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Tom Bearden reports on the looming fight over undocumented students and college tuition. 02.19.03

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Debating the News: The DREAM Act

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A young woman, brought to the U.S. as a three-year-old, shares her story of living as an illegal immigrant.

After I was born in Puebla, Mexico my parents decided to go to the United States and work for about one year. But after my sister was born there they sent for me. I was three years old when I crossed the border illegally. I started kindergarten at St. Ludmila elementary school where my first word in English was telephone.

I remember growing up with Sesame Street and learning most of my English words there. When I was seven years old my parents had my little brother. By this time thoughts of going back to Mexico were fading away.

My father managed to open up a small restaurant. My parents were working on their immigration status but it was difficult. Although they were given social security numbers, they don't speak English and were so confused with their immigration papers that they left everything pass by. They worked long hours and had very little time to go to meetings and return any type of paper work they had to do. But they had their social security numbers and kept working and paying taxes like any American.

I was never authorized a social security number, in fact my parents never did anything about my legal status. They were waiting to become legal residents and to then try to legalize me.

Now my father rents a restaurant business in Pilsen, a well-known neighborhood in Chicago. I have worked with him since I was 13 and so have my sister and brother. The business has given us so much. My father pays so many taxes because he owns a small business. He contributes so much to the economy even though he is not a legal resident of the United States. His social security number is his legal residency.

But I feel bad for my father because he can't go to Mexico and see his family. My grandfather died last year and my sister had to go to represent my father. It is almost like living in a golden cage. We have everything here. We just can't leave the cage, because if we leave we can't come back.

Working as a waitress at the restaurant I see so many teenagers throw their life away. Some girls are so young and are having babies and marrying gang members. I felt so bad and angry. They were born in this country and yet they never bothered to continue going to school, plus they would walk into the restaurant and treat me as their servant.

I was so disgusted with them. Here I was working during the weekends and going to school on weekdays. They did nothing but live off the government. I wish I had the help from the government to go to school. But I also felt I could not continue to hurt myself by becoming frustrated over my situation.

I decided to work hard and just keep going. I received a lot of moral support by my parents and by some teachers as well.

I graduated from high school as a member of the national honors society. I was always very active in clubs and after school activities. I loved high school, and sometimes wish it had never ended.

By fall 2000, after some registration difficulties, I was taking basic classes at a city college, which for me was so wonderful. Hopefully by the end of the fall 2003 semester I will complete an associate degree in commercial art.

Still my fears are not over, because I can not work legally. I really want something else for me.

I have all my hopes set on the Dream Act for student legalization. I don't want to return to Mexico.

Many people tell me that with my education here and my English I can make a great living there. That is not the point for me. I grew up here. I love this country. I have reached the goals I have set for myself here. I want to stay and be able to enjoy the opportunities this country gives. I know I am worthy of being accepted and so are the thousands of students in my situation.

We grow up not knowing we are breaking laws until it is thrown in our face that we cannot get a driver's license, win a scholarship, or go to a university. Yet we are capable of driving because we pass driver's ed, and capable of earning a scholarship because we graduated with honors. But the government says we are illegal; we do not exist.

We should be seen not as a burden to taxpayers but as an investment to the economy. Soon after we become professionals in this country we will become contributors. Without something being done this country loses valuable people.

I encourage members of Congress to vote in favor of this law. Students mentioned in this bill are worthy of being fully recognized for their hard work in learning the country's language, learning its history and constitution, and focusing on earning a higher education.

We should be able to become full members of a society we are already a part of.

-- Yeni lives and works in Chicago.

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