Project Description
Waiting for DACA.
'Waiting to be free from the fear that separates families. Waiting to feel normal. Waiting to be loved by the nation that is home to me.'
Nancy graduated from High School with a 3.9 grade point average. She worked hard, very hard and excelled in her education. Yet, for years, despite her stellar academic standing Nancy could only pretend to fill out college applications. She wanted to make a contribution to what she thinks of as her home, her nation. But the dream seemed out of reach.
Nancy Perez feels American; her sister is. But she is “without documents.” Nancy is waiting. She has been waiting for years.
Finally, with the slim passage of recent legislation, Nancy obtained a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) card. But she, and her family still live with the fear of an ultimate deportation. Her Papa. Might he be able to legally stay within this nation? The Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program, once online and available for applications will provide an option. But let us never forget, until we as a nation work together to initiate a true and enduring legislative policy parents and youth are only granted a type of temporary permission to stay in the United States. Perhaps Nancy and her sister Adriana along with Philip Kellerman, Founder, Harvest of Hope Foundation and Dr. Maria Coady, can better explain it.
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Last year however, due to the lobbying efforts of undocumented students and immigrant advocates, the Florida legislature narrowly passed in-state tuition rates at Florida public universities for undocumented high school graduates, and via a scholarship fund established for Nancy, she just completed her first college class.
However, Nancy is still unable to get on a path to citizenship as overall immigration reform has been stalled. As the video depicts Nancy has obtained her DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) card allowing her to work legally and not fear deportation to a country she has not been to since she was 8. The video starkly highlights the challenges that Nancy and her family face. President Obama has initiated DAPA for undocumented parents as Nancy’s, and it is our goal in the next few months, once the application is on-line, to apply for her parents to get legal work permits and drivers licenses. Nancy’s father works on horse farms. As does any parent, Nancy’s Dad hopes that life will be better for future generations.”
Immigrant or not, we are all affected by immigration policies. Regardless of where any of us stands on the issue, every one seems to have an opinion. We hear these voiced in the Halls of Congress. We hear them on the streets. Immigrants and their children are often portrayed as the source of “national economic crisis,” a mushrooming threat to our national security, and to jobs and wages. Whether the topic is education or our vocations the arguments persist. Rarely do we read the research or Demysify the Myths. Perhaps it is time to do more than let Latina/o students subsist.
Transcript
0:03 like I am you look no different
0:07 then anybody else I feel American
0:11 by Missy documents
0:14 you know and I want that I want the whole thing
0:18 means he’s just wanna tens of thousands in
0:23 a children it’s not their fault they were born in Mexico
0:27 not their fault their parents brought them here good
0:31 I think Nancy probably considers herself more American than Mexican
0:35 one thing to do when she gets deported where she gonna go
0:39 two sisters
0:42 one born in Chicago and one in Mexico
0:46 one belongs to America with opportunities
0:49 and dreams the other forms to world
0:53 uncertainty and constant fear of deportation
1:03 good
1:10 good so they and many others like them
1:14 hiding places difficult to find I’ll
1:17 in the farthest outskirts remote towns that help either secrets
1:21 of
1:27 I definitely can get my license because an
1:30 social and have on papers or anything
1:33 so and I’m definitely me know without a driver’s license or 98 can apply for a
1:38 job
1:39 she’s been three years every single day
1:42 sitting in her house watching movies
1:47 watching movies just may be going on the internet once in a while
1:52 what ways talent and
1:55 and and and contribution advocacy lot what a waste
2:00 are human my birth to Bri years to be spinning
2:04 there not doing anything I A
2:10 actually excelled in school at A’s and B’s
2:14 you know I graduated with 3.9 GPA an
2:18 muahz number by my class 2010
2:21 actually ask for some help from
2:25 a lady if she could help me you know
2:28 royal ace into community college in she no
2:32 she asked me for my social ness and I don’t have one that’s the whole problem
2:36 and she says well I can get you in you know
2:39 without that and FOA
2:42 you know I wanted this so bad bit no matter how much I wanted
2:46 wasn’t gonna happen to me I work
2:49 four years you know doing homework spain played 13
2:54 dam projects too late two in the morning
2:57 or something you know your reports all that and
3:02 and i felt like i wasnt for nothing there’s sort of this
3:06 black hole that is happening for undocumented youth in this country
3:11 they get up to go to college they they want to look like their peers
3:14 they are pretending to fill out college applications they’re pretending to fill
3:19 our drivers license applications
3:20 because they don’t wanna feel any different from any other student
3:24 in our school system and they go home at night and they can’t tell anyone that
3:29 they’re not documented
3:30 it’s a very hidden secret
3:33 we were really close
3:37 and I like really feel bad that I get
3:40 to go to school like Gill they can get loans
3:43 I can get thing new scholarship to actually use it
3:47 when she can always just like work so hard just to get it and
3:53 I can get a job easier than her I can
3:57 me know but she can
4:00 she has the biggest fear
4:04 ball was been separated I think that’s what affects
4:09 you know this at home migration think it’s a separation of families
4:13 the reason
4:20 my family name don’t go out as much and
4:24 we stay secluded and everything because we don’t wanna
4:28 risks getting pulled over while drivin
4:32 without a license because we know what are the causes
4:36 deportations our police stops they stop somebody
4:40 up for drug what we say excuse me for being politically incorrect driving one
4:44 Hispanic
4:44 you could be an undocumented worker paying taxes
4:48 and the next day there can be a sweep at the parking lot of a Walmart
4:53 and you can be detained and deported because you’re not here legally
4:58 the the immigration system in this country is completely broken
5:02 and dysfunctional Gration in the news and a declaration today from President
5:06 Obama
5:07 that it is time to take big steps third we took up the cause
5:10 the dreamers the young people who were brought to this country
5:14 the client
5:17 to the debate on immigration bill President Obama
5:20 wanted the ability for children that had come here before the age is a 16
5:26 that were not born here to have at least permission to work
5:29 DACA is deferred action for childhood arrivals
5:34 that means that if they pay for just 65 dollars
5:38 and they’re accepted they get a card which says they are legally allowed to
5:41 work for two years
5:43 however it’s important to emphasize that this DACA card
5:47 does not establish residency it does not establish citizenship
5:52i t’s just a card that says you’re legally allowed to work for two years
5:55 and you do not have to fear deportation
6:04 DACA is just a temporary bang hopefully
6:08 you know something well past
6:11 were I can choose have in
6:15 you know some sort of status not temporary now relieved
6:19 and I want that I want the whole thing
6:22 I want to be able to say you know
6:26 I’m a part in this country just like you loath
6:30 people in her situation which is give up because they know that the
6:35 probably don’t have a chance in BN normal ur
6:38 PN citizens here since you
6:42 she really deserves a chance to the early one and I do could his work harder
6:47 than me
6:48 of
6:55 the
This piece was reprinted by EmpathyEducates with the kind permission of the Authors, Phillip Kellerman, Maria Coady, Ph.D. Producer, and Timothy Sorel, MBA, Producer and Director. We are grateful to the Perez family, and thank them for sharing their story.
