My name is Brian and I am Undocumented
The YLC will feature the story of undocumented youth as told by them. This is Brian's story
I never thought of myself as different from anyone else. When I came here, I never questioned what got me into the United States. After all I was just seven. I didn’t have a choice on whether to stay in Jamaica with my mother or go to America to live with a man I barely knew, my father. My mother sent me here to live a new, better, and successful life and that’s what I promised her I would do. I never knew keeping that promise would be so hard.
It was in middle school when I was well aware of my father's financial situation. This was why I didn’t tell my father when my shoes were worn out at the bottom, when my jeans were becoming highwaters, and why I never went to the movies with my friends. I was too embarrassed to hear my father tell me we were too broke to afford what I needed or wanted; if I didn’t ask for anything, I didn’t have to hear him say no. My father had trouble keeping a job and his hand disability made it even harder for him to get a job. I did not like seeing my father struggling or worrying how he's going to pay the bills.
I learned about my immigration situation during this time. This was the time when everyone around me was getting their working papers and applying for different jobs. My guidance counselor gave me a list of documents I needed to bring in, including a copy of my birth certificate and social security card. I placed it on my father's dresser where it remained untouched. When I finally asked him for those documents he got so angry. He yelled at me and asked me why I was being ungrateful. He implied that I didn't appreciate what I had. I translated what he said to mean I didn’t have those documents.He never told me why he got mad but now I understand the pain he must have felt knowing what a burden not having those documents would be on me. Ever since then speaking of my status in or out of the house was taboo. Even with this information I never stopped working hard in school, partly because I was young and didn’t know what it would mean for my future.
It was my junior year of high school and I was sick of feeling helpless. I wanted to take control of my life but at the same time I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me or think I was less than them due to my status. I thought if I spoke about my problems, someone might give me the answers. How wrong I was to believe that obtaining citizenship was going to be easy. I spoke to teachers, guidance counselors, and lawyers and they didn’t give me great options. Teachers that were supposed to be a source of knowledge didn't know anything about my situation. The people that were supposed to guide me through my high school ordeals didn't know what path I should take.
This year, I followed my peers' lead. I studied for the SATs, wrote college essays, and applied to as many colleges as I could; in the hopes that one of those colleges would give me a scholarship that would help me pay for the tuition. I have received acceptance letter into many of the colleges I applied to. Now I wonder how I will pay.
Throughout the years I have been told by teachers, family members, and friends that the future holds great things in store for me. I embrace this support, but I can’t help but to be a little pessimistic. “What do I have to look forward to?” is what I ask myself every morning when I prepare for school. Hopping for a better future for myself was what got me to school.
I’m an undocumented Jamaican immigrant that comes from a poor, unloving, and unsympathetic family, what chance do I have? I always believed that my desire to excel would help me to exceed my expectations. I expected more for myself in the future rather than depression and lost ambitions. Why shouldn’t I have that future I always wanted? I didn’t think I had anything after high school to look forward to. That was until I heard about the Dream Act.
I was researching ways of becoming a citizen. An attorney at a well-known organization, called The Door, sat with me in her office and looked at me with compassion. She was going through the eligibility of the Dream Act and a great smile rose across my face when I realized that I qualified. I went through the eligibility over and over in my head and still couldn’t believe it.
I wanted to get involved, to help myself get where I knew I deserved to be. So when I heard about an organization that fought for the Dream Act and allowed youth like myself to get active I joined. Now I call the NYSYLC office home.
My experience as an undocumented youth has taught me that hope is most necessary for us to achieve our dream. As I get ready to explore the next step in my life, I think about students that do qualify for federal aid and other undocumented students that don’t. I look upon those undocumented students that overcame many endeavors and graduated from college as a source of hope. They overcame my challenge. Martin Luther King Jr. once said,” If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.” When no one else believed in me I had to believe in myself. When no one else had hope I learned that hope had to be created within.
My name is Aura and I am Undocumented
Today, March 10th, undocumented youth all over this country will come out the shadows about their immigration status. Their actions will range from personal conversations with guidance counselors to coming out parties with friends to coming out rally as is the case with the Immigrant Youth Justice League in Chicago. The NYSYLC will be featuring the coming out stories of our members every day.
