This past Wednesday, I attended the Rose Café where GRF Esmeralda spoke about the DREAM act and DACA for undocumented youth in the United States.  She focused on the use of the term “DREAMers” to describe these youth.  However, with the Obama’s introduction of DACA (Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals), this term has become outdated and the youth do not like to be called “DREAMers” because it is exclusive.

Before hearing Esmeralda talk, I thought the term “DREAMers” was a positive one, since the DREAM act was helping out undocumented youth, however; the undocumented youth movement is trying to get rid of it.  The reason is that it does not encompass all undocumented youth and its focus is solely on education.  It only applies to students who go on to college so it creates a deserving/undeserving divide among the population. In addition, the term reduces an entire person into a student, when they are much more than just that. We looked at a poster about the DREAM act and the focus is clearly on higher education. The undocumented youth movement wants everyone to be included and wants get rid of the focus on education, but rather quality of life.