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by Ken Yu
According to the Asian American Justice Center, “an
estimated 1.4 million Asian Americans are undocumented, and many of
them are students who have come to America as young children.”
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien
Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act, is legislation introduced in the
House and Senate. While there are differences between the bills,
passage would give undocumented students a path to citizenship,
independent of their parents status.
The most recent version of the Dream Act requires
that the applicant have come to the U.S. before 16, been here at
least 5 years before the bill passes, graduated high school (or GED),
be between 12 and 35, and have good moral character. If the relevant
requirements are met, a 6 year conditional permanent residency is
granted. They then must fulfill one of two conditions for two years:
enroll in college or enlist in a branch of the United State
military. At the end of 5 and a half of the 6 years, the applicant
will be able to apply for legal permanent residency.
While the
primary beneficiaries of the DREAM Act would be students whose
parents brought them here as children, since it has been so many
years since the bills were first introduced, the Senate bill raised
the age from 25 to 35.
Although the popular media gives the impression the
Act is for Latinos, there are many Asians who will benefit. Some
were refugees from war torn countries like Laos and Vietnam, the
latter often boat people not given political asylum. Some, like SB’s
all American kid next door in the related article, from countries
where the one-child policy and many of the freedoms we take for
granted do not exist.
Each year about 65,000 undocumented children who have
lived here for five years or more will graduate from US high
schools. Although American in every way but their passport, they are
still no different than the parents who brought them. They can never
get a legal job, get a driver’s license, vote. They eat, drink,
think and breath American because that is all they know. They are
innocent victims.
The DREAM Act says America is a compassionate
country. It says, in Biblical fashion, ‘the sins of the father are
not visited upon the children.’ It says that it’s not just in
Hollywood movies that ‘dreams really do come true.’ And you can help
make those dreams come true with a simple email, letter or phone
call. Ask your Senators and Congressperson to vote for the DREAM
Act. Remind them it was immigrants who built this country,
immigrants who build it still, and these innocent immigrants deserve
to be on paper what their hearts and minds already are—Americans.
The
All American Kid Next Door Who Lives in Fear:
The
Government Doesn't Think She's American Enough
DREAM Activist:
http://www.dreamactivist.org
DREAM Act Portal:
http://dreamact.info
Asian American Justice Center:
http://www.advancingequality.org/en/rel/158/
Note:
The photo above of a 5th grade class in a multiethnic school is that
of the 44th President of the United States.
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