Friday, July 27, 2007

The Dream Act

Well all have moments in which we make connections and realize certain things. A couple of days ago I had one of those realizations on my way to work. It was six in the morning and I was going to my local donut shop to buy a donut/coffee to wake up. As I'm crossing the street I see my friend/exgirlfriend(x) come up the hill. She compliments me on my new hair colour and greats me with a huge hug. She was on her way to school and her mom, who was with her was going to work up in the hills of hollywood if I'm not mistaken. I talk to them and make the small catch up chit chat, but once she left I still talked to her mother. She toldme that for the last 27 years she has dedicated her life to cleaning houses for the finacially secure. As she told me this I could tell that she wished that she couldlive in the homes she cleaned. Her face had such a look of longing and hope, but at the same time she had the look of a mother who has spent everything she has for her family giving life and spirit.I shouldmention that she was an immigrant who miragted here and had two daughters. One who is 35 doesn't speak to her anymore because somewhere along the way she pushed her away, so I'm told by her other daughter. X told me how strict her parents were with her and that they were also praticing mormons. That being said it explained a lo of her actions and interest but her desire to help illegal immigrants never really fell into place till I met her mother. Like most of the first generation children of immigrants she wants to accomplish the things her parents never did and sacraficed their lives for. She goes to a great university and is some what politically active but her energy and focus are misguided. This is because her desire to help other's from the life her parents live clouds her judgment. She falls into to the catagory of activist who want equal rights for the 12million + immigrants that reside in the united states. Since this whole "immigration war", as it's called, started people choosen their side not really thinking about their desicions. It's impossible to accept 12 +million people into the U.S. even if it was possible such a system and service would take years to establish, tax payers money and other valuable resources. In stories that I have read immigration officials say they arrrest and deport honost hard working people on the basis that they willingly broke immigration laws when coming to this country. I agree with their logil 100 % percent because they knew the risk they were taking and the problems that would come with them. Only problem is that people have forgetten about the children they brought with them. Children that had no choice in coming to a country they never knew of, children like me. I have spent the last 15 years of my life here and know nothing else. everyday I face the fact that if caught or arrested I qualify for deportation. I'm going to school and I never had a criminal record outside of a ticket that I never payed for. My only choice is to continue living in the shadows keeping quite waiting for legislation to do something about the 360,000 students like me who have graduated or are in insitutions of higher learning. Propostions like the dream act that would give us a path to legalization aren't receiving the attention they deserve. The dream act requires that people be in good moral standings, enrolled in a school of higher education for more than two years, no criminal record and excellent character. Pretty much the same qualifications other immigrants must fufill to become americans. Until something happens I'll just keep going to school bettering myself waiting to find an american girl to marry.