Are you interested in sharing your story? Contact us at tellyourstory@nysylc.org
We cheered her on from a few feet away, and although the family was now divided, we stood together because her college graduation was a victory for all of us. I knew the excitement of the moment would prevent her from noticing us. But as she approached us and walked out of the auditorium, her eyes met mine and we shared a smile. The moment was bittersweet; I was proud of my sister. I was proud of my family. But I was also facing my future, or at least the uncertainty of it. As I watched her take hold of her bachelor’s degree, the struggles and challenges I would soon face tapped me on the shoulder.
A few years back, our family was financially stable. Both my parents were employed. But when they divorced, making ends meet became a testing task. Soon after my sister graduated, she was forced to put her career' advancement on hold and to take on a full time position as a receptionist in order to help the family. She soon assumed the role of head of the family, putting her name on the lease and covering some of the utility bills, responsibilities that came about due to the instability of my mom's job as a housekeeper. The services women like her provide are luxuries that Americans are willing to live without during uncertain times. She has gone weeks without one day of work and has been forced to consider the option of returning to Colombia, where life is poor, but manageable because of the proximity of friends and family.
Junior year I had to face reality, the fact that I would encounter even more challenges than my sister had . While my sister was in college the family funds had often run low and the extra money we made went to her education. But the little savings we gathered were quickly depleted as we adjusted to the changes brought about by my parents’ divorce and the ever-present challenges presented by our immigration status. My father began a new life with a new family, thus limiting the money he could provide to his daughters. Now, my mom, who had never had to support a household on her own, was left with what seemed the weight of the world. The turbulence of our new lifestyle puts my college future on hold.
As an undocumented student I am not eligible for federal financial aid or for most scholarships. My options for higher education are limited; admittance to higher education institutions and scholarship offers are made nearly impossible since lack of legal status is expected to be made up for with merit. Working to fund my education is an option that seems more and more far-fetched because the stagnant economy and the political light being shed on immigration reform limit job possibilities and turn glaring eyes toward students like me. Scholarship funds would allow me to sustain myself only if my parents were to choose to leave the country.
For a while I was in a period of denial in which I was aware of my status but it still seemed like something foreign to me, something that didn’t affect me.
At moments I was determined to accomplish my dreams, while at other moments I felt like giving up. But my reality kept presenting itself. It was the uncertainty that threw me off balance.
I knew I could not let myself fall into a state of depression. I knew I needed a support system. I knew that I needed to face this challenge head on. I began by talking to my close friends and my family – but although they listened to all my frustrations and wanted to help me get out of my situation, I knew they could only do so much.
A newspaper article brought hope back to me. It praised the work of an organization, the New York State Youth Leadership Council, leading a campaign in support of the DREAM Act and the scholarships it offered. It was the first time I had heard of this bill and I became aware of the growing momentum of the movement at both the national and local levels.
I attended one of the YLC's Get Active Conferences for youth interested in getting involved. I quickly connected with other participants and could see myself working with them in the future. My organizer self woke up. I began my involvement with my participation in the YLC’s High School Institute, which explored issues of race, organizing, and leadership. I used the resources and skills I obtained from the program to explain and advocate for the DREAM Act through research papers and a presentation for my English Writing College Now course. This was my first experience with activism.
The family I found in the YLC has offered me the guidance, encouragement and support that have kept me going. With every passing meeting I feel more comfortable about sharing my story. I have met too many talented individuals who have not been able to reach their full potential because they are trapped by their lack of legal status in the country they love, contribute to, and call home. I have seen the strength of heartfelt words whenever we welcome dreamers and allies. The inspiration and courage of the Dreamers in this country is the fuel of the immigrant youth movement.
As I prepare for the next chapter of my life (college!), I take control of my future. I will not let 9 digits have more control than I do. I hope to gain the tools and skills to further my role in the New York State Youth Leadership Council. I plan to prepare myself for a career in the non-profit world so that I can continue working with youth to encourage other undocumented students in situations like mine break loose from the paralysis and strains of their status, and share their own stories. I hope to provide a guiding light to help each of them reach his or her full potential. I know one day each one of us will be judged by the content of our character, not the lack of a nine-digit number.
Announcing: Actions and Events in March for YLC
DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE POSTER HERE
*****RALLY MOVED TO FRIDAY MARCH 19th******
Coming out of the Shadows Week: How to Guide
crossposted at DreamActivist.org
Undocumented youth all over this country will finally come out the shadows and lay claim to their own futures. No longer will we let ourselves be intimidated, scared and ashamed. We have worked long and hard, we have risen to meet every challenge and we have made this country a better place for all. And yet, we are relegated to live in fear. So let us come out and end this fear.
