Youth Radio - Topic: Immigration

DREAMers Embark On 3,000 Mile Walk From S.F. To D.C.

rgee — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:42:54 -0600

The Campaign for an American Dream (CAD) is starting to make some buzz on the West Coast, as four young undocumented residents prepare to walk from San Francisco to Washington D.C., in an attempt to raise awareness along the way about the DREAM Act and Immigration rights.

The DREAM Act is a piece of legislation that would allow undocumented youth to get on a track to citizenship by going to college or being in the military. Many young people find out that they are undocumented years after they have moved to the U.S., and then realize that their pathways to becoming employed or continuing their education are blocked. Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who revealed that he was undocumented, and became a spokesperson for the undocumented population. You can watch his statement of support for the Campaign for an American Dream on their website.

The four walkers are between 22 - 26 years old, and from different parts of the U.S. They are converging in California in the next couple of weeks where they will participate in a day of lobbying in Sacramento and a protest at Travis Air Force base. Then they will make their way across the country for an estimated seven months. The walkers depart on March 10 and plan to arrive in D.C. in late October.

According to Jesus Guzman, Chair Emeritus of the CAD Finance Committee, and co-director of DREAM Act Alliance for Sonoma County, the walkers will not be doing the same thing in every city they visit. The campaign is leaving it up to each city to receive the walkers in a unique way. “In Colorado, they want to do work around a for-profit immigration detention center, so the walkers will contribute by holding a demonstration there. It’s up to the individual communities what they want to highlight,” said Guzman.

Guzman said they planned their arrival to coincide with the presidential election momentum, in order to raise awareness about immigration issues as people go to the polls. “Depending on how the elections fall into place--that will determine how we can respond to issues. During election season there’s so much that can happen,” said Guzman.

Stay tuned for an interview with a CAD walker and details on their route.

What Now?

rgee — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:17:16 -0600

This story was originally published on L.A. Youth.

Author's name not given to protect their identity.

I’ve always worked hard in school because I want to go to college and be successful. But because I’m not a citizen, my hard work could be for nothing. My parents don’t have the money to pay for college and I can’t get federal financial aid because I don’t have a Social Security number. In October, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Dream Act, which will allow undocumented students like me to get financial help to attend public colleges in California. This made me feel hopeful for my future. However, the state Dream Act doesn’t provide a path to citizenship. Even if I graduate from college, would I have to work in a low-wage job? Will my status prevent me from obtaining my dream job as a journalist?

I think it’s really unfair that I can’t get the same opportunities as a citizen. I grew up here like any other student. Some people say that undocumented immigrants are criminals because they came here illegally. But I don’t consider myself a criminal because it wasn’t my choice to come here. My parents brought me here because they believed they could provide a better education and a better life for me and my sister.

When I was 2 my parents left my older sister and me with my grandma and came to the United States. They were trying to give us a better life than what they had in Mexico. We were living in a small one-room house and my sister and I were sharing a bed with our parents. Their plan was to live in the United States for a few years and then return to Mexico once they made enough to buy a house in Mexico, pay for our education and open a business. But they stayed because they weren’t able to make enough money. We were brought to the United States right before I turned 3 and my sister was 5 because my mother missed us and she couldn’t bear being apart from us. Three years later my little sister was born here and a few years after that my brother was born.

Once I was here for a few years I forgot about Mexico and the United States became my home. I liked McDonalds for the toys in the Happy Meals. One of my favorite things to do was watch cartoons, like Ren & Stimpy, Looney Toons and Animaniacs. I didn’t know English but the TV shows were helping me learn it.

When we were young my mother would tell us to do well in school so we wouldn’t end up like her and my father. I don’t think they understood that attending college was hard if you’re undocumented. They worked as street vendors. They’d wake up at 3 a.m. to prepare the champurrado, a drink like hot chocolate. They’d leave the house at 6 a.m., carrying the champurrado and heavy pots full of tamales. They’d get home at 10 a.m., rest and then prepare for the next day. They always seemed busy buying ingredients and making the tamales. But they still dedicated time to my sister and me. They’d wake us up and get us ready for school. My mom would take us to school with her cart full of tamales.

