By Maria Dimas
This is an excerpt from a book “UndocuStudents: Our Untold Stories” compiled by Blue Group, an organziation of undocumented Western students and their allies. It is reprinted here with permision. Th e book is available to view and purchase through Western’s CEDAR website. If you want to support their work or book you can donate at https://www.vikingfunder. com/project/6593
America was never white. It’s red from the blood and pain fear has shed.
EDUCATION: For me it is the one thing in this world that will keep me from being a stereotype.
EDUCATION: It’s the thing that will help me attain my dream career.
EDUCATION: It’s the thing that I will pay even a er I graduate.
EDUCATION: It’s the thing that I want.
EDUCATION: It’s what you refuse to give me.
EDUCATION: It’s what I have to ght for.
EDUCATION: It’s the only thing keeping me from the shadows called reality and life.
I hide and run. I fear for my life. You categorize me with criminals and rapists.
You don’t know me. You don’t know my name, my age or my situation.
I ran from crime and abuse.
You don’t know my pain.
You let his hate and ignorance fuel your fear. Now all you see is my
skin, name and status.
You ignore my achievements, my goals, my heart and my feelings.
you want my culture but not my people. you’re greedy.
You refuse education. Therefore you are now blind.
My Life isn’t a movie it’s my reality.
You see me as a parasite…stating that I don’t give but take.
You are wrong.
At the age of 7 I ran from a country that was
my home. I ran from fear and pain.
I ran but I didn’t know I was running. I had no choice.
I knew I didn’t belong here. I could see it in the eyes of the people that would spit in my face. I could hear it in their words of hate and their accusations.
I dreamed that maybe… through some miracle I could go to college.
Then my freshman year of high school came and that dream was killed.
It was destroyed by your laws and your word. It was as if I was just another
insect whose life was meaningless and inconsequential.
For two years my hopes where gone. The embers of those hopes were
fading more and more leaving nothing but ashes behind.
Then it happened an opportunity, a new ame of hope appeared.
DACA- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was put into place and
was approved.
I was accepted into a four-year University. I was no longer a stereotype.
I have a future…or I had a future…because now I’m in a limbo of fear,
Pain, stress and uncertainty of my future and life.
As of right now my university’s fees are more than I can afford.
I’m a freshman. First generation student, who has no financial support from home because my parents don’t make enough to pay bills
let alone pay for a $20,000 per year University.
I’m about 200 miles away from my loved ones, in a time where I’m accused
I ran but I didn’t know I was running. I had no choice.
I knew I didn’t belong here. I could see it in the eyes of the people that would spit in my face. I could hear it in their words of hate and their accusations.
I dreamed that maybe… through some miracle I could go to college.
Then my freshman year of high school came and that dream was killed.
It was destroyed by your laws and your word. It was as if I was just another
insect whose life was meaningless and inconsequential.
For two years my hopes where gone. The embers of those hopes were
fading more and more leaving nothing but ashes behind.
Then it happened an opportunity, a new ame of hope appeared.
DACA- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was put into place and
was approved.
I was accepted into a four-year University. I was no longer a stereotype.
I have a future…or I had a future…because now I’m in a limbo of fear,
Pain, stress and uncertainty of my future and life.
As of right now my university’s fees are more than I can afford.
I’m a freshman. First generation student, who has no financial support from home because my parents don’t make enough to pay bills
let alone pay for a $20,000 per year University.
I’m about 200 miles away from my loved ones, in a time where I’m accused
of being a criminal, a rapist and a lazy person.
How can you expect me to help my community more than I already am,
when you don’t give me a chance? When you destroy all my attempts at succeeding and helping your county and your people.
I had no choice and I will repeat it over and over again. I had no choice.
I ran from sexual assault. I was 7 years old.
I HAD NO CHOICE! I. WAS. SEVEN. YEARS. OLD!!!
And now he wants to send me back to the place where my nightmare became
a reality.