Below find a Coming Out Guide in preparation for Coming Out Day (March 10th) and Coming Out Week (March 15-21)
Coming out of the Shadows – A How To Guide
Difficulty:
Easy to Medium to Very Difficult
Time:
10 minutes-2 hours
“Brothers and Sisters, you must come out! come out to your parents, come out to your friends, if indeed they are your friends, come out to your neighbors, come out to your fellow workers. Once and for all, let’s break down the myth and destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake, for their sake. For the sake of all the youngsters who’ve been scared by the votes from Dade to Eugene. On the Statue of Liberty it says ‘ Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.’ In the Declaration of Independence it is written, ‘All men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights.’ For Mr. Briggs and Mrs. Bryant and all the bigots out there, no matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words from the Declaration of Independence! No matter how hard you try you can never chip those words from the base of the Statue of Liberty! That is where America is!”
-Harvey Milk
Congratulations! You have decided to come out of the shadows about your undocumented status. Perhaps you have finally decided to tell your friends why you haven’t signed up for your drivers’ ed. class or why you still don’t drive to school. Maybe, you will come out to your guidance counselor, who has asked you repeatedly to turn in your college application, but you were too afraid to tell him/her that you don’t have a social security number and that you still don’t know how you will pay for college without financial aid.
Please remember you are not alone. You are part of a large community of courageous undocumented youth who have decided to come out of the shadows about our immigration status. We live every day in fear and we are tired of it. We want to be able to talk about our lives and our stories without fearing persecution or deportation. We are not free to travel, go to school, work, live, but we refuse to be helpless. In the same way the LGBTQ community has historically come out, undocumented youth, some of whom are also part of the LGBTQ community, have decided to speak openly about their status. Your courage will open the way to having even more conversations about your immigration status. Sharing your stories will allow us, as a movement of undocumented youth, to grow, as we continue to learn to accept ourselves. By being more open we will begin replacing fear with courage and, ultimately, be united in our demands for change. You will be surprised how little other people know about the realities of being undocumented. People who know someone who is gay or lesbian are more likely to support equal rights for all gay and lesbian people- the same follows for people who know someone who is undocumented. Also note, if you must also confront intersecting oppressions (i.e. Gender, Race, Class, Sexual orientation), coming out about your status is one of the many hurdles for liberation.
National Coming Out Day
March 10th is National Coming Out Day. In Chicago, the Immigrant Youth Justice League will be holding a rally and a march to launch a week-long “coming out” of undocumented youth across the country. In other cities and towns, students are coming out to their friends on a much smaller scale. Whether big or small, consider participating in the National Coming Out Day and weeks by coming out!
Before you get started:
If you are nervous about coming out:
- Practice, Practice, Practice!: In front of a mirror or with someone with whom you’ve already come out to
- Breathe: Breathing is a good thing. When we are nervous, we tend to withhold our breath or breathe heavily. Take a break and be conscious of your breathing. Breathe in and out until you can hear your heart beat normally. This is good for centering yourself and your thoughts.
- Protect Yourself
- Use only your first name, a nickname or your middle name
- Limit the amount of identifying information in your story of self. For example, instead of saying “I live on Elm Street” you say “I live in St. Paul, MN.”
- Write your story and have a friend or family member read it.
- Know Your Rights
Include Know Your Rights Info here.
How to Participate in the Coming Out Week:
Your Commitment:
Look at the list below and determine your level of participation. Every bit helps moves us closer to passing the DREAM Act!
Coming out is a very important and empowering time in a persons life. By coming out of the shadows you’re finally shedding some light on this issue that has been affecting others for years. Remember that there’s other youth out there, like yourself, that are too scared to come out. By taking the first step many more will find the courage they need to speak out as well!
DOWNLOAD GUIDE HERE: Complete-Guide
Register for the NJ Leadership Training!
Do you live in NJ?
Do you want to get involved in the Dream Act campaign but dont know how?
REGISTER HERE: http://bit.ly/njleadership
Contact Brenda at aguilarb@live.com if you have questions
My name is Angy and I’m a Dreamer!
