The Ability to Dream or Not to Dream

The Sacramento Bee ran a story on August 19 on the shutting of doors to young undocumented immigrants.  Here is an excerpt:

Beto’s rage is nearly palpable. The 22-year-old once dreamed of becoming a firefighter or a police officer. He wanted an assignment in a tough neighborhood, like the block in south Sacramento where he grew up. Beto’s family smuggled him over the Mexican border illegally when he was 5. From kindergarten to 12th grade, he was taught the American values of upward mobility and self-determination. He could do anything if he just tried hard, he learned. But a series of abrupt denials in high school taught Beto that he was up against big obstacles. Without a Social Security number, there was no driver’s license, no after-school job that lasted longer than a few weeks, no financial aid for college. Now, Beto smolders with frustration. Harboring only faint memories of the country he left behind, he’s locked in a shadow world where his opportunities for betterment are almost nil.

Click here to read the entire story.

KJ