tags: , , Blog

Standing With the “Dreamers”

Share This:

Update: Check out our full DREAM Act resources here. 

I just came back from attending a graduation ceremony organized by United We Dream, a coalition of student advocacy groups from all over the U.S advocating for the DREAM Act. dream graduation

What’s the DREAM Act you say?

Each year about 65,000 U.S.-raised students, who would qualify for a status-adjustment under the DREAM Act, graduate from high school with few real prospects for the future. These include honor roll students, star athletes, talented artists, homecoming queens, and aspiring teachers, doctors, and U.S. soldiers. They are young people who have lived in the U.S. for most of their lives and desire only to give back to this country – their home- through hard work, service, and dedication. The DREAM Act is a little piece of legislation that would help them do that, and it is a critical part of real immigration reform.

I was very inspired by all the personal testimonies I heard, in particular that of a “dreamer” by the name of Benita.  Benita currently  has a deportation order to go back to Mexico, a country that she left over 16 years ago. 

Check out Benita’s testimony below:

To quote The Sanctuary feature post today:

It is the work of the United We Dream Coalition, and the online work of dreamactivist.org that has brought us to this day.  If you do nothing else after reading this entire post, sign the petition in favor of the DREAM Act at dreamact2009.com.  

A message to Benita and all the other “dreamers”: Gracias. Thank you for your courage, your passion and your dedication to this movement.  Your story gives me hope that one day we will indeed reach our dream of immigration reform that would legalize the millions of immigrants now living in the shadows.