Crossposted from Change.org
http://digg.com/politics/My_Name_is_Angy_and_I_m_a_DREAMer
In honor of DREAM Act Week of Action, every day we'll be sharing the personal stories of undocumented students who need us to pass that legislation and give them the opportunity to reach their dreams. This is Angy's story.
Hi, my name is Angy, and I'm a dreamer.
I always knew I was different from everyone else. I had to translate the world to my mother, who raised me on her own. Growing up, I always heard my mother complain that she couldn't do something because she didn't have ‘'papeles,'' or papers. I never paid much attention to this because it wasn't affecting me -- or so I thought. My mother's struggles soon became my own, and I tried my best to relieve some pressure by helping her raise my siblings.
Undocumented student start noticing inequalities our junior and senior years in high school because those are the last years of happiness for us. After graduation, we're officially undocumented and no longer feel equal to citizen students. I maintained a 3.6 average in high school, was winning essay contests, volunteering any chance I had, and president of a club. Anyone would have expected great things from me after graduation. Yet undocumented students usually have to degrade themselves and settle for less than their best. I grew up thinking that if I did just as well as any student, I deserved an education, but I've learned the hard way that this isn't true.
The summer of my junior year, I participated in a College Bound program that would help me decide what I wanted to do with my life. During those weeks, I learned about loans, grants, financial aid, majors, and much more. While I was telling my mom about financial aid, she asked me if I qualified for all that privilege. I thought I did, but there was a small doubt. Later, I found out that I didn't qualify for any of those things and I couldn't understand why, if I studied and worked just as hard as anyone else. I refused to believe it and decided that, starting my senior year, I would work harder to qualify for financial aid, loans, and grants.
As senior year rolled around, so did college applications and acceptance letters. In New York, we have a system of CUNY public colleges, which are cheaper than private colleges and state universities. Of course, I applied to CUNY schools because these were the only ones I could afford if given scholarships; I didn't look into or even think about state and private colleges. Since I had decided to major in Criminology after taking a forensics class, CUNY-John Jay seemed perfect. When I got accepted, I sat in my living room and cried with my mom. I was the first in my family to be accepted into college, and even though I hadn't graduated from high school yet, my mother was proud. She had left Colombia with hopes of me continuing my education, and this was the first step to making her dreams a reality. I was excited and I felt accomplished.
The end to my senior year was approaching, and I had to attend an orientation session at the college of my choice. I grabbed all the paperwork I could find, determined to show the financial aid administrators that I did qualify for financial aid and that if they helped me pay for college I wouldn't let them down. As I sat in the waiting room you could hear my heart beating a mile away. I was so nervous, but so excited, because I knew I would leave that office with great news to bring back home. I sat there imagining myself in five years working with crime scene investigators and helping them catch the bad guy. I imagined my college graduation with my mom in the crowd applauding and screaming her heart out for me.
It was finally my turn, and I walked into the financial aid office for the first and last time. The administrator didn't ask for my name, transcript, or resume. She just asked for my social security number and I bravely told her I didn't have one. She put her paperwork down and looked me in the eye. Without blinking she told me that I wasted my time coming in today if I knew I didn't qualify for financial aid. The administrator told me if I didn't have the money to pay for my education then I might as well give up because there was no help for me. She continued talking, but I couldn't hear her; reality had finally set in and I didn't want to face it.
After a long and horrible day at orientation, I was finally allowed to leave. I sat at the nearby park and cried until there was nothing left inside me, and this time, they weren't tears of happiness. I was ready to give up and forget about school.
How could it be that just yesterday I was determined to prove myself, and just like that I had been beaten? What would my mother say if I told her I was giving up on her dreams and mine as well? I knew being undocumented was going to be hard and I couldn't let the first obstacle ruin my dreams.
I started an intense scholarship search; I wasn't going to let anyone tell me I couldn't go to school. I wasn't going to let anyone decide my future, and I was determined to prove to that administrator and anyone else that they were wrong. I found an organization that offered a scholarship and internship for any student, no matter their status, I quickly applied. The moment I found out I had gotten the internship I screamed so loud, I couldn't believe it. Thanks to this organization, I successfully completed my first college semester with a 3.7 average.
Somehow, life can never give me too much happiness without taking some away. I couldn't afford the following semester and I hadn't found any other scholarships, so I had to drop all my classes. It hurt to do it, but I had no choice, and I knew that this would be the first of many disillusionments. I feel like a tourist in my own school, and I'm scared of being kicked out for not being a steady student.
