DREAMers celebrate Independence Day in the country they call home

[sheshe2]

Home is where the heart is, as the famous quote says. But what if home is a place where being American by heart is not enough without legal documentation? Celebrating Independence Day for many DREAMers means patriotically celebrating where they grew up— the place they call home— regardless of where they were born or their immigration status.

snip

The United We Dream organization, led by thousands of young DREAMer activists, has become a national political force. The group has consistently advocated for the Dream Act, and was instrumental in putting pressure behind deferring deportation for DREAMers, which resulted in President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In recent months, the group has been mobilizing in Washington and in communities across the country as they call for comprehensive reform legislation.

snip

Just yesterday, 16-year-old DREAMer Dulce Elias gave a tearful plea at a Virginia town hall meeting held by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), who has opposed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

“I am an American, I’ve been here all my life– I don’t remember Mexico, I don’t remember anybody there,” said the 16-year-old DREAMer.

http://nbclatino.com/2013/07/04/dreamers-celebrate-independence-day-in-the-country-they-call-home/