Getting a bill through Congress can be very difficult. At the very bottom of the whole process though, there is a whole different task that has to take place- convincing the people. To convince people, there has to be certain evidence and proof that any American can understand and process. It doesn't have to be an evidence that has to follow certain logistics and laws; the evidence only needs to hit acr oss the point.
I think the main tool that can be used to push across a bill as difficult as the DREAM Act is to show the actual people that can benefit from this. I think one of the main reason why it is difficult is because many Americans don't really get to visualize the impact the DREAM Act could have on children and the positive effect on our country. That is why I've been investigating certain cases and testimonies that really show the hidden side of an undocumented student.
With the help of several faculty members and online research, I've been pulling together several cases from the web such as Eric Balderas, a Harvard student who is on a full scholarship but was facing deportation because he lacked proper documentation. I know the DREAM Act website has several anonymous testimonies that can help me push my point across, but I would also appreciate if anyone let me in on recent cases that could help the cause.
I don't know of any recent cases, but at my speech tournament my judge told me about a student who got their scholarship taken away because they didn't have legal documentation. My judge told me that there was a Princeton case that was backed up by Bill Clinton. I think that if you look into some it could really help get your point across. But I also think that you should give some examples of how looking into these cases will help you get your point across. What about these people will make Congress pass the bill.
ReplyDeleteDid you read the recent article (Oct 24 Sunday magazine section) in the New York Times that I sent you?
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to document some of these students' stories in order to get some attention to the human capital that is being wasted? (See Dave to understand "human capital").
ReplyDeleteAlso, can you link to some of your research here?
ReplyDeleteI would be more than happy to help you out Marcos. This is Pedro by the way. Just get my email and phone number information from Susan or just contact me on Facebook. Let's talk when you have the chance
ReplyDeleteBecca,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I'll try researching it online.
Susan,
Thanks for reminding me about the article! I can't believe I almost forgot about that. I'm sure it will help my research.
Pedro,
I would definitely appreciate any help from you. I'll contact you on Facebook sometime this week.