Come Out of the Shadows
The story of the American Immigrant has not been told. Four hundred thousand people were deported last year alone. How many of those stories did we hear?
We need to make our case known. People need to know we are here. We are human, we are not criminals, and we contribute to society. We are honor students, college graduates, student athletes. Yet, we are undocumented, and people need to know that in order to care about us.
Actions have been happening all across the country in which students come out of the shadows and reveal their undocumented status.
In Chicago, 8 students came out in front of Federal Plaza with hundreds of supporters and media coverage.
Legions of young people like her — brought here as children by their parents, now American in every way but the paperwork — continue to live squeezed between the desire to speak out and the reflex to hide.
Tania and hundreds of thousands like her have grown up vilified and marginalized. No matter how honest they are otherwise, they’re trapped in a subterfuge they did not create.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS93wb_jpAg
At Harvard University, 7 students came out in front of the John Harvard statue, echoing the dreams of an educated future. Five were Harvard students, fortunate enough to be given the chance to study at such a prestigious university that truly cares.
Students following the Trail of Dreams are coming out. Their stories inspire others. Kids are crying, families are torn apart. These are the stories we haven’t heard. This is reality. This is what we have to fix.