My mom pushed us to work hard

After I got home from school I would finish my homework and go outside to play with my friends. When my mother saw me playing she’d tell me to come inside and read a book or do extra math problems.She would tell us that nobody’s born smart and we need to study and that’s how you become successful.

I wasn’t aware that I was illegal until fifth grade. We took a trip to Mexico because my aunt was getting married. Coming back, my younger sister got on the plane with our relatives who were born in the United States. My parents had to cross the border illegally and me and my older sister went through the car line with someone my parents knew. They told us it was because we didn’t have the same papers my sister had. We had to pretend we were sleeping. When the Border Patrol agents stopped us and looked inside the car, I felt my heart beating fast, hoping that they wouldn’t ask us questions. I knew that if we got caught we would be sent back to Mexico and we wouldn’t be with our parents. When we got away from San Diego I felt relieved.

Even though that was a scary experience, I never thought that being undocumented would affect me. I just thought it meant that I couldn’t travel to other countries and go back to the United States. I didn’t understand that not having papers meant you aren’t a legal U.S. citizen. I always thought I was a citizen because I was living here.

I started realizing in middle school that being illegal meant you had to be careful or else you’ll get deported. The news would talk about ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids at workplaces and how the undocumented workers were deported back to their home countries.

Also in middle school my mom started talking to us about college. She always said that she would be the happiest mother in the world if she could see her children at a university like UCLA or Harvard, which were the schools she’d heard about. I really wanted to go to college because I knew it was important. My mother would say to my older sister and me, “Hopefully Congress will pass the DREAM Act someday and you’ll be a citizen.” I didn’t understand what the DREAM Act was or that being a citizen helped you pay for college.

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How could my family afford college without financial aid?

When my sister started looking at colleges when I was in 10th grade, I’d overhear her and my parents arguing. They saw that Congress wasn’t going to pass the DREAM Act soon so they were trying to persuade her to go to Mexico for college since they didn’t have the money to pay for college in the United States. My parents said, “You won’t be able to get a loan from the government.” My sister argued that she’d be able to get private scholarships. I realized that she couldn’t get financial aid because she was illegal. It confused me since my parents had always told us to work hard and we’d be able to have a better life in the United States, but now they were telling my sister to go to Mexico to pursue a better life.

My sister wanted to be an environmental scientist, which is why she chose Northland College, a small private school in Wisconsin that focuses on environmental science. They offered her $14,000 in scholarships to help her pay the tuition and housing costs, which were about $32,000 a year. They also offered her a job to work at the college but she didn’t get it. My parents assumed it was because she lacked a Social Security number. It seemed unfair because the school had offered her the job and she was relying on it to help her pay for college. It meant my parents had to pay more but they didn’t have that kind of money.

My parents had to pay $1,000 every month but it was difficult and they had to borrow money from friends and my uncle. At the end of my sister’s first year of school, they owed $7,000 but they didn’t know where to get the money. My sister had to return home without getting her report card since my parents didn’t pay the bill.

My parents gave her a decision to make—to pay for her college herself or go to Mexico. She knew that she couldn’t come up with the money because without a Social Security number, she couldn’t get a job. So she went to Mexico to live with our relatives and study there.

I was sad that my sister had left but I wasn’t worrying about what I would do about college because it still seemed far away.

But in 11th grade, people started talking about their dream colleges. I felt it was unfair that I wouldn’t be able to go to college here. My parents pay taxes when they buy food and clothes. I’ve been here my whole life, so why can’t I continue my education in this country? If I go to Mexico I’d feel sad not being close to my family.

When the DREAM Act was introduced in Congress again my mom talked to me about it. She’d watch the news and saw that there was no support for it in Congress. She’d say, “You see what’s happening? This is why you should go to Mexico.” I wanted to stay in the U.S. but I wouldn’t say anything because she seemed right.

I wanted to find out more about the DREAM Act so I Googled it. I learned that it’s a proposed bill in Congress that would allow undocumented students who have been in the United States for at least five years, who graduated from high school or got a GED (the high school equivelancy exam) and don’t have a criminal record, to become legal U.S. residents. They could apply for federal financial aid and work legally. After completing two years of college or military service they could apply for citizenship.