Your Ancestors. My Ancestors.
You call us criminals; his hate blinds you to the reality that we are not to
blame.
You close your eyes and shield your ears from the truth, that hangs in
front of you.
You asked for our help, we gave it to you. Always when you asked. Always
when you needed it.
1920’s your industries wanted us.
Then when you fell apart and the Great Depression hit, you blamed US!
You saw us as the cause instead of seeing that it was your banks and government that failed.
We were simple scapegoats. You accused us of bringing disease,
crime and taking your jobs. You created labels and stereotyped us.
All so that you could round us up like animals
How can you expect me to help my community more than I already am,
when you don’t give me a chance? When you destroy all my attempts at succeeding and helping your county and your people.
I had no choice and I will repeat it over and over again. I had no choice.
I ran from sexual assault. I was 7 years old.
I HAD NO CHOICE! I. WAS. SEVEN. YEARS. OLD!!!
And now he wants to send me back to the place where my nightmare became
a reality.
Your Ancestors. My Ancestors.
You call us criminals; his hate blinds you to the reality that we are not to
blame.
You close your eyes and shield your ears from the truth, that hangs in
front of you.
You asked for our help, we gave it to you. Always when you asked. Always
when you needed it.
1920’s your industries wanted us.
Then when you fell apart and the Great Depression hit, you blamed US!
You saw us as the cause instead of seeing that it was your banks and government that failed.
We were simple scapegoats. You accused us of bringing disease,
crime and taking your jobs. You created labels and stereotyped us.
All so that you could round us up like animals
and return us to a
place that we were escaping. You deported about half a million
people of Mexican decent. Simply because of their color of skin,
your fear and their descent. You knew that the majority were U.S
citizens but all you saw was the color of their skin and their descent.
We helped you during the war because you wanted our help, because
you needed our help, we helped you during your natural disasters and once you were back on your feet you pushed us down,
kicked us and called us criminals.
And once again you created a mass deportation of both U.S and
Non U.S. citizens.
Yet you kept our culture.
Why do you refuse us, why do you treat us like a disease?
All we want is what your founding fathers wanted.
We want to live in a country where we aren’t judged or killed by who we worship.
We want to make someone of ourselves.
Isn’t that what your people, Europeans, wanted? at’s why they
came to the new world.
Or have you forgotten.
Natives were here first.
Columbus brought more black slaves than white explorers.
Pioneers then brought more black slaves and started to kill natives.
You saw yourselves as superior because of the fair color of your
skin.
The world was yours…
Have you thrown away your own history and become the same kind of
people your ancestors ran away from?
place that we were escaping. You deported about half a million
people of Mexican decent. Simply because of their color of skin,
your fear and their descent. You knew that the majority were U.S
citizens but all you saw was the color of their skin and their descent.
We helped you during the war because you wanted our help, because
you needed our help, we helped you during your natural disasters and once you were back on your feet you pushed us down,
kicked us and called us criminals.
And once again you created a mass deportation of both U.S and
Non U.S. citizens.
Yet you kept our culture.
Why do you refuse us, why do you treat us like a disease?
All we want is what your founding fathers wanted.
We want to live in a country where we aren’t judged or killed by who we worship.
We want to make someone of ourselves.
Isn’t that what your people, Europeans, wanted? at’s why they
came to the new world.
Or have you forgotten.
Natives were here first.
Columbus brought more black slaves than white explorers.
Pioneers then brought more black slaves and started to kill natives.
You saw yourselves as superior because of the fair color of your
skin.
The world was yours…
Have you thrown away your own history and become the same kind of
people your ancestors ran away from?
Realize that America stopped being great but not because of the population
of color people but because the reality is… America was never white.
READ YOUR OWN HISTORY BOOKS AND TAKE OFF YOUR BLINDFOLDS!!
You limit people’s success, and yet you blame them for their lack of success.
I’m an undocumented student who lacks the proper documentation to
become a citizen and help a country that I have come to see as my own.
