Someone Like Me

An estimated 800,000 young people who were brought to the United States as children have applied for a government program called DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) since it was established in 2012. DACA made it possible for young people to work legally and allowed them to stay in America despite not being US citizens or having valid visas. Like me, they came to the United States through no choice of their own. Some of them made the journey with their parents when they were babies, and others came to be reunited with their parents as young children. Like me, they grew up in America, went to school, and feel American in every way. They are known as dreamers.

After many years of living in Mexico without my parents, I came to live with them in Texas. While I had no say in coming to America, I thank my parents for bringing me here so that I could have a better life. My story has a happy ending. I am now a United States citizen. I do not have to worry about being separated from my family. Sadly, the 800,000 Dreamers who applied for the DACA program do not know how their stories will end. In September 2017, the DACA program was terminated and suddenly their future became uncertain. Without DACA, Dreamers cannot work, drive, and in some cases, go to school. Most important, Dreamers are at risk of being deported and separated from their families.

I originally wrote my story as an adult memoir called My (Underground) American Dream to shed light on the plight of undocumented people and put a human face on the issue of undocumented people–a topic that tends to be very controversial. I also wanted to share my story with young readers because my own journey in America began when I was only eleven years old. Perhaps some of your classmates or their parents are dreamers too. Someone Like Me is a story about strength and never giving up on your dreams even when the odds are stacked against you. It is about believing in yourself and deeply knowing that you are enough and that you belong.

Dreamers have not given up. They have fought for their right to live and thrive in the United States by marching to the nation’s capital, by organizing phone calls to congress, and by sharing their amazing and unique stories with the American people. This book is dedicated to them.