We won’t be a burden if we’re given a chance to succeed

Even though I knew that most of the people in Congress didn’t support the DREAM Act, it was still disappointing that it didn’t get passed. I don’t think that it will cost the country money. It’ll be a boost to our economy because undocumented students will be able to work. They’ll be able to pay taxes and will not be a burden on the government because they can provide for themselves. I understand the people who say that the DREAM Act is helping someone who has broken the law but I don’t agree because I didn’t have a choice to come here.

I felt like my only option was to go to college in Mexico, until this summer when I attended a science research program at USC. A speaker from a low-income family said he got a full ride from Harvard. I thought that only the government gave you money for college. I realized I could receive private aid from a college and not depend on the government. Later, one of my mentors said I could go to a community college, which wouldn’t cost as much, while I waited for the DREAM Act to pass. I decided I would stay in the United States.

But when I told my mother, she brought up the same arguments as always. She said I won’t be able to get a job when I graduate. She told me she’d be heartbroken if she saw me working illegally like my dad. I felt discouraged and scared that I wouldn’t have any other options than to go to Mexico.

When senior year began, I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to stay here but I felt that going to college in the United States was out of reach. How would I pay for college? What would I do after college? But if I go to Mexico, when will I see my family again? Will I be able to return to the United States and work here? In Mexico I hear it’s really dangerous to be a journalist.

Then one Sunday in October I read that Gov. Brown signed the California Dream Act (which is different from the federal DREAM Act). The state Dream Act allows undocumented students to get financial aid from California public colleges. The news was exciting. I felt like the struggles of undocumented students were finally being heard.

Now that the California Dream Act has passed, I’ve decided I’m going to stay here. I told my parents and they told me about a scholarship they had heard about. I felt like they were supporting my decision to stay in the United States for college. I’ve been researching schools to see which ones offer journalism. And I’m hoping that Congress will pass the federal DREAM Act while I’m in college. If they do, undocumented students won’t have to worry as much about how to pay for college and what they’re going to do once they graduate. They’ll be much more motivated to go to college, knowing that the American dream exists for them.

Learning American Culture In The Fast Food Lane

denise — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:54:12 -0600

The following was originally broadcast on 11/12/11, WABE-FM Atlanta

By: Aaron Choi

I immigrated to the United States from South Korea when I was twelve years old. My first fast food experience was a few days after I arrived. I strolled into a local Burger King to try out their famous burgers. After a short glance at the menu, I ordered what looked to be the most American meal the store had to offer: the number six combo. A rich steakhouse burger with fries and a large coke.

Before approaching the cashier, I hastily practiced in my mind what I was going to say. And in spite of my primitive English, I managed to place my order. But, the teen cashier behind the counter mumbled a question so quickly to me, I could not understand the question, let alone answer it. "Here or to go?" I picked up the word “here.” I spat out its counterpart, “there.” It was a reality check. My transition to life here in the US would not be as smooth as I was hoping.

Over the following years, there were bound to be many more moments of embarrassment and trouble. But with a bit of boldness and a sense of levity, I’m accepting this transition – and enjoying my number six combo.

67 Suenos: A Message From Undocumented Youth

rgee — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 19:44:41 -0500

Robyn Gee, Turnstyle News

The presidential campaigning has brought the debate about immigration reform into hyper focus recently. But for some, the debate is too narrow, focusing only on DREAM Act legislation when around 50 percent of undocumented youth don't finish high school, according to Pablo Paredes, founder of the organization 67 Sueños (67 Dreams). Paredes said that focusing on the DREAM Act as the main narrative in the immigration reform debate leaves out 67 percent of undocumented youth.

His group, based in the Bay Area in California, is small and he works with just seven students at Oakland public schools between the ages of 15 - 18. Four of them are undocumented, and the other three come from "mixed-status" families. Their goal is to change the immigration conversation from focusing only on the exceptionally talented immigrants who "deserve" legalization, and instead acknowledge that every undocumented young person deserves a path to legalization. In California, the DREAM Act has moved along further than any other state in the union, and just recently passed part 1 of a state DREAM Act.

Paredes and his group organized a huge public art display in San Francisco on the wall of a building in an abandoned lot and Turnstyle spoke with Paredes about the project.

Turnstyle: What does 67 Sueños stand for?

