The American Dream is not for everyone

Less than a month ago, the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act better known as the DREAM ACT was shut down by Congress, yet again.

The Dream Act is a proposed legislation that would allow undocumented young people, who were raised in this country and are under the age of 35, to live in this country legally. Most of these young people do not even remember their place of birth. They see the United States as their home. It is not their fault that they came to this country illegally and, therefore, should not be punished.

This legislation probably does not affect any of us since we are able to attend college- we must have some sort of legal standing. However, it does affect many people around us. I have many friends who were not able to continue their education due to the lack of an immigration status. Just look around you: We live in Miami, one of the most diverse cities in the world.

You can find a person from almost every country in the world in here. We are all part of the melting pot that is American culture. However, there are still some people who are in the dark. I find it hard to believe that in a nation made by immigrants, there are still some people forgotten by society. Currently, there are about 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. I wonder what the government plans to do to fix this problem.

We can’t just keep looking away. As college students and future leaders of this nation we need to make a stance in order to improve our society. We need to fix this problem now so all these young people can have a future.

Rosa Orihuela is a sophomore majoring in journalism and computer science. She may be contacted at rorihuela@themiamihurricane.com.