Things I'll Never Say: Stories of Growing Up Undocumented in the United States

Abstract

Debate goes on about the proposed Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. In presidential speeches, one-minute congressional floor statements, and intermittent media coverage, we hear passionate arguments for and against this federal legislation that would provide a path toward citizenship for hundreds of thousands of undocumented students. Absent from this debate are the reallife stories of DREAMers who have been educated and raised in this country and are now desperate to contribute. This collection of autobiographical stories was written by students in Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC), a San Francisco-based nonprofit that provides direct support and advocacy for low-income immigrant students who have grown up in the United States but face challenges due to financial need and immigration status. These students shed light on what it is like to grow up as undocumented youths. They talk about not being able to return to their homelands,about wanting to be accepted as Americans, and about the fear of living in the shadows. Their narratives are presented in an order that creates a sense of a young immigrant's journey: departure, crossing, arrival, alienation, and attempts at claiming a new home. It has been a decade since the DREAM Act was first introduced. How much longer will we ask them to wait?