Paredes: 67 Sueños is a group that supports the radical notion that every undocumented person, whether they go to college or not, has a dream worth pursuing. We focus on youth who are not on the pathway to college, to create pathways for them to legalize.

Turnstyle: Where did the idea for the images in the mural come from? Did famous artists help?

Paredes: We gathered stories. Stories are an important way to change dialogue and legislation. We partnered with NPR’s StoryCorps. They have a project that tries to tell stories of Latinos. They were very excited to tell stories of undocumented youth especially those not on the path to college. We did 21 interviews with undocumented youth out of Oakland public high schools... Even if they have trouble in high school, they still have rights. We thought how do we get these 21, 40-minute interviews in the news, and use them as a way to launch our work? We kicked around ideas and focused on the idea of public art. Everyone likes the idea of a mural, they don’t have to pay to see it and everyone has access to it. We listened to each interview. We sat there and picked out themes, struggles, and dreams that were most common and that captured the migrant experience in these communities. We ended up with a 15-page brainstorm of stories. We gave this brainstorm to a very talented artist, Pancho Pescador. He rendered our vision and our brainstorm into a cohesive piece of art. The artist was also undocumented when he came to this country, so he’s personally connected to the issue and he works with Oakland youth. He really understood.

Turnstyle: Describe the message of the mural.

Paredes: The tag line is “No human being is illegal, y cada uno tiene un sueño” (and each one has a dream). It’s not exclusive in any way. Everyone has a dream. That’s the main idea that we want to infuse in the national immigration debate. Right now [the immigrant rights groups] are promoting an exceptionalist model, that these great outstanding students deserve it -- legalization -- and access to education, basically the right to dream.

Turnstyle: What has the response been from the community?

Paredes: Overwhelmingly positive. We invited a lot of folks involved in the immigrant rights community who hadn’t heard this message before, and they were really positive. Once you lift the stories of these youth, it’s easy to fall in love with them. It’s easy to include them in the fight. No one was lifting those stories up, but once that happened people believed in it. Here in the "Somar" section of the city, it’s an abandoned community. The lot where the mural is was full of needles, bottles -- it’s an ugly side of our country. And these young folks, they are undocumented and under-privileged, they were invited and nurtured to do something positive. It was an experiment; they transformed the space. And it was positive for the entire community, they were excited that the space was being transformed. The products they create are not controversial. The mural is just three blocks fom city hall and we want to start having that conversation with government. Oakland is our next project. Next summer we will work on a big wall in Oakland. Every piece of it they were involved in. The artist was oriented in mentoring youth artists so he taught them to use spray cans, brushes, shading, darkening. They put their fingerprint on every piece of the wall.

Photos courtesy of Equal Voice Newspaper and 67 Sueños.

Young College Grad Awaits Deportation Hearing And Hopes For Low-Priority Status

rgee — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:18:07 -0500

Robyn Gee, Turnstyle News

President Obama recently announced that certain undocumented immigrants can be granted low-priority status for deportation, including DREAM Act-eligible students (as well as those with long-standing ties to the country). This announcement struck one undocumented person in particular -- Higinio Agaton, recent graduate of the California State University of Sacramento (CSUS), who awaits his deportation hearing this Thursday. The announcement means a glimmer of hope for Agaton to remain in the country.

I spoke with Agaton, who told me how he ended up in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

During spring break, Agaton said he was at a bar just two blocks from his apartment with some friends. They had all been drinking. When they came out of the bar, local police watched them get in their car and drive home. Unluckily for Agaton, he had a broken tail light. The cops pulled him over and asked for his driver’s license. Agaton said he told them he didn’t have one, and was asked to step out of the vehicle, handcuffed, and taken away.

He described what happened next:

I was taken to a county jail. I got a DUI. Usually, everyone gets arrested and then released after they sober up. I wasn’t.

They called my name and I was transferred to a new cell. There was a hold on me so that I wouldn’t be released. They gave me a uniform as an inmate. I was there for a night. Then they transferred me to the fifth floor. It’s the Mexican place. There are two different sides -- the East and the West side. If you’re Mexican, you’re put with the Sureños. I was there for two more nights.

I didn’t sleep, eat, or s**t the whole time. I wasn’t used to that. I couldn’t stop thinking about my situation, what would happen next. I was going to graduate in June, this was March. I was thinking about the worst case scenario. I didn’t have anything to prove that I had an education.

