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Immigration Wed Mar 10 2010
Undocumented Youth Ready to "Come Out"
It is unfortunate but we are living in a time where discrimination against undocumented immigrants is most evident. What used to be a rapid process on the road to residency has turned into several years of struggle for millions of people. This is the case for the youth that will march through the streets of downtown Chicago Wednesday afternoon and announce that they are undocumented. They are calling it the "coming out" rally, an approach inspired by both the gay rights movement and earlier marches for immigrant rights.
From the Tribune, who spoke to a young woman about her decision to "come out":
Legions of young people like her -- brought here as children by their parents, now American in every way but the paperwork -- continue to live squeezed between the desire to speak out and the reflex to hide. "It's a radical act just to say it," she says, sitting in her workplace, which for this column she'd rather not identify.
Due to a broken immigration system, hundreds of thousands of undocumented students graduate high school every year with high hopes for the future, only to have them crushed upon learning that they are not eligible for financial aid without a social security number. It is against the law to work or drive and it is nearly impossible to go to college in some states. Contrary to popular belief, there is no path to citizenship for these people so they are taking matters into their own hands by making their presence known and hoping it will inspire others to do the same.
John / March 10, 2010 12:30 PM
I have no sympathy for ILLEGAL Immigrants and the position they have put themselves in. We can no longer afford to look the other way any longer. ICE should be present at these rallies along with local police to arrest them on the spot, that's what happens to me, an American Citizen, when I break the law, I pay the price. Why not them?