Over three million students graduate from U.S. high schools every year, and most of these get the opportunity to test their dreams and live their own version of the American story. Unfortunately, approximately 65,000 other youths do not get this opportunity; instead, they’re profiled as an illegal immigrant and denied the right to higher education. These youths have lived in the United States for most of their lives and want nothing more than to be recognized as Americans and be given the same opportunities as their peers. The Dream Act is a bipartisan piece of legislation that can solve this social injustice. The Dream Act would allow undocumented youths to be eligible for a 6 year long path towards citizenship that requires completion of a college degree or two years of military service. A man by the name of Juanma Trigo was able overcome this obstacle at the University of Florida.
Juanma immigrated to the United States at the tender age of four and shortly after his arrival was enrolled in the local public high school. Living the majority of his life in the United States, he felt no different from the rest of his peers; he was an “American.” The American culture was what he knew and was surrounded by. Coming from a low socioeconomic neighborhood, Juanma encountered drugs and gang violence on a day to day basis. However, his positive outlook on life and strong character steered him in the right direction. He was able to graduate in the top ten percentile from his high school and was recognized for his outstanding academic achievements. After school, he worked a part time job at the local coffee shop to financially support his single mother and four younger brothers. His friends and teacher admired his work ethic and ability to defeat his circumstances. This was all Juanma knew how to do, live the American dream.
His accomplishments in high school were recognized by school faculty and local officials from Alachua County. Juanma began the college application process but was shocked to have been rejected by every school he applied for. His academia was impressive and one would only imagine any Ivy League school would accept him. Juanma was confused by the outcomes and did not understand why every school rejected his application. After consulting with admissions, he was told that he was not even considered because he was not a citizen of the United States of America. He explained his circumstances and told them that his single mother of four was unable to afford his citizenship.
He appealed their decisions and told them he was just as qualified as any of his peers.
“How many in your applicant pool; migrated to another country, learned a second language, worked part time to support four younger brothers, and above all, excelled in school?”
Although he tried his hardest, his appeals were ultimately unsuccessful. He was discouraged by the fact that the only thing holding him back from becoming a productive member of society and living the American dream was a piece of paper.
Many would have given up at this point, but Juanma did not accept failure this easily. His resilience led him to achieve what few believed was possible. He had learned that there was no such thing as a free lunch, but was there such a thing as a free education? For four years Juanma began attending live lectures at the University of Florida. He would simply walk into the large lecture classrooms and take notes as if he were a registered student, listening to the professor’s words of wisdom that would help him reach his American dream. At nights after work, he would complete homework assignments and would read and prepare prior to class. His work ethics significantly surpassed that of his classmates. However, Juanma would never participate in class or interact with his classmates in fear of being caught. His unnaturally introverted personality made him feel ostracized.
He would think to himself, “I’m an illegal immigrant, why am I doing this if know one respects me?”
His drive was simple, to give his mother and younger siblings a better life.
After four years of educating himself, he had completed the entire academic curriculum to graduate with an undergraduate degree in Economics without ever enrolling into the university. He faced the challenge of proving he was qualified to enter the work force without U.S. citizenship. Although Juanma was qualified for every job he applied for, again a simple piece of paper was holding him back from getting hired. He begged the employer to give him a proficiency test because he knew that he was highly qualified for the position. Months passed and his dreams were coming to an end. Becoming desperate to work he ended up finding a job at a warehouse unloading packages. Since he was undocumented, he was getting paid in cash and had to work the night shift. Tragically, all of his hard work in class had resulted in working long physically demanding hours and was getting paid just below minimum wage.
As a result, Juanma would not achieve the American dream. His goal in life became to provide financial stability for his mother and younger brothers. He became an expert and activist on the Dream Act, as he does not want the approximate 65,000 undocumented youths to go through what he had to. Living in fear and working without seeing any results was extremely disheartening. The Dream Act is considered to be one of the most controversial pieces of immigration legislation that exists. This bill has not yet been passed, but through Juanma’s example and many more like himself, there is proof that a large number of illegal immigrants are simply chasing the American dream and do want to become productive members of U.S. society.
The narrative is told through Juanma Trigo's perspective. Through the images one can ultimately see that he is immigrating to the U.S. in search of a better life but questions such as, why and how this is achieved are not answered without incorporating text. Purposefully placing images within the texts gives the audience an appreciation for Juanma's struggles and ultimately facilitates their comprehension. The story is told in chronological order allowing the protagonist to develop and mature throughout the narrative. Strategic placing of the images was important to not reveal or distort the reader's interpretation. As a result, one can see how important adding a description to an image can be. An image and video can tell a lot of information that text cannot. Different senses gives the reader an alternate and often times more affective way of conveying a message.
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