After that, Agaton said he was transferred to an ICE detention center with several other immigrant detainees. “They handcuffed me and put a chain on my waist that connected 15 of us. I felt like an animal. Just to transfer us to a van,” he said.

Agaton said they were taken to the ICE facility downtown where he was pressured to sign a voluntary departure agreement. “They told me if you sign this right now, we’ll take you to Oakland and you’ll be on a plane to Mexico. Everything will be fine. .. I said I needed time to think about it. They said if you want, you can fight your case in front of a judge, but you will be detained in Arizona or Texas and it takes three to six months.”

At CSUS, Agaton was part of a Latino fraternity that did a lot of work with the DREAM Act. His fraternity brothers moved quickly on his behalf. Agaton said they sought help from the Mexican Consulate and then from a non-profit organization. Just before he was going to sign his departure release, Agaton was released on bond, which allowed him to graduate from college.

According to Agaton, he had the chance to go before the judge. However, he had no relatives with citizenship to sponsor him. Agaton’s mother, who had brought him to the U.S. at age 15, had returned to Mexico for cancer treatment. He said his girlfriend offered that they could get married, but they decided not to, since she had just started her career as a first grade teacher. “I had no defense. I kind of gave up. The low-priority announcement gave me lots of hope,” he said.

The Obama administration has begun sifting through individual cases to check for low-priority status. Ideally, however, Agaton’s case would have been reviewed and already thrown out before his deportation hearing was scheduled to minimize the risk. “You don’t want to set foot in the immigration court hearing. You don’t want to face an ICE attorney,” he said. There is currently a petition on Change.org with 885 signatures asking ICE to stop Agaton's deportation.

This whole ordeal has made Agaton want to go to law school and pursue immigration law. In fact, throughout his whole life, education has been a positive force.

When he came to the U.S., Agaton didn’t speak any English. He started high school and by the end of his first year, he said he had mastered the English language, and was recognized by the school district for his accomplishments. This was the moment that Agaton knew he wanted to continue toward a college education in America.

When he got to college, he delayed graduation to pursue a second major because of his immigration status. “I felt like if I graduated, I wouldn’t be able to find another job. I would be a college grad working at a fast food restaurant,” he said. “I decided to go for a second major [in] computer engineering,” he said.

There are countless stories like Agaton’s; individuals with no prior criminal record are picked up as a result of ICE’s Secure Communities program, and treated like Level 1 threats to U.S. security. Meanwhile, President Obama says ICE should use the discretion they have been granted and determine those who are low-priority. Agaton shouldn’t have driven the car that night. “I regret it. I made a huge mistake,” he said. On Thursday, the immigration court will decide whether he gets another chance.

Don't Stare At My Immigrant Father

rgee — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:05:59 -0500

The following was broadcast on 4/9/11, WABE-FM, Atlanta.

By Hai Nguyen

My father and I make routine trips to the grocery store with similar outcomes. We always stand out. On our last visit, my dad didn’t seem to mind that we had two more items than allowed in the express checkout lane. “No one is counting” he sharply said to me in our native Vietnamese tongue.

After the slow process of watching him swipe each item across the self-service scanner -- waiting for each beep -- the amount of our bill shows up on the screen: 21 dollars and 43 cents. Of course, rather than using a credit card, my father pulls cash from his wallet to feed into the machine. Then, he starts counting the exact number of pennies he needs, as the people in line behind us start to squirm. When he realizes he is seven cents short, he starts to yell at the machine. I knew we shouldn’t have bought so much tuna fish.

But as my father stood there, making a scene in the grocery store, I reminded myself that only five years ago he was growing his own food as a farmer in Vietnam. He left that behind for me, so that I could grow up in America. And his struggles in the grocery store are just another part of his adjustment to our new life.

Sure, it may have looked like my father was senile at that moment, but to me, all I saw was a very loving and amazing father.

