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Sandra Kouamou
Professor Bolton
ENG 101
November 17, 2014
For the Dream Generation
America is the land of immigrants. At least that is the line we have been fed since our
first American history class. The early settles of America fled Europe so they could practice
religion freely. However, when they got here, they stole the land from its original owners, and
oppressed anyone who did not look like them. Immigrants migrated from Europe through Ellis
Island to come find the American dream. Fast forward into 2014, the phrase America is the
land of immigrants has lost its original meaning. With the shift of immigrants entrance from
north of the border to the south of the border, the new comers are browner and poorer, yet they
too are fleeing a form of oppression with ambition that America will be the place where they can
start their new lives. Todays immigration crises is worse than it has ever been; American citizens
are frustrated with the lack of action from the government. Which some have even said was a
key reason why Democrats lost the senate in 2014. This frustration and lack of understanding for
the crises has led to people just wishing that the border could be closed down, and deny any
legislation that would help the immigrants. According to Jennifer McFayden, author of
Opposition to the Dream Act, one of the most common reason people oppose the Dream Act, is
because of the fear that it would reward illegals that came into this country illegally. Yes it would
reward them, however, it would also ease the crises so America can benefit from them. The
DREAM Act was propose to be an advocate for young undocumented immigrants who came
here against their will, graduate from an American high school, and are below the ages of 30.
Although I agree that illegal immigrants should not be given a slap on their wrist for coming here
illegally, we cannot punish the ones who had no choice when they came here, which is why the

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bill should be passed.
One of the biggest misconceptions that opponents of the DREAM Act have, is the idea
that if America just encourages self-deportation, the undocumented immigrants will simply
leave. This could be a solution, however, it is not achievable. The idea lacks compassion.
According to Robert Gonzales, author of 5 Myths about the Dream Generation, Republican
Presidential candidate Mitt Romney proposed this idea. Romney believes that stricter
immigration laws will make life for undocumented immigrants so unbearable that they will
leave. Of the 11 million illegals in this country, more than half of them came before 2005.
Obviously they have been founding ways to survive in this country with very little resources,
which really is a testament to how strong illegal immigrants are for surviving in this country.
Another misconception that opponents of the DREAM Act have, is the idea that by passing the
bill, not only will it encourage more illegal immigrants to come here, but the crime rate will also
go up. I understand where they are coming, but this too is far from the truth. Illegal immigrants
are still coming here despite tougher laws that denies them most of the right that American
citizens have, and stricter border patrolling. For example, the state of California has the highest
amount of immigrants in this country, yet crime rates for immigrants is relatively indifferent
from the regular population. Donal Dobkin's Behind the Green Card: How Immigration Policy Is
Killing the American Dream explains A 2008 report by the Public Policy Institute of California
found that immigrants are far less likely than U.S.-born Californians to commit crime. Although
people born abroad made up approximately 35 percent of Californias adult population, they
accounted for only about 17 percent of the adult prison population (70). This proves the
argument from opponents about the criminality of illegal immigrants to be false. Another
misconception that opponents of the DREAM Act have, is the idea that all illegal immigrants in
this country came here illegally, which is another false misconception. According to Hope Yen,
author of Illegal Immigration Drops after Decade-Long Rise, for the first time since 1910,

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immigrant from Asia topped immigrants from Latin America as far as number. What does this
mean? Well, since it is impossible for immigrants from Asia to cross this country illegally, unless
they are swimming illegally across the border, this means that Asian immigrants are coming here
legally, however, they are over staying their welcome. Robert Gonzales' 5 Myths about the
Dream Generation claims that up to 45 percent of illegal immigrants entered this country under
a valid visa. However, when they overstay their visa, the US immigration laws makes it very
difficult to become a US citizen. Without a hardship waiver, the immigrant has to go back to
their country of origin, and reapply for a visa, but they risk waiting an extra 10 years for reentry.
So what do these smart people do? They break the law by refusing to live, or by hiding,
especially since the US does not keep track of them unless they commit a crime. A lot of
Americans are then left with the question of, why don't these immigrants just come here legally,
and then fight for their citizenship the right way? If it was easy, a lot of people would be citizens
by now. However, the fact remains, it is easier to come to this country illegally, than it is legally.
Most Americans do not understand how difficult, expensive, and time consuming the path to
citizenship is. From personal experiences, I can say that it is an emotional roller coaster. To make
sure that the road is honest, it is best to hire a lawyer, since a lot of immigrants have encountered
fraud in the process. The cost of an immigration lawyer can cost about $5000-$8000. When you
are granted a green card, there is a $1,300 fee for the card. After being granted a green card, there
is a 5 year period before you can apply for a citizenship, which today costs about $680, in the
90s, the cost was $95; to make matters worse, Obama is considering raising it to $2,000. I come
from a family of 7, so imagine the financial strain the road to citizenship can be, and till date, we
are still not citizens. It is no wonder why people break the law to stay here illegally, or come here
illegally. Many Americans reject the idea of rewarding what they consider criminals, but most of
it comes from misconceptions about the American immigration system.
One way that America can ease the burden of having so many illegal immigrants, and

