A Dreamer on the American experiment

People protesting the decision to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy in New York City on Sept. 5, 2017. (Christopher Penler via Shutterstock)

America is the best promise we have. 250 years ago, when the Declaration of Independence stated that all men are created equal, it was not an immediate reality for everyone, but rather a guiding promise for the country’s future.

I am a 33-year-old Dreamer with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) who has lived in the United States since I was 9. Over my decades in this country, I have thought a lot about my place in the American story. I grew up undocumented, went to college here, applied for DACA in 2012 when the program first opened, was granted DACA status that year, and, two years later, graduated from college and started working.

That experience has informed my perspective. I think America is the most consequential political experiment in human history. It is a country that acknowledges the rights inherent in every individual. In the course of its history, the United States has expanded its promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to many. While not always perfect – what human creations are? – America has grown into the world’s greatest symbol of and protector of individual liberty.

In the 250 years since America’s founding, many other countries have followed in its footsteps. Without America as a guide, there would likely be far fewer free countries in the world. History is filled with examples of small republics or federations that committed themselves to the values of individual liberty and upheld them for some time. But the United States is by far the largest and most enduring country to do so successfully.  

To me, America represents freedom and opportunity – the freedom to be your own true self and the opportunity to obtain an education, make a living, practice your religion, own a home, and build a decent life. We always face challenges and debates, of course, but we are lucky to inherit such a tradition and responsible for continuing it into the future.

A photo of "Inside Out Dreamers" project at the University of Houston on Dec. 5, 2017. (Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

I say “we” because I grew up in the United States and see myself as part of its story. I may not have permanent legal status – DACA provides a work permit and protection from deportation on a renewable two-year basis – but I feel deeply embedded in the country’s fabric. Most of my best friends, my cousins, and my significant others are and have been American. My memories and experiences are of my life in America.

I am lucky to have DACA. Not every Dreamer was able to apply for DACA before the program largely stopped processing new applications in 2017. And even I feel a high level of uncertainty about my future. I have traveled to 45 states, on road trips with friends and by myself. My goal is to reach all 50 states as soon as I can, because I know that DACA could go away.

Throughout U.S. history, the promise of America has repeatedly been expanded to include those who were previously excluded. I see DACA recipients, and the larger Dreamer community, as a continuation of that process. We are striving to obtain the full promise of America, in the same way as those in the Civil Rights, women’s suffrage, and many other movements did before us. This is hard work that can take many years to achieve; there are often setbacks along the way. But I fervently hope that Dreamers too will eventually be acknowledged as a part of the American story.

Congress has the power to pass legislation that would allow Dreamers and other long-term undocumented immigrants to obtain legal status in the United States. Most people working in this area already share a good sense of what the components of the legislation would look like. It would ensure applicants have no criminal record, require them to show good moral character, pay back owed taxes. In return, they would be made eligible to apply for a legal status that allows them to work, travel, and be protected from deportation. I am grateful that we Dreamers have many friends working with us toward such a solution.

While I am still optimistic that such change will eventually come, I am increasingly worried that it might arrive too late for many. Our situation remains precarious. Already, some Dreamers have been detained in the current immigration crackdown; a few have been deported. Litigation in Texas could bar work permits for DACA recipients this year. 

Many Dreamers will face difficult decisions in the coming months. We will have to figure out how to continue contributing to our country as workers and students while also becoming more cautious about where we go and what we do. We have zero room for error in our daily lives. Expanding the promise of America to cover Dreamers sooner rather than later would save many people a lot of difficulty and pain.

On its 250th birthday, America remains important because it still embodies the best hope the world has of what a free and just society can be. America is also the best promise Dreamers have.