Teamwork Can Make the DACA Dream Work
Imagine building up your life in a place. Imagine being uncertain of what your future will be. All of this because you lack proper documentation that justifies your presence in that place. Since President Donald Trump ended DACA in September 2017, that is the uncertainty DACA recipients face now more than ever. For those who have no idea of what DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, consists of, it is a renewable two-year program that grants amnesty and a work permit for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children to the United States and have a spotless criminal record. Constituents of the United States should reach out to their representatives. Representatives can execute a course of action that will either extend DACA or result in a similar program for its beneficiaries. People should support DACA recipients because they deserve a right to remain in the United States for excellent conduct and morals instead of fearing deportation to an unknown country because they are just like regular citizens. With this in mind, it is important to examine the issue of the termination of DACA in a more in-depth analysis. Why is DACA so important for its beneficiaries?
People continue to realize how beneficial DACA is for its recipients because it values the hard work DREAMers do in America. The DACA program eases challenges undocumented individuals face day by day in the United States. In her article, Glenda Droogsma Musoba asserts, "Undocumented students face all the hurdles of citizen students plus hurdles unique to their undocumented status. In addition to the admission, tuition, and financial aid eligibility issues..., undocumented students face challenges in their career choice, emotional stress, feelings of inclusion/exclusion, language barriers, first generational status, ability/inability to participate in certain programs, and identity development challenges." (Musoba, pg. 68) Manifestly, DACA beneficiaries face many challenges that hinder their emotional, social, and economic state while their most pointed crime was being brought to the United States without their acknowledgement. That being said, DACA does not reward the parents' criminal behavior, instead it acknowledges that DACA members deserve a right to educate themselves in the only country with which they are familiar. Then, DACA should remain lawful so that it continues to aid undocumented students and workers who seek their American Dream. If not, then lawmakers should create a similar law that will guarantee DACA members a path to citizenship since they have demonstrated perseverance and good morals.
When DACA was established, it opened doors for DREAMers to seek a higher education and be able to legally work in the United States. Ergo, when DACA was terminated, fear lurked in the minds of these people because their benefits would be stripped away. Cancellation of DACA means negative effects for DREAMers. As a Latino "DACAmented" male teacher testified, "DACA... I am able to be in front of my students every day because of it. It sounds crazy to even say this but I have two years to figure this out. My life has been ruled by two-year intervals since 2012." (Juarez Trevino, pg. 640) As one can see, given the opportunity, DACA recipients defy all possible odds against them to be successful in America and obtain jobs where they are needed. Without a program like DACA, all their achievements from DACA are replaced with fear. They fear that all their hard work will be left unappreciated by policymakers who are against DACA, or programs like it, that lead young immigrants to receive citizenship. Therefore, people should advocate for a law that will either make DACA permanent or form a program that will allow them to profit from similar benefits as DACA and make the efforts of all DACA members worthy.
Not only does the end of DACA mean less opportunities for DREAMers in the work field, but it also negatively affects America's health as a whole- especially for the undocumented youth. According to pediatricians, "Just as the benefits of DACA extend far beyond direct beneficiaries, its termination threatens the health and well-being of children, families, and communities. The health disparities experienced by the ∼1 million undocumented immigrant children and adolescents living in the United States (i.e., those not enrolled in DACA) allude to the potential impact of ending the program." This means that without DACA, not only will the beneficiaries of the program endure more health issues, but so will American society due to emotional distress. With DACA, "DACA recipients reported increased ability to seek needed medical care because of decreased fear of deportation and higher economic stability. DACA-eligible individuals are nearly 40% less likely to experience moderate-to-severe psychological distress compared with those ineligible for DACA." With this in mind, DACA should remain because it helps reduce health issues amongst the undocumented youth. Once again, the need for a memorandum like DACA is proven since its inception caused a positive impact on the health of DACA recipients.
The above sources academically and statistically justify DACA, but they lack a more personal approach to the comprehension of the issue. People need to be aware of DACA beneficiaries that might be their neighbors, friends, or family members. That is why to further evaluate the significance of DACA, I conducted three distinct interviews with DACA recipients who shared their life experiences with me. I have decided not to reveal their true identities for security reasons and will refer to them as Veronica, Ryan, and Rebecca. I have decided to interview the latter because I personally know them and they reside in Hidalgo County. These interviewees are all college students at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley. Veronica is my 19-year-old cousin. Ryan is a former classmate from my high school, also aged 19. Rebecca volunteered to be interviewed and is 18 years of age. Only the answers with the utmost relevance will be included. This includes answers that depict real struggles of being DACAmented but also portray the benefits acquired from the program. Below is a table of my interview questions whose answers have been provided by Veronica, Ryan, and Rebecca.
Interview Questions for DACA Recipients:
What are some of your most proud academic achievements?
How was your experience applying to college and financial aid?
Can you share the worst experience you have had in an academic institution?
Have you used your Work Authorization card to work? Can you share that whole experience and describe feelings evoked from it? Did you experience any distress from working? If so, explain.
Why did your parents decide to move you to the U.S.?
Can you share information about your parents? What type of education did they receive? How has that affected your family?
Has your family had any economic struggles renewing your DACA? To what extent did the DACA renewal impact you?
