The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act – more commonly known as the DREAM Act – is once again in the national spotlight. Introduced in 2001 and again in 2007, the DREAM Act provides a path to citizenship for undocumented students who complete two years of college or military service. It is a sensible, humane proposal that has long enjoyed bi-partisan support, but hasn’t quite passed into law despite the obvious enhancements it would provide to our economy and national security.
We bring you the voices of three California youth holding out for their DREAM.

“Maria”
Brought into the United States at age six, “Maria” has not veered from her goal to become a doctor, despite the extra obstacles faced due to her undocumented status.
I knew my dreams were extremely limited. I was not limited by my knowledge, ability to learn, money, or desire to get ahead, I was limited because I was missing a nine-digit number.
I prayed every day the DREAM Act could pass.
I don't possess a social security number, and there is no realistic way for me to earn one. I  knew college would be difficult. I had no one to ask for help or guidance because I was the first to travel this road.
I prayed every day the DREAM Act would pass.
Three jobs, sleepless nights, days without food, and many, many tears later, I did it. I was half way to my dream of being an emergency room surgeon. I have never wanted anything handed to me. I have demonstrated that I can, and will, earn what I want. The DREAM Act would give me an opportunity, not a hand out. An opportunity to save a life as a doctor, prove to my future children that this is the land of opportunity. The DREAM Act may give a student the ambition to pursue a bachelor’s degree. It may give a mother the opportunity to go to college and inspire her children.
The DREAM Act would set me free.
Free to be great, to make my community great, and make this country even greater. The day I graduated and walked across the stage was the proudest moment of my life.  This will only be surpassed by the day I graduate from medical school and my name is followed by an "MD." Allow me the opportunity to be great. I may be the surgeon that saves your life one day.
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Neidi Dominguez and Carlos Amador
 
Neidi Dominguez is a member of DREAM Team Los Angeles. She is a graduate with honors from University of California, Santa Cruz with a major in Community Studies. She aspires to be an attorney in the near future and advocate for immigrant workers in this country. Carlos Amador is a member of DREAM Team Los Angeles. He is currently a graduate student of social work at the University of California, Los Angeles. He hopes to work organizing with communities of color and immigrant communities.
This has been close to a decade of waiting, of dealing with disillusionment of the democratic and political process. We constantly dwell on what it means to be undocumented in the United States, attending school and being taught that “all men are created equal” and protected by the constitution.  We wonder if Dreamers are included in that statement? We all sang the pledge of allegiance, know U.S. history and politics, and still feel invisible and excluded. Our undocumented status represents the broken immigration system that is a relic of the 1950s.
For us, the struggle for the DREAM Act is very much part of our young lives. Our lives have been shaped by the ineffectiveness of our Congress. Our lives have taken many pauses, and until we pass the DREAM Act will continue to be on hold. We work hard to continue our education facing all odds; we contribute to this society and economy and we are still not recognized as Americans. If the legislative and executive branches of the country fail to recognize our contributions to the country, and the countless skills and possibilities of prosperity we represent, then we must question what it means to be “equal” in the United States.
We have done everything possible to push for the DREAM Act in 2010. We have risked judgments, arrests and even deportations to highlight the urgency to take action.  We have traveled to Arizona and across the nation. We have fasted for days, even when our own families plead for us not to. Our organizing and leadership have brought us to this very moment and we truly have hope that Congress will make the right decision and pass the DREAM Act. As we make phone calls to urge our senators and representatives to vote "yes" on the DREAM Act, we also dream of finally being recognized in this nation. It feels like our dreams can finally become realities.
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For even more information,  download a pdf report analyzing the DREAM Act’s real-world impact.
"The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave." -- Thomas Jefferson