Keep on Dreaming

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Recommended: United states human rights essay

United States is a nation founded on the principle of human equality and freedom. We as a nation has certainly have experienced ups and downs along the way trying to always practice these principles. But this story might just open up a whole new perspective to us.

Mandeep Chahal was brought to the United States from India 14 years ago, when she was only 6 years old. Today, Mandeep is 20. She is an academic all-star. She is an honors pre-med student at the University of California Davis, where she is majoring in neurology, physiology, and behavior. Mandeep is also dedicated to public service. In high school, she helped to found One Dollar for Life, a national poverty relief organization. She was voted the member of her class “Most Likely to Save the World.” At her college, Mandeep is the Co-President of STAND, an anti-genocide group. Mandeep has so much to offer to our country. Unfortunately she was placed in deportation proceedings earlier this year (qtd. In Durbin).

Mandeep’s story is just one out of 65 thousand similar stories of young undocumented students who came here as children, live their whole life in US, worked tirelessly towards their American dreams but who are nonetheless living under the constant fear of deportation despite their academic and social achievements (Dougherty, Nienhusser, and Vega 123-173) . DREAM act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) is a specially designed immigration act

that will allow students like Mandeep to work their way towards US citizenship. This act certainly represents the American hope and dream, but should the US Congress pass this act as a law?

The official legal language of this act itself is a little bit difficult to understand. But the main point of thi...

... middle of paper ...

...erty, Kevin J., Kenny Nienhusser, and Blanca E. Vega. "Undocumented Immigrants and State Higher Education Policy: The Politics of In-State Tuition Eligibility in Texas and Arizona." Review of Higher Education 34.1 (2010): 123-73. ProQuest Central. Web. 2 Mar. 2012.

Duncan, Arne. "DREAM Act Testimony." Ed.gov. United States Department of Education, 28 June 2011. Web. 02 Mar. 2012.

Durbin, Richard J. "More DREAM Act Stories." Durbin.senate.gov. Dick Durbin, United States Senate. Web. 02 Mar. 2012.

Dwoskin, Elizabeth. "Why Americans Won't Do Dirty Jobs." Msnbc.com. Msnbc Digital Network, 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 02 Mar. 2012.

Reid, Harry. "Immigration - America Needs Comprehensive Immigration Reform." Reid.senate.gov. Harry Reid, United States Senate. Web. 02 Mar. 2012.

111th Congress. "S. 729." Thomas.loc.gov. United States Library of Congress. Web. 2 Mar. 2012

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