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benefit from it, is to pass the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act stand for Development, Relief and
Education for Alien Minorities Act. Imagine a child coming to this country at the age of 5. Very
innocent, and blind to fact that they are considered illegal. They spend their life in America,
speaking English, and engage in culturally American things. However, during their senior year of
high school, graduating top of their class, they realize that they cannot further their life. Or my
situation of watching my parents being happy that they could get a chance to rebuild their lives
in this country. However, like most people who come here on a visa, my family overstayed their
welcome. With no legal documentation, they were laid off, lost their home, and watched as their
kids could not go to college because they could not qualify for any financial assistance. Despite
all these difficulties, they refuse to leave like most visa immigrants. After all, it is better to be
poor in America, than a third world country. What the DREAM Act aims to do is provide legal
status and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who came to this country as minors. The
bill only targets the ones who have been in this country for more than 6 years, thereby blocking
any undocumented person who comes to the country after, and discourage more from coming. It
includes a background check, thereby blocking any undocumented person who has committed a
crime while in this country. The immigrant needs to be a graduate of a high school, and accepted
into a college. This process is lengthy, and rigorous. The legal status is not just handed to them
like most opponents think it is. Opponents miss a big key that this bill will do for this country; it
will create a better educated America. Arne Duncan, author of Why DREAM Act Is Right for
U.S. Young People, claims It will unleash the full potential of young people who live by the
values that all Americans cherish a strong work ethic; service to others; and a deep loyalty to our
country. It will bolster our global economic competitiveness and increase our educational
standing in the world (Par. 5). Not only will the country's immigration crises decrease, but the
country will also flourish as a result. Let's not forget that immigrants are the one who founded
companies like eBay, Intel, and even Google. According to Jon Dougherty, author of Illegals:

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The Imminent Threat Posed by our Unsecured US-Mexico Border, illegal immigrants cost
American tax payers about $69 billion in 1997 alone (70). If the Dream Act were passed, these
illegal immigrants would not be a financial burden on citizens. The DREAM Act should be
passed because it will unleash a strong generation of educated people, who will become tax
payers that will strengthen the economy. So with all these great promises that the DREAM Act
promises to do, why has it not been passed yet? Like everything else that is wrong with this
country, it all comes down to politics. It should not come as a surprise. Latinos, like most
minorities tend to vote Democrat. With the country increasingly becoming browner, Republicans
are afraid of losing their power, which is why they tend to always favor deportation over
legislation. Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to legalize illegal immigrants to increase
their voting powers. Democrats in return are accusing Republicans of not caring about
minorities. Whatever the case is, both parties need to do the right thing to end the suffering of
these immigrants by coming to an agreement on passing the DREAM Act.
In conclusion, a lot of people are against the DREAM Act because of the misleading
information that they have about it. The bill does not aim to give immigrants a free pass for
coming to this country. The bill will ease the immigration crises in this country by decreasing the
amount of undocumented immigrants in this country. Then, it will give them a way to educate
themselves. This in return will create a more educated country that can contribute to the
economy through taxes, and job creating. Finally, it will only include the undocumented
immigrants who have been here for years, excluding any recent immigrants, therefore, wont
encourage more illegal immigrants from coming here. The DREAM Act should be passed
because it would end the suffering of young immigrants who are practically Americans.

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Work Cited
Dobkin, Donald S. Behind The Green Card: How Immigration Policy Is Killing The American
Dream. New York: Algora Publishing, 2013. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 7
Nov. 2014.
Dougherty, Jon E. Illegals: The Imminent Threat Posed by Our Unsecured U.S.-Mexico Border.
Nashville: WND, 2004. Print.
Duncan, Arne. "Why DREAM Act Is Right for U.S., Young People." USA TODAY. 28 Jun. 2011:
A.19. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.
Gonzales, Roberto G. "5 Myths about the Dream Generation." Washington Post. 24 Jun. 2012:
B.2. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
McFadyen, Jenniger. "Opposition to the DREAM Act." Immigration.about.com. Web. 07 Nov.
2014.
Yen, Hope. "Illegal Immigration Drops After Decade-Long Rise." Tallahassee Democrat. 06
Dec. 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.