Will DREAMer’s Suicide Inspire DREAM Act Passage?

Bryan Llenas writes for Fox News Latino:

While most families are gearing up for the holidays, a family in Texas is planning a funeral, after an 18-year-old committed suicide the day after Thanksgiving. Joaquin Luna took his life, his family claims, because his aspiration to study engineering was dashed after Congress’ failure to pass the DREAM Act.

Luna was brought to the United States when he was six months old. He was undocumented, and the lack of legal status weighed heavily on him, his oldest brother, Dire Mendoza, told Fox News Latino.

“One of my favorite subjects by far is math,” he writes.”They [his family] have unconditionally supported me and will continue to do so for the benefit of my brothers as well. I want to demonstrate to them that all that agricultural work done and all those days of giving their best would have been worth it. The sound of being the first one of my family graduating from college makes me want it more because I want to prove not only to myself but to many other people especially my own sisters that even because we don’t have the financial support doesn’t mean we need to quit in fulfilling want we always wanted to. That right there would really complete my dream.”

“His world just closed. He took the decision and decided to do this – to sacrifice himself,” Mendoza said. “I think he did it to have politicians have more heart, and give other kids the opportunity he thought he was never given. If this DREAM Act would have passed this would have never have happened.”

Mendoza, 35, says Luna dressed up on Friday night and put on his tie as if he was going to church. He made his rounds through the house, saying goodbye to his family members heading to bed.

His family thought nothing of it, Mendoza said.

That’s when Marie Mendoza, Luna’s cousin, says Luna told his older brother, Carlos, 29, “he could become something in life, but he would never become anything in life because of his status.”

Moments later, Luna was found dead in the bathtub of his home after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Read more….

In an essay obtained by Fox News Latino entitled “Fulfilling a dream in waiting…” dated January 11, 2011, Luna writes about his aspiring goals. “One of my favorite subjects by far is math,” he writes.”They [his family] have unconditionally supported me and will continue to do so for the benefit of my brothers as well. I want to demonstrate to them that all that agricultural work done and all those days of giving their best would have been worth it. The sound of being the first one of my family graduating from college makes me want it more because I want to prove not only to myself but to many other people especially my own sisters that even because we don’t have the financial support doesn’t mean we need to quit in fulfilling want we always wanted to. That right there would really complete my dream.”

bh