We the Dreamers

DREAMer: a young visionary, an undocumented immigrant, who wants to achieve the American Dream. As of August 2016 it was estimated that some 35 million Mexicans were living in the United States, 23.5 million of whom were born in the United States and 11.5 million in Mexico. Of the latter, only 5 million are undocumented and of them, 1.3 million are considered DREAMers: young people who were taken to the United States by their parents when they were children, who grew up and were educated in this country, and who -because of their illegal status- face daunting obstacles to develop professionally. This, however, does not prevent them from dreaming. In We the DREAMers, Josefina Vázquez Mota explores the laws and statistics, and above all highlights the narratives and emotions behind the life stories of these DREAMers whose only objectiveis to fulfill their dreams. Their testimonies offer a kaleidoscope of viewpoints, pinpointing many obstacles. Nevertheless, they are voices of young people who have not given up; instead they have created or joined activist groups alongside many other people who, like them, just want to be heard and acknowledged. This volume introduces you to some of them. «This book is for the courageous, for some of its stories will break any reader’s heart, especially those that are a litany of closed doors and missed opportunities. Nevertheless, it is a story of perseverance, optimism, and social commitment on the part of young people filled with hope. Driven by the desire to achieve their own dreams, the DREAMers strive relentlessly to make the road less difficult for those who follow them and to minimize the obstacles facing other undocumented young people and their families, while they campaign fervently for immigration reform.» Alyshia Gálvez, CUNY Professor