At last week’s Rose Cafe, GRF Esmeralda talked about the DREAM Act, which helps students who have spent their entire lives in the United States pursue higher education and gain legal residency. I had never heard of the DREAM Act before this talk, so all of it was new to me.

I was surprised to find out that many people actually criticize the DREAM Act for placing blame on the parents and suggesting that only those who are getting an education are “worthy” to stay in the United States. Specifically, the language used in the legislation criminalized the undocumented parents. However, these parents are the ones who are likely hoping for a better future for their kids – so then why should the parents be blamed for the situation?

We also looked at posters/signs about the DREAM Act and talked a little bit about the power of these visual aids. It was clear that the DREAM Act only focuses on undocumented students pursuing higher education; after all, the figures in the posters were depicted wearing caps and gowns. Overall, I felt like the posters purposefully put forth a very positive connotation and implied that DREAMers are simply hardworking students who just want to stay in the United States to get a degree.