By David Castillo, Communications Department, NCLR
This week in "Living the American DREAM," we meet 30-year-old Yazmin Abreu of Orange County, California. Like so many young people profiled in this space, Yazmin arrived in the United States as a child. She was eight years old, and her young mind could not fully grasp why her family was leaving what she thought was a happy life in Mexico. What she didn't realize was that her father, like many parents, was looking for a way to sustain his family, and coming to the U.S. was the chance to realize his potential. He decided to move first, and Yazmin, her siblings and her mother would join later.
For much of her early life, Yazmin was not aware of her immigration status. She struggled some in school, though not with her academics. Rather, Yazmin had difficulty socially. Thanks to a great elementary school teacher who took an interest her, she was able to overcome these challenges. In middle school, Yazmin discovered that she was an undocumented immigrant. That revelation would affect how guarded she was about many details of her private life.
Despite the problems presented by her status, Yazmin was determined to go to college, though she knew getting there would not be easy. However, thanks to the California DREAM Act, she was able to pay in-state tuition. She also confided in a guidance counselor about being undocumented, and that counselor helped her in the college application process.
Although she was able to attend college, it wasn't always an easy road. Yazmin's commute to and from school was an hour and a half every day. Often she made use of the computer labs until they closed, and she wouldn't get home until midnight. She admits that it took a while for her to graduate, as she had to take some time off to raise funds for classes. Her hard work and dedication finally paid off when, in 2012, Yazmin graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in health science education.
Freshly graduated and ready to work, Yazmin didn't find a job easily, especially due to her immigration status. Later that year, however, after receiving administrative relief through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Yazmin hit the ground running, reveling in the practice of even applying for a job legally.
"Right now, I can go to websites, look for jobs, and apply to them, and it is such a sense of freedom," said Yazmin. She was even excited to go to the DMV. "I had the biggest smile on my face. I was finally able to set foot in there. That fear just goes away."
Yazmin is still searching for the right career, and she is determined to make it happen. In the meantime, she wants to ask those who are blocking expanded DACA and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) why they are so intent on deporting people who will contribute greatly to the United States, especially given the numbers of people who are already benefiting from relief.
"This country needs DREAMers like us, so why give it away?" she asked. "I know I'm going to achieve the American Dream. They need to think about the future."
This was first posted to the NCLR Blog.