I landed on American soil in August 1999 as a dependent listed on my father's work visa. I attended a public school while my parents set up a small Teriyaki store and paid their taxes, with the hope that we would eventually gain our permanent residency. Unfortunately, due to an unscrupulous immigration attorney, the plan was derailed and my family's application was cast into legal limbo. My parents continued to work and to pay the government, but my own residency status was, at best, murky. As senior year loomed closer and closer, I strove to do well in academics and extracurricular activities, but the constant uncertainty raised a gnawing fear that my permanent residency would never come, effectively barring me from receiving financial aid and building a life in America.
Senior year of high school arrived and, despite the fact that I had spent 10 years in the American public education system, I applied as an international student, unable to register for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Even as I began receiving my acceptance letters my happiness was dampened by the knowledge that there was no way for me to afford the tuition short of driving my family into massive debt. Yet in a stroke of opportune luck I received another acceptance letter three weeks later, this one carrying my long-awaited permanent residency.
President Jim Yong Kim's admirable support for the newest rendition of the DREAM Act ("Kim expresses support for DREAM Act," July 1), which would allow illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as minors to earn their legal status, provided a poignant reminder of my own period of hopeful uncertainty. During this time my family carefully followed the progress of various incarnations of the DREAM Act through snippets in American news and extended coverage in regional Korean papers. The future of millions depended on it, and we thought that its passage could help me as well.
Although I was able to happily conclude that chapter of my life without the passage of the DREAM Act, the same cannot be said for the 2.1 million potential beneficiaries who, through the bill's passage, would be able to legally improve their lives while making a positive contribution to American society through military service, technical skills and tax revenue. Yet despite the potential advantages of the DREAM Act, the bill currently does not have sufficient clout, especially in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, to win approval in Congress. On the positive side, however, numerous DREAM Act supporters from students to religious coalitions have expressed their support. But President Kim's advocacy underscores the necessity of another crucial voice that of institutions of higher education.
While the passage of the bill ultimately depends on senators and congressman, universities and other institutes will be responsible for a major portion of the act's realization. Some universities, such as Central Washington University and Temple University, have vouched their backing of the bill, but the current degree of support is not enough. A unified conglomeration of support from universities and students will provide a vital voice for the act's fate. While supporting the DREAM Act may be of minimal consequence for current students, its passage may have a significant effect on the composition of future classes. Furthermore, given that Dartmouth has encouraged its students to "aspire to change the world," what better way to walk the talk than to potentially change the lives of millions by supporting the DREAM Act?
Still, more can be done so that the DREAM Act can provide needed opportunities for immigrant families. Even with the passage of the act, potential students will still be ineligible for federal higher education grants such as Pell Grants during their six-year conditional period. Furthermore, the DREAM Act restores the option for states to determine residency for purposes of higher education benefits by repealing a section of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, thereby possibly allowing states to deny certain higher education benefits such as in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants. Universities offering support must substantiate their words by providing equivalent access to financial aid to DREAM Act beneficiaries, a role better suited for private institutions and certain public institutions with sufficient monetary resources.
The realization of this DREAM will lead to the realization of thousands of others and finally provide a positive mechanism for citizenship for the many would-be Americans who can help improve and vitalize our country. Both students and administrators must voice their affirmation of support and act upon their words in order to make the act a reality.