Previously on WABE:

* Prom and School Spirit: A Culture Shock For French Student

* Don't Lean On Me For Technology

* What Money Can't Buy

Victor on His Grandparents & The American Dream

nmexico — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:13:31 -0500

This is a topic close to home for me because my grandma’s husband, my step-grandfather is from Mexico and he came over here more than 35 years ago. He’s been working, taking care of his family, and now that all this is going through he might be sent back to Mexico. My grandma really needs his help and support. I just think these laws are very unfair and inhumane to our society, especially in America. There was the American Dream for a lot of years, and now it has kind of died with all these laws that have been going through. I just wanted to say that I think we should really look at who these people are and not treat them like they are from another planet. I think they’re humans, I think they want to be here for a reason to make a better life for themselves, and I hope that we can see that one day.
Victor, Albuquerque, NM., 18

Obama's Budget: Breaking It Down For Youth

rgee — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:47:30 -0600

President Barack Obama released a federal budget proposal this week. Here are some items relevant to young people.

Education:
Despite a proposed freeze on non-defense discretionary spending, President Obama's budget continues to fund programs like Race to the Top, and asks for $77.4 billion for education. Race to the Top is a fund for innovative educational reform. For FY 2012, the proposed funds will be awarded to individual school districts with the best plans for school reform, as opposed to states. This way, even if the state decides not to apply for the money, an individual district could still be eligible.

In addition, Obama would like to increase spending for public schools and maintain the Pell Grant fund at $5,550 per college student. But as a cost savings, the president's proposal limits the grants a student can receive in a year, making many students unable to get summer school aid if they receive a Pell Grant during the school year. The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduates and students applying to higher education programs.

Title X:
President Obama plans to allot $327 million to maintain funding for Title X, the Family Planning program. According to the department of Health and Human Services, Title X is the only federal grant program dedicated to providing individuals with comprehensive family planning and related health services. The more controversial aspect of Title X provides access to contraceptive services, supplies and information, and especially to low-income families.

Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides family planning to low-income women, and currently receives $75 million from Title X. Opponents don’t want that money funding abortions. According to the New York Times, the House of Representatives has proposed cutting the entire Title X budget which would eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Incarceration:
This year Obama is asking for $606 million for the Federal Prison budget, which among other things will allow for a new prison to be built in Alabama to fight over-crowding, according to KALW News. Within the $606 million,Obama proposes a $57 million increase to “diversion for non-violent offenders,” including prevention and rehabilitation programs. Obama proposes a $50 million cut to juvenile justice programs, directing funds instead to a competitive fund that would be awarded to states that are improving their system for young offenders.

Other bullet points from the prison section of the budget are below:

    * A $38 million cut to the Drug Enforcement Administration;
    * A $588 million cut to the offices of Justice Programs, Community Oriented Policing, and Violence Against Women;
    * A $100 million increase to Second Chance Act programs designed to help inmates re-enter society

Immigration / Deportation
President Obama supported the DREAM Act that would have granted American citizenship to selected undocumented students who met certain criteria. It failed to pass Congress and President Obama's budget doesn't revive the issue. In the budget, Obama is increasing the Customs and Border Protection funding by $263 million and adding $55 million to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement budget, according to the Huffington Post.

For other comprehensive coverage of Obama's Budget proposal check out Youth Today.

Undocumented Teen Says Equality Is Everything

rgee — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:41:31 -0600

Originally published and broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio.

By Brenda

Editor's note: MPR News has agreed not to use Brenda's last name because she fears deportation.

A Minneapolis teen who was carried across the U.S.-Mexico border a dozen years ago hopes Congress will pass the federal DREAM Act so she can live and work legally in the country she considers home.

The Democratic-controlled Congress plans to make one more attempt to pass the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act -- the DREAM Act -- this week. If passed, it would give children of immigrants not legally in the United States a path to citizenship if they graduate from high school and complete two years of college or military service. It has support among many Democrats, but most Republicans oppose the DREAM Act, saying it amounts to amnesty.

Brenda tells what it's like to live in the United States illegally.

NO TIME TO BE A TEENAGER

When people ask me where I'm from, I say Minnesota. I am from here. I came from Mexico when I was 7. I was carried over the border. It was nighttime, and I remember the narrow path along the cliffs, and a rattlesnake.

I'm 19 now. I live in Minneapolis with my mom, my stepdad, my older brother and his son, and my little brother and sister. I help take care of the little kids, and I work second shift in a factory. I don't have a lot of time to be a teenager or to have fun.

