In Seacrh of the American Dream

By Ixhcel Montoya

Let's take a trip back in time. Imagine if you will that you are a child once again. Imagine playing outside, running and laughing with your friends. Now imagine having to leave everything that brings you joy and everyone that you love behind and not being able to understand why. All you know is that the life that you once knew is gone. All of a sudden you find yourself confused while gazing at a mosaic of different faces speaking words that no matter how hard you try you cannot understand. The years go by and you have learned to consider this new place your home. However, you soon realize that you still don’t belong. You hear the words “criminal”, “intruder” “illegal” “alien” being tossed around, all in reference to people who look like you. The feeling that you don’t belong , the frustration of feeling stuck can eat you up inside and this is what thousands of undocumented students (myself included) struggle with everyday. The only light at the end of the tunnel is the DREAM Act.

Passing the DREAM Act would change the face of this nation. Hundreds of thousands of young people would be able to attend and afford a college education, build and grow businesses, ultimately growing the economy. Most importantly we would all live without the constant fear of deportation. President Obama summarized my sentiments perfectly when he said; “They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one – on paper”. I truly believe that the time has come for the broken immigration system to be fixed. It is time for that wall that hundreds of thousands of young undocumented people run into everyday to be torn down. It is time for us to have a fair and equal shot at our own ‘American dream’.

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