Received this e-mail today from Gisele Fetterman on behalf of her husband, Braddock Mayor John Fetterman’s (D. PA) Lt. Governor campaign:
If you've ever wondered if you know a DREAMer, you do. I am a DREAMer.
By the time I was eight, the fear of violence in my country became too much for my mother, and she needed to find a safer environment where she could raise my brother and I.
As an eight-year-old, I was nervous and excited at the prospect of a long trip to a new place. As I packed my favorite doll and a journal inside of our suitcase, I had no idea that we would be leaving to permanently resettle in the United States.
When we arrived in wintertime to New York City, my mom put on a brave face as she braced for one of the biggest challenges of her life. On top of finding an affordable apartment for us to live in and learning how to speak English, she was forced to reset her entire professional career path. Although she had a good job as a nutritionist back in Brazil, she quickly took jobs cleaning houses and hotel rooms, saying, "I would clean toilets in America forever and never look back, knowing that you're both safe and that you have a chance that you didn't otherwise have."
My story is the story of millions of immigrants and DREAMers who have come to call the United States home. We work, study, and plan our futures in a country that has given us the opportunities that our parents could only dream of just a few years ago. And while some DREAMers may not have every piece of paper needed to prove their citizenship, they are as American as you and I.
Sign my petition now to stand with DREAMers and protect 800,000 young people from deportation. We can’t wait any longer.
Everyday I wake up so grateful to live here, and so thankful that my mother had the courage to seek out a better life for my brother and I. With three children of my own now, I understand my mother’s need to do everything possible to ensure the safety of her children — no matter what sacrifices she needed to make. My gratitude is what inspires me daily to work to improve the lives of the families I serve. I could have never dreamt that one day, that undocumented little girl would go on to dedicate her life to service, would be elected as a Delegate to the Democratic Convention or even invited to serve as a member of the electoral college. My efforts to end food and clothing insecurity are inspired directly by my immigrant experience.
Right now, 800,000 DREAMers who share similar stories to mine are on the verge of deportation in the United States. It is devastating that these young people are facing punishment for things they had no control over, and even worse — that their undocumented status is being used by Republican lawmakers to bargain for a long-term spending bill.
DREAMers are so much more than their legal status, and they deserve to be given a clean vote on The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Stand with me and the other 800,000 DREAMers across the U.S. by signing my petition urging Congress to give DACA a clean vote now.
Thank you,
Gisele Fetterman <3
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