Beneficiaries of DACA should be perceived as regular citizens because they are just like typical citizens. The only exception is that they face additional challenges due to their legal status. They are children who become distinguished individuals in schools that often degrade their culture and force them to assimilate to Western styles. For instance, Veronica shared how she "graduated high school as 'Distinguished' with a GPA of 3.89, got a 24 on [her] ACT, had perfect attendance throughout [her] education, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was a winner of multiple school awards and recognitions." Now she is a sophomore at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and is part of the Honors College in that institution holding a 3.75 GPA. Despite all the joy in her achievements, she found applying to college and in-state financial aid as a "monstrosity" since "the whole FASFA business was new to her and her parents". (For clarification, TASFA is equivalent to FAFSA except that it is only used by non-citizens that reside in the Lone Star state.) That experience was the "hardest academic challenge since elementary school" where classmates often teased her for her "annoying Mexican accent" and for often speaking in Spanish. Evidently, one can perceive the struggle a typical DACA participant had in her academic life that also infiltrated her emotional state and led to her ambition to be a distinguishable student compared to her documented classmates. This demonstrates how DACA students are capable of achieving honorable actions if given the opportunities. Therefore, a proper law should reinforce all of their academic achievements, so they can continue to pursue careers they aspire without fear of deportation.
Additionally, citizens who work often face confrontations in their working environment, but DACA recipients must face further burdens due to their legal status. To demonstrate this point, let us examine Ryan's experience working. In order for a DACA member to be eligible to work, they need an Employment Authorization card. Ryan states, "To be honest, my lawyer had to explain the process for me to be able to work because I simply could not understand how a piece of card could determine my eligibility to work in places where anybody is capable of working in." He later narrated how his 18-year-old-self felt in his first job interview and described it as "awkward and uncomfortable because [he] feared the interviewer would deny [him] an opportunity to work based on [his] legal status." Moreover, he mentioned how he faced teases from his coworkers because his mother picked him up and dropped him off at work since he did not have a driver's license yet. He explained, "Every time I attempted to get my driver's license, the lady would tell me that I do not have all of the necessary documents to get one. Either I could not prove my residency or my parents' insurance did not cover me and such. It literally took me 4 visits to the DPS to get my driver's license at age 19." Of course, these experiences might not be extremely harsh but they were completely unnecessary. This testimony reveals the additional struggles DACA recipients face in the working field- struggles that emotionally scar them and make them feel degraded. For that reason, the continuation of DACA or the introduction of a similar program should be implemented that will grant undocumented young adults eligibility to work without emotional burdens caused by their legal status.
A third issue DACA recipients encounter is an economic struggle to survive in a country that continues to deny them a permanent legal status. For example, Rebecca revealed how her "parents decided to move [her] to the U.S. so [she] can receive a better education and dismantle the social mobility idea." She also added that her "parents did not even pass high school in Mexico so they knew the struggle of not having a credible degree". Now in Texas, her parents make a combined income of 22,880 dollars a year which is far below the average for the middle-class income range. Similarly, Rebecca's parents have savings and only use that money for emergencies so when she had to renew DACA on September of 2017, they used almost 700 dollars. However, that meant that they had to reduce other costs. This included buying food. When fall classes started at her college, her family "struggled financially in college necessities like a parking permit, gasoline, food, school supplies, books, etc." Ergo, Rebecca's economic experience portrays common financial struggles within the DACA population. A law that offers them the similar benefits as citizens should be implemented in America.
Based on the interview answers included, it is clear that DACA offers academic, emotional, financial, and political aid to its beneficiaries. All the answers given by Veronica, Ryan, and Rebecca directly point to that affirmation since their experiences reflect the need for a law that protects them from deportation. A law that guarantees them an opportunity to continue working hard to reach their American Dream. A law that secures what is desperately and quickly needed. DREAMers should be given the opportunity to dream far beyond the horizons of their struggles because they continue to prove that they are worthy of receiving benefits while they live in the Unites States.
Overall, constituents of the United States should pressure their representatives to demand a law that will benefit DACA recipients by establishing a law that would make DACA permanent or introduce a similar program that will grant a path to permanent residency or citizenship to undocumented students. They should do that because DACA individuals contribute greatly to the United States by adding to the diversity. They deserve this simply because they have demonstrated the right to be documented Americans through their perseverance, morals, and hard work. They are human beings who should remain in this nation which claims "liberty and justice for all".
Works Cited Page
Blanchard, Joy. “Undocumented Students: Welcome or Not?” Controversies on Campus:
Debating the Issues Confronting American Universities in the 21st Century, by Glenda
Droogsma Musoba, ABC- CLIO, Incorpporated, 2018, pp. 64–75, books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=njFEDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA64&dq=why+daca+should+stay&ots=lyd82Ud354&sig=pC4OYzuyjlRxcVFXz000m9k09no#v=onepage&q=why%20daca%20should%20stay&f=false.
Juarez Trevino, Luis Enrique, et al. “‘The Day That Changed My Life, Again’: The Testimonio
of a Latino DACAmented Teacher.” 25 Apr. 2017, link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11256-017-0412-2.
Tom K. Wong, Greisa Martinez Rosas, Adam Luna, Henry Manning, Adrian Reyna, Patrick
O’Shea, Tom Jawetz, and Philip E. Wolgin. “DACA Recipients' Economic and
Educational Gains Continue to Grow.” Center for American Progress, 2 Nov. 2017,
www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2017/08/28/437956/daca-recipients-economic-educational-gains-continue-grow/.
Uwemedimo, Omolara T., et al. “A Dream Deferred: Ending DACA Threatens Children,
Families, and Communities.” AAP News & Journals Gateway, American Academy of
Pediatrics, 1 Dec. 2017, pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/140/6/e20173089.full.
"Personal Interview with Rebecca" 2/1/2018
"Personal Interview with Ryan" 2/5/2018
"Personal Interview with Veronica" 2/3/2018
