My mother always says, “uno no es de donde nace sino donde se cria.” This translates to “you’re not from where you were born, but from where you were raised”. This aphorism could be the manifesto for millions of undocumented youths in the United States. Let me give you a hypothetical; let’s say Homero Rivas was born in Cali, Colombia on May of 1981. Through the unpredictability of life and the passing of the years his parents decided to abandon whatever situation they had in Colombia for the promise of the American Dream. Behind them, they left violence, or poverty or a lack of opportunity, and arrived at the Port Authority in NYC in the spring of 1993. Immediately upon arrival, at age twelve, Homero started the 7th grade at some school in the Bronx.
This hypothetical is based on fact. There are approximately 11.6 million illegal aliens in the United States (
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/publications/ill_pe_2006.pdf). Of this ridiculous number, 65,000 graduate from high school every year (
http://dreamact.info/) to find their opportunities quashed by their illegal status.
Let’s go back to Homero who moved to North Bergen, New Jersey with his parents, right before he began high school in 1995. Having already learned English, he made friends easily, and took it upon himself to study hard and enjoy his American life as much as any other teenager. He discovered comic books, and spent his free time drawing Batman and his rogues gallery. He had his first girlfriend and lost his virginity his sophomore year. His junior year, for extra money, he adorned the storefronts around his neighborhood with drawings of Jack Skellington, or pilgrims and dancing turkeys, or Santa Claus. With the money he earned, Homero bought his mom a nice ruby ring that Christmas. Although not the biggest man on campus, Homero’s modest popularity brought him a bit of recognition his senior year; he was voted most artistic, and graduated within the top twenty of a class of four hundred. After graduation his life stalled.
Let’s explore what happened to Homero after graduation. Even though his grades were sufficient for him to enter a good school, his lack of papers prevented any financial aid; plus, it made him ineligible to receive any grant or scholarship. Moreover, Homero didn’t even have a student visa, having arrived as a tourist and simply overstaying his welcome. Although a counselor or two were willing to bend the rules to get him that student visa, he simply couldn’t afford it. Regardless, Homero didn’t despair; he purchased a fake Social Security Number and went to work for the A&P in Union City, New Jersey. In the mean time, he was able to attend Bergen County Community College, where he met a slew of young men and women who shared his illegal alien complications. On the weekends, he and his international friends would go to Bahama Mammas in Hoboken and drink and dance to Sisqo and the new Santana hits. Sometimes, they’d head to Twilo or Sound Factory in Manhattan whenever Sasha and Digweed were spinning. In 2002 at 21, he finished his Associates, setting his sights on his Bachelors. Still illegal, Homero realized that he had three choices to solve his illegal alien status: pay someone to get married, have a company sponsor him or return to Colombia.
65,000 undocumented teenagers graduate every year. It’s a staggering number to think about. It’s easy to tell them to “Go back where you came from!” But, go back to what? The question I keep coming back to is: Is Homero American? He’s lived here since he was twelve. He graduated high school here; he has a North Jersey accent; the most important experiences of his life happened here in America: first kiss, first fight, first heartbreak. Twelve to thirty, those are the years that shape you. Is he American? What about all those children, brought here by parents chancing any consequence to have a better life? Indeed they aren’t the taxpayers' responsibility. No one likes a free loader. But, this isn’t the case. These parents are feeding the economy; whatever hard earned dollar they make, they spend here on U.S. soil: shoes, clothes, food, all that money circulates back. Furthermore, that fake Social Security Number Homero purchased years ago, he’s been paying taxes through it all this time. He never receives a refund from the government. All he gets is a letter saying that his number is wrong, and his money will be refunded once a correct SSN has been submitted. These letters aren’t hypothetical; they are a fact. I’ve seen them with my own eyes, I’ve held them in my hands. And by the way, last year illegal immigrants paid an estimate of 11.2 billion dollars in taxes; General Electric paid nothing. (
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-04-20/local/29470037_1_sales-taxes-tax-revenue-property-taxes)
Illegal immigrants are a U.S. problem, created by the U.S. government through the years. When it comes to international affairs, the United States’ hands aren’t clean:
Pinochet in Chile,
the military bases in Ecuador,
the Nicaraguan Contras,
the Guatemalan coup d'état, etc, etc. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You can’t go trampling over other countries, securing their natural resources, fracking up their economies and not expect an exodus from that mess. Everything is a cycle. Sadly, neither the Americans nor the immigrants know to what extent the U.S. has infiltrated, coerced, and financially backed the power plays of governments to assure their political self-interest. Business is business, but here are the results: people climbing over fences, violating their tourist visas, overstaying their welcome, crossing the border.
So, what happens to Homero and to the 65,000 Homeros every year?
While a solution to illegal immigration is too complex and full of rhetoric to go into, there is a chance to secure the education of the 65,000: The DREAM Act. I’m sure most of you have heard or are familiar with what it is, but I’m going to define it all the same. DREAM Act is an acronym for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors. The following excerpt is from
The DREAM Act Portal:
“The purpose of the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act, is to help those individuals who meet certain requirements, have an opportunity to enlist in the military or go to college and have a path to citizenship which they otherwise would not have without this legislation.”
These are the requirements:
- Must have entered the United States before the age of 16 (i.e. 15 and younger) Homero was twelve.
- Must have been present in the United States for at least five (5) consecutive years prior to enactment of the bill Homero hasn’t left the US in almost twenty years.
- Must have graduated from a United States high school, or have obtained a GED, or have been accepted into an institution of higher education (i.e. college/university) Check!
- Must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of application He just turned thirty.
- Must have good moral character He bought his mom a ruby ring for Christmas!
As expected The DREAM Act has met with fierce opposition. I’m not deaf to the fear and nationalism of people born in the U.S., but it isn’t sound. The DREAM Act is portrayed as an amnesty, and it simply isn't the case. This is about kids graduating high school and having an opportunity to go to school or maybe even join the military. Republican Sen. Jeff Session of Alabama said:
"American people did not vote for an amnesty in this past election, and it will be resisted with every strength and every ability that I have to do so. Because this is a lame-duck Congress, it will not pass next year, and it's not going to pass this year if I have anything to do about it." (http://www.npr.org/2010/12/06/131796206/democrats-push-dream-act-critics-call-it-amnesty)
 |
| Republican Sen. Jeff Session |
Homero grew up here. The slang he uses; the way he walks; the way he dresses is American. This is his home. I’ve met so many people like him; some were brought to the States when they were five years old. America is all they know.
Remember that 65,000 undocumented teens graduate each year. Some of them have called the U.S. their home for more than 20 years now. Maybe, they were brought here by their parents; there was never a choice. And, although you can say it’s not your fault that other countries’ economies are harsher than America's (which is saying a bit), it’s a fact that the U.S. has crushed many a presidency and stolen many a resource from its neighbors. Everything is a cycle.
So far, our hypothetical Homero Rivas is working as a waiter and has finished his Bachelors. Unfortunately, without papers, he can't find a job where he can fulfill his potential. He is planning on getting married to a U.S. Citizen because he simply has no other choice.
I hope you've enjoyed my little presentation, and that you've learned a little something. For more information, Go to
http://www.change.org,
http://dreamact.com, and sign petitions. Get informed at
http://dreamact.info/students.
Ciao,
Erik Barragan
