A Nation Overwhelmed with Hope

A Nation Overwhelmed with Hope

April 10^th, 2006 was recorded as the largest nationwide day of protest. Hundreds of thousands of millions of people across the country got together to protest over a proposed change in United States (U.S) policy.  I remember my dad picking my sister and me from school to accompany him to the march. It was the first time I was exposed to social activism. I remember seeing a lot of people from different backgrounds: Asians, Latino, Afro-Latinos, Africans, European, etc. I would hear people continuing to yell even though they lost their voice after miles of chanting and protesting. It was real. Nine years later, where does the U.S government stand in their immigration policy? I will be highlighting the accomplishments of immigration reform and my thoughts and feelings about the future.

June 15 of 2012, President Barack Obama announced new program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Under DACA, youth who entered the U.S as children would be protected from deportation and also granted work permits. Some of the requirements to qualify for DACA have entered the U.S before the age of 16, being between the ages of 15 and 30, have lived in the U.S for five years and either be enrolled in school or have a high school diploma or GED.

April 17^th of 2013 a group of eight senators introduced an immigration reform bill. Consisting of 844 pages, the bill offers legal residency and eventually citizenship for those undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. before December 31. 2011. After weeks of evaluating, analyzing, modifying the bill was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee sending it Senate floor for further dispute. June 27^th, 2013 the senate approved the eight senators’ immigration reform bill by a vote of 68 to 32. I was an exciting moment for many undocumented immigrants. It was one step closer in becoming a new more modernized immigration reform since the last one that was passed in 1986. The bill is now sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Now it is up to them to either agree with the bill or simply modify so that republicans can be satisfied with it. The House of Representative still have not said anything about the immigration bill that what passed by from the Senate.

Now that the immigration reform bill sets in hands of the House of Representatives, what could the future of this or any immigration reform bill look like? With the Presidential election just around the corner, I think that the future for an immigration reform can go either way. If Democratic Party wins the next upcoming elections there may still be some stubbornness in part of the House of Representatives in allowing a new immigration reform to be passed. If the Republican Party wins the elections (which I honestly don’t feel won’t happen) then house would then allow a republic immigration reform to pass. So like always, the future of the oppressed minorities’ sets in hands of conservative, capitalist, stubborn, arrogant, republicans. But I’ll still keep a hopeful mindset for the future. 







Photos retrieved from:
1st photo: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/better-immigration-plan-article-1.1270050
2nd photo: http://www.house.gov/