The american dream can be defined as freedom, success, and opportunity and may differ from person to person. So what does the american dream mean to you? As for me a Mexican-American raised my whole life in the USA, my vision of the american dream is the same of most first generation immigrant children. That dream is to succeed in where our parents could not, such as pursuing an education past high school and embarking in a career. Although seemingly easy to any individual born in this country or individuals granted legal residency , the task is actually quite challenging to those who come from a family of illegal immigrants looking for a better tomorrow. With The Federal Dream Act Law the voices of immigrants who are looking to …show more content…
It was until The Dream Act (acronym for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) was introduced to congress in 2001 and following in 2010. It started giving hope and a voice for all young illegal immigrants.
With the federal dream act law, Immigrants that came from other countries can legally stay in the country without fearing deportation and allowing immigrants or so called “Dreamers” to further their education or academic goal, apply for a job legally and be eligible for a residential driver license although The Dream Act is very helpful there are some pre-qualifications that need to be met. According to Flair Isaiah:
“First, the minors must have excellent moral character. This is generally understood that they have not committed any crimes. Second, they must have either graduated from a US high school or obtained their GED certificate in the United States. Third, they must have first moved to the United States as a minor and lived there for at least five years prior to the DREAM Act becoming law.If applicants fulfill these requirements, the DREAM Act would give them official temporary residency status after they either served in the military for two years or completed two years of college. The temporary residency status would last for a period of six years, during which they would be eligible to apply for permanent resident status.”(Salem Press,2013)
The Federal Dream Act is not a law that grants every single immigrant
The Dream Act, the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act is a bipartisan legislation pioneered by Sen. Orin Hatch [R-UT] and Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL].The undocumented students will granted a conditional legal status. Within the 6 years the student must be able to obtain a degree from a four year university. After the 6 years passes the conditional status becomes a legal American citizen. The following is the detailed qualification process obtained from the official web site of the dream act:
About half a million children are born to undocumented immigrants every year. These children are not given the opportunities that they so rightly deserve. They spend their entire lives in the United States and are considered illegal immigrants. They are given no choice, but to live their life as an undocumented immigrant. That is what the DREAM Act is trying to solve. The DREAM Act, or Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors is a proposal that would provide permanent residency to undocumented immigrants who meet certain eligibility requirements (The DREAM Act). If the DREAM Act is approved, then the education will be improved. It will improve the economy, the military will receive a significant increase in recruitments, and
There is always that one student that has a strong work ethic and when things get exacerbated they keep working and just do not quit. These students are students who are eager to learn who want succeed, but when it comes to the end of their high school career, what happens? There are approximately 65,000 young adults that are undocumented and graduate each year from high school ( “The DREAM Act Immigration Access to Higher Education.”). These students want to achieve something prominent for themselves they have the grades and the qualifications so that they can attend college. The main obstacle standing in their way is citizenship or residency. This complication prohibits them from being able to apply for government
Development, Relief & Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. It still has yet to be passed and
The Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors, more commonly known as it’s acronym, The Dream Act, is a parliamentary proposition to allow illegal aliens and their children to have the option of continuing their education into college. There are some differentiating opinions of this proposition. According to Yeh Ling-Ling, the main reason for Congress not supporting this bill is due to the lack of funding which will only increase the nation’s debt. With this being said, the students attending college through financial aid will be able to repay the debt they once claimed. It’s designed mainly for the people who have graduated high school or obtained a GED in America, but due to the immigration laws are unable to attend College or a higher academic setting.
In 2001 a bill known as the DREAM act was introduced by Senators Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch. The basis of this legislation was to aid children under the age of 16 who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents. This bill paved the road for those children to achieve a temporary resident status as long as the met the stipulations of this proposed bill. The immigrant must prove that they entered the country prior to the age of 16 and lived in the country for at least 5 years to meet the first requirement. The second condition was that the immigrant must have graduated from a
When we were kids, we were told to dream big so we can be whatever we want to be. However, President Donald Trump wants to remove an action that protects kids who immigrated to the U.S. of a young age (dreamers). This decision has affected many kids and young adults who work and go to school. DACA has helped many dreamers go to school, college, work, and most importantly has provided protection from deportation. Although these kids don’t have immigration papers, they are still considered dreamers and have the same desires as natural born Americans. Many of these kids are upset because they know they won’t be able to learn and have a career in their own country; it’s impossible.
In 2001, the DREAM Act was presented to Congress by the Bush Administration (Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors) This legislation did not pass. There is no federal legislation that supports the Dream Act, but there are several state enacted Dream Acts. All are slightly different, requirements and qualifications differ from state to state and it can become very confusing for an individual trying to muddle through it.
The argument for the Dream Act is that it help separate the good guy from the bad guy provide a firm but fair way to deal with innocent children brought to the U.S. at a young age. In Addition, student that would be impact by the Dream act could add $1.4 to $3.6 trillion to taxable income to our economy over the course of careers. Moreover, it is just plain common sense and it is the right thing to do. The argument against the Dream Act is that is not limited to children applicant can be up to the age of 29, and current illegal aliens will get federal student loans, federal work study program, and other forms of federal financial aid. In addition, The Dream Act does not require that an Alien finish any types of degree (Vocational, Two-year, or bachelor’s degree) as a condition of amnesty- the applicant only has to complete the equivalent of two years of college. The DREAM Act may be just one of those
The American Dream cannot be defined clearly. Each person has his or her own dream. Some see it as owning a house or becoming a millionaire, while others define it as being able to read or to get a job. Society tends to associate this phrase with the amount of money a person earns or how many possessions they can acquire. The American Dream to others, especially immigrants, is a chance to succeed in a new life. The important fact is that Americans are given the freedom to decide what The American Dream is to them and the opportunity to achieve it.
Also the dream act is helpful because it lends them financial aid and they get a social security to then pay the country back. While they get educated the country is getting a reward as well. Like in the case of Carla Chavarria, she works in graphic design and still goes to college during the night time and with the money she gets she is paying her college tuition (Gonzales). This is what every student in the United States faces right after high school. They get a job and go to college. But, unfortunately some immigrants stop going to school because they cannot afford the tuition and the books. They get a job in the fields and work because they do not get hired for being resident. The hope they had to achieve their dreams just fade away because they know they can not get educated like everybody else. When the dream act was passed many immigrants got faith and very happy because their dreams were going to actually become a reality. In a way this is very helpful to illegal immigrants that want to be successful and live a stable life.
The DREAM Act throughout its history has been repeatedly rejected by the US Congress and has been through many difficulties to be approved. This law has caused many frustrated attempts of undocumented immigrants and activists of this benefit. It is critical a thorough analysis of what this bill seeks to have so a better understanding of where it comes from and where it goes.
Eligible individuals must be age 35 or younger, hold a high school diploma or GED, and pass a criminal background check … Permanent residency may be offered to those who choose to complete two years of military service or two years of higher education. Early versions of the bill failed in 2001 and 2007…. As of 2016, the DREAM Act has not been passed.”
After six years under conditional permanent residency with a “good moral character,” (Duncan A.19") they can then apply for their permanent resident status and then eventually become U.S citizens. It is reasonable that after meeting such strict requirements and attending American schools for so long, they should be able to become U.S citizens.
The DREAMERS Act, Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, originated in 2001 as a proposed act. It stipulated that illegal immigrants would need to attend