Now, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act was a bill (with several versions) introduced to the Congress since 2001, but it never passed; this potential legislation (just as the DACA recipients) enabled the eligible candidates for work permit, social security, and driver's license (this latter being denied to DACA recipients in the beginning). Unlike DACA recipients, the DREAM Act could have enabled a green card to be granted.
Taken from the (many times rejected) bill, the term "DREAMer" has become to describe the undocumented youth who have big plans for their future in the only country they know; the country they consider home.
Let me introduce you to Fatima, a (person that I can luckily call) friend and a wonderful human being.
"My name is Fatima
Flores Lagunas, I was born in Mexico, but raised in the USA. If I had to
identify myself, I would say that I am an aunt, a daughter, and an activist
searching to find equality beyond the stigma that we [Latinos] have now. A
person trying to make a positive change in the world and leave it a little
different that when I came in.
[I am young] And had
you asked me [What does Fatima do for fun?] years ago, my answer would have
been totally different. But beyond my activist work and working full time, I
find a lot of pleasure in just going home at the end of the day, watching
Netflix, a glass of wine, spending time with my family, carne asada during the
summer, taking walks, doing photography, rocking out in my car when I'm
driving. I take pleasure in the little things in life.I'm a part of a non-profit the Heartland Workers Center and the Young Nebraskans in Action which is a group of motivated individuals that really want a positive change for the youth in Omaha. So those two are my main objectives right now; social work has always been part of my upbringing.
How did I become involved with these organizations I am in, you may ask? When I was younger, I used to think, "I'm a fifteen-year-old girl that really doesn’t know what to do with her life amongst many other things, so how can I make a change? How can I make something positive with so many obstacles around me?" Fast forward ten years, and that's completely different; I'm a leader, I'm just a person that cares. I became involved with the Heartland Workers Center through my own volition; I realized that I didn’t agree with a lot of the decisions that were being made for the youth here in Nebraska, and I was tired of living in this society that I was not welcomed in.
My entire life I felt prosecuted because I was
an undocumented immigrant, it was a choice made by my parents to improve our
way of life, and I don’t think is fair that because of a decision that another
person makes we should be judged harshly. So my involvement began last year in
October, I held an event at House of Loom that focused on the importance of
voting, awareness for Dreamers, and the impact made when you vote. It was right
before our state election time so I realized that we could change the governor
that we had, we could change a lot of the senators that were in office because
it wasn’t fair that because of their decisions my life was impacted. So I
hosted the event at the House of Loom, we had a lot of key speakers that shared
their input about how these issues affected them. We had Justice for Our
Neighbors, they're a legal advocate group here in Omaha that are pro-bono for
their clients; the Heartland Workers Center; the Democratic State candidate David
Domina who is pro-Dreamers, and unfortunately he did not get elected, but it
was amazing to hear he was willing to make changes; we had a lot of DACA recipients, and a lot of
supporters and allies who gave their two cents in how these issues affected
them. From that event I met the Heartland Workers Center, and I just jumped on
board with them because since the legislative session was going to begin on
January, we wanted to introduce a bill that would change the law at the time.
Jeremy Nordquist,
the state senator at the time, really took the bill (LB623 to authorize younger
Dreamers and DACA recipients in the state of Nebraska to obtain drivers
licenses) and ran with it because he was very supportive of the youth; he took
time to sit down and listen to our stories which I feel a lot of people don't
realize how important that is because you know the issue but once you put a
face to it, it becomes something that you care about, so the fact that all
these kids came to him asking for help, he was like ABSOLUTELY. We introduced
the bill, and from there it took flight; we weren't expecting the amount of
support that we got, but the mayor of Omaha jumped on board, the Omaha,
Nebraska, and Lincoln Chamber of Commerce; the Nebraska Cattlemen Association,
and many other institutions showed their support. It was such a empowering time
because all my life I was told that I was wrong, that I was not supposed to be
here, that I am a criminal, that I cheat the system, and that I am taking away
the State benefits. I've known different because of the support from my
parents; they’ve always said they're doing what's best for me, we are here to
stay, we're not here to take advantage from anybody. My parents worked three or
four jobs when I was growing up, so it wasn't like we were out to look for the
easy way; their support protected me from believing what those people said.
When I shared my
story with the senators, they told me I am just as Nebraskan as they are;
Spanish is my first language, but there was a time when English began
dominating because it was [part of] my daily life. I grew up with the American
ideals, but also respecting my Mexican culture; in their eyes I am as American
as they are, only difference is that I unfortunately wasn’t born here, but we
shouldn’t be prosecuted because of it.
After that, we sat
down with a lot of senators, and they got to know
us as people which I think is
really powerful because they actually believed in us. A lot of them didn’t know
what DACA was, they had no idea what a Dreamer was, and it's not like they didn't
know, but it just didn’t affect them; you know, they grew up in a different
life, they weren't aware of the people in the community. So I guess education
and involvement are the biggest key in this project.
I got to speak at
the Capitol, and I gave my testimony which made me feel validated because I was
looking at the people making a decision for my life, and the fact that I look
at them and I told them "YOU'RE STABBING ME ON THE BACK, YOU'RE FORCING ME
OUT OF MY HOME. SOMETHING I HAVE DONE ONCE, AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE DOING
AGAIN." If you want to change the way the system is currently running, it
is up to you. We had overwhelming support; we had, I believe the total of three
opponents in a room of over 200 people, and I think the committee really took
that seriously. It was beyond just a few kids getting together presenting this
bill; it was a population showing their support. It wasn't surprising that the
governor vetoed it, we knew that he wasn't supportive of Dreamers, but we had
enough votes to overcome it, so the effort and time put into this project and
winning, it was empowering, a sense of victory that I've never felt before. It
was the first time in my life that actively stood up and presented myself.
[Today] I'm making
it my career for the person that doesn’t know yet, or the person that's afraid
to. Coming out of the shadows is not easy; I remember when I gave my first news
interview, I was a ball of nerves because I hadn't even told my friends about
my status; they found out through the news because I was that afraid that they
wouldn’t want to be my friends, that they would look at me as a criminal, that
they were going to think I'm a bad person; but I had to throw caution to the
wind and not only speak for myself, but for all the other kids in this country.
Personally, I'm going to finish my degree, I'm a Political Science and
Psychology major, and my long time goal is to become a State senator in the
State of the Nebraska which is more down the road, but everything I am doing
now is leading me to that position. I feel like a State senator you really have
a key role in changing the way the State works.
Who inspires me to
keep going? I'd say the leaders that I met through my work. Ruth Marimo, an
LGBTQ and Immigration activist. The women and men from the Heartland Workers
Center very involved in social changes, selfless people that don't like to see
others suffer. The Dreamers and DACA, although they may not be as active (in
the project) as I am, they still have the same needs.
But if I had to say
the person I admire the most would be my mom because she came to this country
with the clothes on her back, the ambition in her heart, the sweat, blood and
tears that a hard-worker has. She is my rock, if anything, she is the person I
aspire to be; she is very loving and accepting, she's very hopeful. She always
has a positive outlook.[Lastly] I want people to know that hope should always remain. As an undocumented immigrant and as a queer woman, I felt like giving up, but I want you to know that I won't. One way or the other we will make a positive change for you. At the end of the day, everything I do, is for the people that are affected by these issues. If you need someone to talk to, I have a few people I can put you in contact with, but please don’t lose hope. Like the saying goes, IT DOES GET BETTER!
-Fati."
[...Relax. Take it Easy.]