I’m one of 65,000 undocumented students graduating from high school
each year.
And now I’m part of the 2% that will continue to a college or four-year
university.
Lucky for me I live in a state that gives in-state tuition to my people. However, other states ban enrollment or make undocumented students
pay out-of-state tuition.
If the states or the national government allowed students willing to succeed and aid in the development of this country to a ord college or
means to afford college the results would be more bene cial to the USA than anyone else.
Because of my lack of nancial aid and opportunities to obtain money,
I might become part of the 74% of undocumented students that leave school due to financial reasons.
I’m limited to success and resources, however I and so many undocumented
students try everything we can to succeed and prove to people that we don’t bring crime, disease or drugs.
We bring hopes, dreams and determination to a country that wishes to
crush us.
of color people but because the reality is… America was never white.
READ YOUR OWN HISTORY BOOKS AND TAKE OFF YOUR BLINDFOLDS!!
You limit people’s success, and yet you blame them for their lack of success.
I’m an undocumented student who lacks the proper documentation to
become a citizen and help a country that I have come to see as my own.
I’m one of 65,000 undocumented students graduating from high school
each year.
And now I’m part of the 2% that will continue to a college or four-year
university.
Lucky for me I live in a state that gives in-state tuition to my people. However, other states ban enrollment or make undocumented students
pay out-of-state tuition.
If the states or the national government allowed students willing to succeed and aid in the development of this country to a ord college or
means to afford college the results would be more bene cial to the USA than anyone else.
Because of my lack of nancial aid and opportunities to obtain money,
I might become part of the 74% of undocumented students that leave school due to financial reasons.
I’m limited to success and resources, however I and so many undocumented
students try everything we can to succeed and prove to people that we don’t bring crime, disease or drugs.
We bring hopes, dreams and determination to a country that wishes to
crush us.
It’s your move. Stay blind or face your fears.
See the truth!
Look back see your past.
See your actions.
Ask yourselves, why do you blame others for the decisions of your own
people, of your own government.
Why do you let the ignorance of others blind you to the reality of their
fear and hatred?
America wasn’t built by the power of white people.
It was built on the bones, bodies and labor of the Native Americans, Africans,
African America and Hispanics.
All for your gain. Even Now, you destroy your laws to gain more power
and profit. You break contracts and treaties when their use gets in your way to power.
You need our help and like before you will ask for it.
And like before we will give it to you, because we know pain.
We know the reality of being alone, and that is something that we don’t
wish upon anyone else.
We are neighbors. We share the same land and yet you see us as aliens.
And that is what you call us.
My blood is the same as yours. My anatomy is the same as yours. My
emotions, hopes and thoughts work the same as yours… so why do you see me as a disease?
I HAD NO CHOICE, I WAS SEVEN!!!
But you… You have a choice. Fear, pain, and hate,
Or Love, compassion and truth.
—Maria Dimas
See the truth!
Look back see your past.
See your actions.
Ask yourselves, why do you blame others for the decisions of your own
people, of your own government.
Why do you let the ignorance of others blind you to the reality of their
fear and hatred?
America wasn’t built by the power of white people.
It was built on the bones, bodies and labor of the Native Americans, Africans,
African America and Hispanics.
All for your gain. Even Now, you destroy your laws to gain more power
and profit. You break contracts and treaties when their use gets in your way to power.
You need our help and like before you will ask for it.
And like before we will give it to you, because we know pain.
We know the reality of being alone, and that is something that we don’t
wish upon anyone else.
We are neighbors. We share the same land and yet you see us as aliens.
And that is what you call us.
My blood is the same as yours. My anatomy is the same as yours. My
emotions, hopes and thoughts work the same as yours… so why do you see me as a disease?
I HAD NO CHOICE, I WAS SEVEN!!!
But you… You have a choice. Fear, pain, and hate,
Or Love, compassion and truth.
—Maria Dimas