The Dream Act !

In grade school I was taught that the United States is a melting pot. People from all over the world come here for freedom and to pursue a better life. They arrive with next to nothing, work incredibly hard, learn a new language and new customs, and in a generation they become an integral part of our amazing nation. Although it requires some adjustment by those already here, immigration has made the U.S.A. the most prosperous nation on Earth.  In reality we have not always treated immigrants well. Still today there are members of my extended family who look down on me or my children because of our culture or religious background.

I believe we are in the midst of another sad and shameful period of U.S. history, where promising young lives are being destroyed by bigotry and partisan politics. There are about 2 million young adults who were children when they were brought to this country by their parents. They didn't decide to come here and had no choice, they were children. How we are treating these kids is shameful.
We do not punish children for the actions of their parents. We invest in the health and education of our nation's children and indeed even protect them from their parents if need be. We have a collective interest in children's well-being, and don't hold children accountable for the actions of their parents.

Today, the undocumented children of illegal immigrants are in a terrible mess. These kids were raised in America, went to school in America, speak perfect English, and for many of them, this is the only home they know. Yet they can't get a driver's license, they can't apply for most financial aid to attend college, and they can't travel freely. They can't legally work at any job. Even if they graduate from a top university with amazing credentials (which many do) they can't legally work, even as a dishwasher. Just as they come of age they realize they have almost no options for living a normal productive life. In effect we are terribly punishing them for the actions of their parent


Under the Dream Act, kids are treated like all other American kids, with the exception that they have to work harder to excel in school.  They are given a chance to become citizens and productive Americans. The best and brightest should be future leaders of our country. They all should be welcome.

Shamefully though this Act is being used as a political wedge issue by Conservatives and Tea Party members. Leaders once in favor of this act now are against it. Do we really want bright educated and loyal young kids to return to the country of their birth?  Really !