I had to leave high school a month before graduation this spring, because my family needed help paying the bills. My mom brought my brother and me here because she was a single mother and she saw a better life for us here.

"Maybe not for me," said my mom, "because I had to work, work, work. But I liked that every day you used to come home and learn more English every day at school." People say immigration is a mistake. But I thank my mom for bringing me here.

"In Mexico, I was a cook," said my mom. "Here I became a janitor. I was proud to be [one]. But it ended." My mom was one of 1,200 janitors who lost their jobs in a "silent raid" at ABM, a janitorial service company in Minneapolis last year. She didn't have the right papers so she lost a job she'd had for 12 years. That had a big effect on our lives. I want things to change for families like mine. We've been here a long time. We pay taxes. But we're invisible.

In March I took a bus from Minnesota to Washington D.C. to attend a big immigration rally. As we walked to the National Mall near the Capitol, Latino roofers called out to us, "We can't be there, we have to work, but lift up your voices for us." At the rally, President Obama had a videotaped message for the crowd.

"I pledge to do everything in my power to forge a bipartisan consensus this year on this important issue," the president said. "You know as well as I do that it won't be easy, and it won't happen overnight."

I've been waiting for this. Every time on the news they say, "Oh, they're going to start working on immigration reform." But then we hear, "No, something else came up." So I have to get -- I'm sorry for the word -- really crappy, bad jobs.

I used to work for this restaurant, and the lady made me work long hours for low pay. I used to clean tables, take orders, clean dishes, clean bathrooms, clean the floors and back again. I told her, "I can't do this." She told me to take a day off. I took it. And she never took my calls again and never paid me for all that work. Equalness is everything.

AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

I have a better job now. Some of the things we make at this factory are probably in your home. I make $8.65 an hour, so I can pay some of our bills and send money to support my grandma in Mexico.

My dream used to be to be an FBI agent or a cop. Now I'm thinking about being a teacher and working with kids. But to do any of these, I need to finish school. When I quit high school in May to go clean offices, I didn't tell anybody. I just left. One of my old teachers, Vanessa, has encouraged me to come back and finish. "I saw sometimes you were sad," Vanessa said. "And I think sometimes whatever issues were going on -- it kind of distracted you from your schoolwork."

I tell her I want to come back and finish high school, maybe take classes online. But I don't want to have to answer the other students' questions about why I left. She says a lot of students in my program have also had to leave school for their own reasons and come back.

"You've got to remember, when they ask, 'Where have you been?' it's because they care," my teacher says. "They noticed you were gone. So that's a good thing." After coffee, she walks me back to the school office and hands me an application for the online classes. She tells me to think of what I have accomplished. I do have a job. I am helping my family. I do have dreams and goals. But a lot of things are up in the air right now.

My mother is marrying my stepdad, who's an American citizen. But to get permanent residency in the United States, my mom might have to return to Mexico for a year. She'd bring my infant brother and little sister and nephew -- and all of them are American citizens.

If I go with her, I can't come back. And I don't want to leave. I'm going to go back to finish high school and I hope someday, there'll be a better life open to me in the United States.

(MPR reporter Sasha Aslanian helped produce this report.)

Undocumented Students Qualify For In-State Tuition In CA

rgee — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:30:32 -0600

There is nationwide debate around the rights of undocumented youth as they apply for college. On November 15, the California Supreme Court upheld the law that allows undocumented immigrants to be eligible for in-state tuition at California state colleges and universities. The California law currently requires a student to attend an in-state high school for three years to be eligible for in-state tuition.

Recently, the Georgia Board of Regents ruled against undocumented students, deciding that in 2011, illegal students will not be allowed into their university system.

States are rapidly taking this issue to court and arriving at different conclusions. While the California ruling is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, it is unlikely to be accepted because of the impact it would have on other states. Texas and Nebraska are among those that have similar laws. In-state tuition can save California college students as much as $12,000, according to the New York Times.

Kris Kobach argued the California case on behalf of the legal citizens who reside outside of California and are denied reduced tuition, claiming that this is unfair. Both Kobach, as well as University of California professors, and legal scholars were quoted in the New York Times saying that this case is definitely not the last we will hear of the issue.