controversial After All
Published August 25, 2009 @ 05:53AM PT
I was confused this morning when I saw the title of last week's piece in US News about the DREAM Act: "Controversial Legislation May Give Immigrant Students a Chance at College." I know, as does anyone familiar with the legislation, that the act tends to strike a chord with most Americans, regardless of political position on other issues. I explained the Act to a conservative friend of mine a couple weeks ago, with whom I've had many disagreements on politics over the years. He said it was one thing he thought he could support. I've gotten similar responses from right/center right commenters to the blog, though not from those commenters who are very committed to the other side of the argument.*
I think there is a reason for this. The DREAM Act takes its strength directly from the assimilationist ethic upon which the ideological nationhood of the U.S. is founded. This is the universalist aspirational ideal, that anyone is potentially an American if they commit to become a member of the nation, if they do things the right way, if they work hard and don't abuse the system. This ideal is both universalist and necessarily exclusive, but its unifying power within the bounds of the nation is undeniable. President Obama is one beneficiary of that universalist ethic, or rather, he understood the ethic's power in a deep way and it resonated with voters around the country. I believe that is why Obama's election attracted, at least initially, so many moderate and center-right voters. It is why I believe that many recent immigrants become devout conservatives--the assimilationist ethic is in one sense profoundly conservative. It is why Ronald Reagan (paraphrasing) said I can go to China or Bulgaria but I can never become Chinese or Bulgarian--but anyone can become an American (crowdsourcing opportunity: can anyone find the actual quote?). That is an extremely powerful message, if also necessarily flawed in the execution.
So what, then, is so controversial about the DREAM Act? It reaches something fundamental about what it means to be an American. Reading the article gave me some insight into the choice of title on this US News article:
While the DREAM Act has many supporters—including the College Board, the University of California system, Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust, Microsoft, and a number of other education, business, and political leaders—organizations like the Federation for American Immigration Reform strongly oppose the legislation. They say it would reward undocumented immigrant parents who have unlawfully brought their children into the country.
There's more, but that's essentially all you need to know. That argument is so easily refuted that it can't possibly be the real reason. Some of these kids were brought in as infants. They have fought against incredible odds to succeed and are deeply devoted to the U.S. The strongest argument FAIR can come up with is that they should be deported to punish their parents for the desperate choices they made decades ago? That just doesn't make sense.
The organized restrictionist movement has staked everything on opposing the DREAM Act. They understand what the coalitions and organizations in Congress that support comprehensive immigration reform do not: if DREAM passes, there's a good chance CIR will then pass. You will have energized between one and two million undocumented youth, allowed them to "come out of the closet" and fight for their undocumented friends and family members. It is an absolute gamechanger, and FAIR and the other groups understand this even if leaders in Congress do not.
Look at the supporters and opponents of DREAM listed in the article itself:
Pro: the College Board, the University of California system, Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust, Microsoft, and a number of other education, business, and political leaders
Anti: organizations like the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
And this is supposed to create a "controversy"? Clearly the reporter herself doesn't see much of a controversy, but perhaps her editor did. To me, the problematic title of the article stigmatizing the DREAM Act before the readers even get to the actual reporting means that FAIR and the other restrictionist groups have done an excellent job of messaging and of strategically positioning themselves in relation to the gatekeepers of the discourse. However, I believe that reason and dedication will eventually win the day, and that the energy and power of the DREAM movement will overcome the obstacles currently preventing DREAM from even being voted on, though supporters know it has the votes to pass.
*(Question to Mark in comments and others offended by the term "restrictionists": if that is a word you reject, what word would you use to describe the movement that includes FAIR, CIS, ALIPAC, NumbersUSA, etc. that non-insiders can understand? If it's "anti-illegal immigrant movement" then we're at an impasse, because I reject the use of the term "illegal immigrant.")
[Image: Walter Lara, Dreamer]
My Name is Ashley and I am Undocumented
Published August 22, 2009 @ 06:09AM PT
[This week's DREAM Act guest post comes from Ashley, a DREAM-eligible would-be med school student whose hopes to contribute her talents in the medical field have been cut short by Congress's refusal to vote on the DREAM Act. Visit Dreamactivist.org to find out how you can help pass the DREAM Act.]
The funny thing about my story is that my grandmother and mother were both greencard holders. Yet, here I am in a state of limbo status because the lawyer messed up. In the time it took for my mother to futilely navigate the immigration system, I had already overstayed my tourist visa and forgotten my native tongue. I thought of myself only as an American and was thoroughly disappointed and in a state of shock when I found that I couldn't get a driver's license. As I grew older, the barriers grew more formidable. I moved into a studio-size apartment with my family, checked vending machines for forgotten change, and somehow managed to finish my college education.
I graduated from a prestigious university without any form of institutional financial aid. I did, however, qualify for in-state tuition, without which I would not be the person I am today. To save money, I finished two majors in three years and received the highest honors given at my school. Throughout my college days, I was and still am an active member of the community. I led efforts to provide health service for the uninsured, tutored and mentored underserved youth, and volunteered at the free clinic. My status had provided me with unique insight into the struggles of the low-income and underserved and with undying strength to help those in greater need.
Finally, I realized that my greatest desire in life was to pursue a career in medicine so that I could dedicate each day to directly helping those in need. I applied and was accepted into MD-PhD programs across the nation, placing me in the top 10% of the student population. Yet, in a matter of days, my dreams would be destroyed. I am still out of status and unable to pursue dual degrees in medicine and research. Currently, I am still unsure whether or not I will be able to enroll in medical school. My elite pile of acceptances seem to dangle before me as dreams that are so close to reality and yet so far from my reach.
But I don't deserve this. I had made no excuses in my application and told no lies. I was, instead, reviewed and accepted by my own academic and personal merits. These schools don't even have a clue of what I've had to go through to get this far in my life. They offered me admission because I was well-qualified for a spot in their entering class, because I had shown the potential to make great differences in the world of healthcare and scientific innovation. It is entirely their loss that they revoked the acceptances I had gained fair and square.
I hope this nation will not make the same mistake as these schools. We, the Dreamies, represent some of America's most persevering and brightest youth. We have been tested by the most difficult challenges. Most of us have experienced days when we couldn't afford buying food for our family or painful incidents when we couldn't afford medical help for our loved ones. Yet, with each challenge, we continue to overcome. We face these adversities head-on and grow stronger in the process. And each day, we explore the limits of our potential as allowed by the restrictions imposed on us because we hold the faith that this country we love so dearly will one day recognize us and our efforts. We want nothing more than to contribute to the growth of this nation and, without a doubt, we have the potential to do so. All we need is the chance to grow.
Please pass the DREAM Act. All I ever wanted was to go to medical school, to spend the rest of my life giving back to the community, and to finally be an American.
Herta Thanks Her Supporters, But Not Out of the Woods Yet
Published August 21, 2009 @ 12:01AM PT
ICE has granted Herta an order of supervision until November 9, 2009, but she still may be deported or detained on that day.
DHS and ICE need to grant Herta deferred action on her deportation.
Help SEIU and Herta reach their goal of 5,000 letters by the end of the week!
