|
Ireri Unzueta Carrasco, una mexicana de 25 años a quien sus
padres llevaron sin autorización a Chicago a la edad de siete,
dijo que Veliz ``realmente no dijo mucho. Qué bueno que la
dejaron hablar, pero es un lip service (una declaración de la
boca para afuera) para la comunidad, porque todavía siguen las
deportaciones. Hablar en un podio no va a cambiar la realidad''.
Unzueta es una de las 40 pasajeras del Undocubus, una iniciativa
de la organización activista No Papers, No Fear (Sin Papeles,
Sin Miedo), que desde el 28 de julio han visitado varias
ciudades estadounidenses para retar al presidente Barack Obama a
que decida cuál prefiere que sea su legado como presidente: el
que apoya a los inmigrantes no autorizados o el que ha realizado
más deportaciones que nunca.
DREAMers on display
at Democratic National Convention
Sept. 4, 2012: Day two of the Democratic National Convention
in Charlotte, North Carolina featured an historic occurrence –
DREAM Act advocate Benita Veliz spoke to the assembled
delegates and television audience during the 9 PM hour.
Following a video focused on immigration policy, Benita took the
stage to share her own personal story, applaud the DREAM
documentation program announced by the Obama Administration on
June 15, 2012, and made the continued case for a permanent
legislative solution.
“The strength and courage of the DREAM movement has led to
historic policy breakthroughs and now leads to the televised
stage of a national political convention,” said Frank Sharry,
Executive Director of America’s Voice. “It’s a testament to
Benita Veliz and the hundreds of thousands of similar stories
she represents that the DREAM movement has come this far and
continues to work so hard – Benita and her fellow DREAMers are
an inspiration.”
As
Huffington Post
noted
of Benita’ story, “After her parents brought her to Texas from
Mexico at the age eight, Veliz graduated from high school two
years early as a National Merit Scholar and as her class
valedictorian. She then graduated from St. Mary’s University,
which she attended on a full academic merit scholarship.
“But in 2009, she said a small driving error threatened her
ability to stay in the only country she knows. Veliz neglected
to make a complete stop at a stop sign, prompting a police
officer to pull her over. Deportation proceedings were then
initiated when it was discovered she was undocumented.”
Though she was eventually spared deportation, Benita and fellow
DREAMers now continue to advocate for a lasting solution that
will allow these aspiring Americans to give back to the nation
they call home.
Source: America's Voice -- Harnessing the power of American
voices and American values to win common sense immigration
reform. On the Internet:
www.americasvoiceonline.org
|
