This morning New York's public radio station WNYC aired a ten-minute story by Christian, a 15-year old Mexican boy who lives in Staten Island and who faces the prospect of a life sentence of being labeled an "illegal immigrant" because his mother brought him across the border when he was 4 years old.
It is impossible to listen to this story without feeling that it is worse than un-American for our government to treat Christian and hundreds of thousands of other undocumented children in this way. It is immoral and inhumane.
the idea of working as a day laborer, like my step dad, for the rest of my life, makes me feel like I have a thousand bricks on my shoulders already. But I think that if I could really get my citizenship and go to college, I would be the first one at the recruiter’s office. I would cross the ocean to a hot, sandy country where car bombs exploding all over, and sleep in a tent, eat nasty food, and fight for this country if it meant I could just stay here and not get deported back to a place I don’t even remember.
It is also just plain stupid for us to treat Christian and his peers in this way, because these children, raised and educated in America, have so much potential to contribute to our society, our culture, and our economy.
Christian knows there is a better way.
There’s no way right now for me to get my legal papers. Even though I was only four years old, the fact that I crossed the border illegally means I can’t ever marry someone for my papers, I can’t get sponsored by my family. I’m not eligible for a special work visa. I’m completely locked out unless the military lets me in, or congress passes a new law.
There is one they’ve been debating for a long time. It would make it possible for kids in my situation to become citizens if they finish two years of college or military service.
It’s called the dream act.
Congress should listen to Christian.