We owe it to ourselves & history to protect ‘Dreamers’
Immigrants love this country in ways that people fortunate enough to be born here can never truly understand. We come here, leaving behind everything we’ve known, because of the promise that America represents: a hope for a better future for our families, and we are deeply appreciative of the opportunity.
My mother brought me here when I was 7 years old. She gave up a good job in Brazil to clean houses in America so that my brother and I would have a shot at a better life. We were undocumented when we came, and although we have all since become citizens, we will never forget the constant fear that came with our immigration status.
Today, there are millions of people in the U.S. who were brought here as children by their parents under similar circumstances. Many of them were brought here very young, and this is the only home they have ever known. In 2012, the Obama administration allowed these young people to step out of the shadows, giving them hope of being able to fully pursue their American dreams through a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.
President Trump wants to end DACA, and he has taken his case to the Supreme Court. If this administration is permitted by the court to cancel this vital program, families will be torn apart, and millions of bright, young, hardworking people who want nothing more than to contribute to the country they love will find their lives and dreams shattered as they are sent to places they may not even remember.
Immigrants have been instrumental in building this country throughout history, and will play a key role in building America’s future. I now live in Braddock, a small town just outside Pittsburgh that was built by immigrants who came here to work in the steel mill. Braddock at the time was a promised land for immigrants. They came here from all over the world to build better lives for themselves and their families.
The mill still operates, although not at nearly the same scale. I live right across the street, and when I look out my window, and watch the workers come and go, I feel a profound connection to the immigrants who were here before me. Just like my family, they packed up everything and bet on America. When they got here, they walked these same streets, and took in the beauty of these same hills, this same river, that I get to experience with my family today. They made lives for themselves here. They became proud Americans. They made the steel that built the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Dreamers carry on this tradition of working hard and making this country better. They serve in the military, and work in hospitals and hospices as caregivers, making sure our seniors receive the care they deserve. We owe it to the memory of those who have come before us to stand up and ensure that the next generation will share in the incredible opportunities that America has to offer, and have a chance to help build the future of this nation.
My heart goes out to the Dreamers, because I was once in their shoes. I know how much they love this country, how happy they are to be here, and how desperately they want to become Americans, too. We are able to appreciate this great country in ways that are only possible if you came from somewhere else. Without fail, tears come to my eyes every time I hear the national anthem, or when a poll worker hands me my “I Voted” sticker. The first time I was called for jury duty, I was so excited that all the other potential jurors probably thought I was a crazy person, but I didn’t care. To me, getting called for jury duty was a sign that at last, I had truly made it; I was now a real American.
The Dreamers deserve this same opportunity, and we as Americans owe it not only to them, but to our own immigrant ancestors, to stand up on behalf of their opportunity to pursue the American dream. There are approximately 24,000 Dreamers in Pennsylvania, and I promise you: they’re going to make us proud some day.