Dream Act Essay Peer Edited

Claudia Perez

Writers Workshop 10^th

10/21/010

Dream Act

Dream Act looks really impossible for my older sister.  She has been here for 20yrs.  Silvina graduated from High School but, now she can not go to college because she is undocumented.  Sometimes when I need advice in what college to apply I do not like to ask her because she feels bad and cries.  My sister always tells me to put my best effort into school because once in the future I am going to regret it if I do not put my best into school.   One day I sat down with her in the dinner table and asked her why she starts crying when me, my younger sister, and her talk about school.  She told me that when she went to TCD she could not do the state exam to get her CNA diploma because she needed her SSN.  Silvina (my sister) is a great example in my life because even though she could not do the state exam she put all her effort into the CNA class.  “About 65,000 undocumented high school students who will graduate in the next few months face the same dilemma, their fates tied to immigration reform proposals pending in Congress.” (Ana Radelat 6)  There is a great amount of high school graduate students that face the same problem.  Not only have the ones that are about to graduate high school faced this problem, but also more students that have graduated form high school in the last few years.  “Many of them don't realize they're out of (legal) status until they go to apply for college," (Danielle Pollen 8).

The Dream Act stands for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, and gives illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship, after meeting certain standards.  The standards that you have to meet are being under 35 years old and have arrived at the United States before the age of 16.  Also, you need to have a high school diploma or a GED and not left the United States of America for the past five years.  If the undocumented students meet all these standards they could have the Conditional Status.  Conditional Status last for six years.  While they are here they have to complete a college for the minimum of two years or go to the military for two years.  Conditional Status is like a visa that lastes for six years. 

            What I really think, is that the Dream Act really gives hope to undocumented students in having a better life and not be suffering like their parents did.  It promotes people, no matter what race they are contributes to society in an effective way.  These graduated and ungraduated students have grown up here.  This is their home for them and they are just as much of an American as everybody else.  They deserve the opportunity to obtain legal citizenship to the country they call their home.  Many people can be looking at this that we are rewarding them but truly, they do not have the fault that their parents made a bad decision.  I really think that is unfair to block these kids from being able to obtain legal citizenship for a decision they did not make. 

            By passing the Dream Act it will promote students to do something productive with life.  Like continuing with their education or going to the military.  More and more undocumented students will like to contribute more to the country.  This will benefit the American society.  Everyone wants this country to be better, but how is this going to be possible if America is blocking a lot of people’s dreams.  The Dream Act is an act that gives hope to millions of people which is what America is all about.

In conclusion, Dream act will be a really helpful law to pass to help undocumented students and to improve American society.  Undocumented students should be able to have the opportunity to follow their careers their dreams.  I had hard time researching why people do not want to pass the dream act.  Every where I looked in what was the reason why was the republicans do not want the Dream Act bill pass, everything was the same.I always saw the same thing.  They said that undocumented students will take their jobs, take their money, and just make more trouble.  They do not get that their are documented students out there that the only thing they do is be in trouble, not continuing their education, and just be leaving with the government money.  For them the documents are nothing.  But what they do not know is that people all around the world want documents to keep continuing with their education.  While researching I did found a lot of information why will the dream act will be a good idea to pass it.  My opinion is that passing the dream act will make the American society better than we have it today because a lot of smart people out there are undocumented.  Keep in mind that you neither do I would like to be discriminated because we are not elgible in to present documents in colleges.  That will stop our education completely. you do not have documents and not being able to continue your career.

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