Dear Dreamers
I chose to give you this care package as I feel as though you are a group of people that are being unreasonably prosecuted; you cannot control the fact you were brought into the United States at such a young age. That is your home, you live there and often do not know or remember much different of your previous home country. It’s not fair to be forcibly removed and judged for the reason you’re in the United States as it was out of your control. You are being forced into a country you have not been to since being a child or where you haven’t lived in for years. You have family, friends, jobs and established lives in America, but are being forced from this comfort into places that you have very little or no knowledge of. Sometimes you are being forced into places that some of you can’t even speak the language of. You are the people I chose as I believe you need comfort in this unreliable time. It will help greatly in this time of uncertainty and need reaffirmation that people still believe in you and don’t wish the harm on you that others do. I hope that these multiple different works truly help and bring you comfort in this time of uneasiness. The times that you are encountering are very turbulent and I cannot guarantee that this will all end well and how you’d like, but I hope for the best.
The book I would choose to give you is a book of poems by Billy-Ray Belcourt called This Wound is a World. This book is from the personal experiences of Belcourt growing up and dealing with judgment and prejudice from other people due to his sexual orientation and the fact that he is indigenous. He writes of his experiences where he’s dealt with judgement which I believe will help those who are faced with possible deportation it is possible you feel judged and prosecuted due to factors you can’t control. The poetry, I believe, can bring comfort in the fact you are not the only ones being judged for actions that are not your own. It is an unfair circumstance that you’ve been brought into.
The movie that I chose to include in the care package, being Ratatouille, is more of a less serious choice as it is only to give a comforting feeling and does not have a huge connection to the issues being faced by you. The basis of the movie is someone who is misunderstood by others and outcasted, but finds his own and shows his ability. I found that this relates to your predicaments as he is judged by his peers, but knows that he is able to show his best. It is not a perfect connection, but I believe that it is a similar experience he is dealing with.
The piece of music I chose is Team by the brand Brockhampton and more specifically the two verses by Kevin Abstract and Ameer Vann. I chose them as those two verses speak of judgment of due to the colour of their skin, lifestyle and how the possible change that was occurring through the election of Barack Obama as president created hope. Vann describes this judgment by others at the beginning of his verse “I got a hard time, I gotta watch myself. The way I move through a room full of suits” (Brockhampton, TEAM). With the election of Trump, they realized that the bigotry and hatred is still very much alive and well in our world. Abstract raps about this in his verse “Little old me, I thought my world was progressive ’cause my president was black, twenty-five lighters on the dresser” (Brockhampton, TEAM). I chose them as they represent struggle being faced by others in this shifting political landscape and that they are not alone. Others understand the struggle that you are facing and are dealing with similar ones themselves.
The article is written on the fact that, even though Trump has ended the DACA program, the courts are still forcing the current administration to continue renewing the program which has taken away from the urgency of its possible demise. I chose this article to show there is still hope for you being affected by this possible drastic change; it can get better for you. The author writes about this “court orders have forced the Trump administration to keep issuing renewals, easing the sense of urgency” (CNBC). The Trump organization has threatened to ruin your lives in America, but have just been talking and no action which means you can rest easy knowing that they are yet to truly change anything. It is not as of an immediate of a change as you thought it would be as they are unable to come up with a replacement or another option.
I chose this article as it talks about the benefits of the DACA program and why it should stay as law. The benefits vastly outweigh the retractions of the removing the legislation and killing it could ruin the lives of thousands of people. It shows that there still are and always will be people fighting alongside you and that you will never be alone in your struggles. People are still there for you no matter what the upper powers of government are attempting to do. I believe it is an incredibly important article to help with proving the point that you are valuable members of society. You contribute greatly to society and it would be a travesty for you to be taken away.
The gift I would give you would be the confirmation that this piece of legislation would not be removed as its existence continues your lives in America. It is essential for you to stay there and without it, so many of your lives could possibly be ruined. Given the importance of you staying in this country, this legislation is dire. This is the most important gift I could possibly include in the care package.
From what you’ve experienced, I believe that these multiple different works will be an incredible aid with helping you deal with the stresses of the uncertainty given the removal of DACA legislation. This may possibly mean deportation for you, but I hope that these pieces will bring you comfort in knowing that people have and will experience the same sort of discrimination due to race or sexual orientation. There are people out there care for you, these people are fighting for you and want the best for you. I hope this care package gives you comfort and reassurance.
References
- Belcourt, Billy-Ray. This Wound is a World. Frontenac House Poetry, 2017.
- Bird, Brad. Ratatouille. Disney Pixar, 2007.
- Brockhampton. “Team.” Saturation III, Question Everything Inc, 2017
- CNBC, “DACA deportation deadline arrives, but with an easing sense of urgency.” CNBC, 2018, https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/05/daca-deportation-deadline-arrives-but-with-an-easing-sense-of-urgency.html
- Epstein, Richard A. “A Clean Deal on DACA: Here’s a creative way to fix the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program: sign it into law.” Hoover Digest, no. 1, 2018, pp. 48.