I know I have a lot to learn and a long way to go, but if I surround myself with great people, it won't be as difficult. Now, I work for that same organization who paid my first semester of college. The New York State Youth Leadership Council (NYSYLC) has given me many opportunities and has provided me with hope for the future. It's this same hope that I want to give to others because I know there's students out there that want to give up. The DREAM Act would open up so many doors for me and others like me. Sure, I might not have those famous nine digits now, but wait until I do have them -- I'm going to change the world!
Day 3 recap+looking ahead at Day 4:
Today was a day of silence. Let's stand together for tomorrow!
Thursday is UNITED WE STAND day!
Thursday is United We Stand Day
We will all be wearing BLUE shirts in solidarity to the Trail of Dreams walkers. Get others involved as well!
And finally, to find out what will be happening on FRIDAY contact the NYSYLC
[EMAIL] angy@nysylc.org
[REACH] us at 212-627-2227 Ext. 248.
[VISIT] us at 137-139 West 25th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY
REMEMBER TO POST YOUR PICTURES! BE CREATIVE WITH THEM!
Day 2: CALL IN DAY!!!!
The week just started and i'm glad to see that everyone changed their defaults and status! Are you ready for today?
Tuesday is Call In Day. Please call each of Schumer's Offices and repeat the following paragraph:
Say: My name is ____ I am calling because I support the DREAM Act. The dreams of immigrant students cannot wait any longer. Senator Schumer needs to be a leader and produce the change that Americans voted for. No more extensions or excuses. The DREAM Act has to be passed!
(If you don’t get through to one office try the next one until you can leave a message)
call in numbers:
DC office: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;202.224.6542
New York City: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;212.486.4430
Albany: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;518.431.4070
Binghamton: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;607.772.6792
Buffalo: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;716.846.4111
Hudson Valley: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;914.734.1532
Long Island: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;631.753.0978
Rochester: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;585.263.5866
Syracuse: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;315.423.5471
I HOPE TO SEE A LOT OF PICTURES!!
________________________TRANSLATED________________________
La semana apenas empieza y estoy muy alegre al ver que todos cambiaron sus fotos y sus estados en facebook! Estan listos para manana?
El martes es el Dia de las Llamadas . Por favor llame a cada una de las oficinas de Schumer y repita lo siguiente :
Mi nombre es _______ Estoy llamando porque yo apoyo la ley del SUENO. Los sueños de los estudiantes inmigrantes no puede esperar más. El senador Schumer debe tomar el liderasgo y cumplir el cambio por el cual los Estadounidenses votaron. No mas extensiones ni excusas. La Ley del SUENO tiene que ser aprovada en el 2010."
( Si su llamada no es contestada en una de las oficinas, trate de llamar a otra hasta que puede dejar el mensaje)
Por Favor llame a estos numeros:
oficina en DC: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;202.224.6542
New York City: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;212.486.4430
Albany: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;518.431.4070
Binghamton: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;607.772.6792
Buffalo: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;716.846.4111
Hudson Valley: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;914.734.1532
Long Island: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;631.753.0978
Rochester: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;585.263.5866
Syracuse: http://www.facebook.com/l/0cb05;315.423.5471
ESPERO VER MUCHAS FOTOS!!
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READY FOR OUR WEEK OF ACTION!? DAY 1: ONLINE SUPPORT DAY
READY FOR OUT WEEK OF ACTION!?
THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE WEEK OF ACTION WE WANT EVERYONE TO POST PICTURES, ON THIS EVENT SITE, OF THEMSELVES PARTICIPATING IN THIS EVENT!
As you all know starting today, Monday February 22nd through Friday February 26th we're having a week of action to raise awareness for the Dream Act.
These are small actions so that everyone across the country can participate and show support. We also want pictures to show others that there's a lot of people willing to fight for the Dream Act.
TODAY IS DAY 1:
Online Support Day and we're asking everyone to change their default picture to a Dream Act button and their status to the following message:
"We're tired of waiting! Everyone has the right to an education. Pass the Dream Act in 2010!"
New York Road Trip for Our Future
The New York State Youth Leadership Council along with New York Immigration Coalition and Reform Immigration For America campaign helped put the caravan kickoff press conference in NYC.
caravana-de-neoyorquinos