Evy Exime
Raymond Smith
Race and Ethnicity in American Politics
3 March 2015
Title: A DREAM Deferred: Latinos and Immigration
Key Words: Latino, Immigration, Mexican, DREAM Act
Description: Latino immigration has been on the rise primarily because of an influx of Mexican
Americans entering the United States. Despite the increase in population and the majority status
acquired by Latinos, many immigrants remain illegal and have found it very difficult to gain
citizenship or resident status. The DREAM Act, introduced in 2001, aims to alleviate that
problem, but has not been passed in Congress.
Key points:
-
Mexican migrants are the largest immigrant group entering the United States.
-
Despite the growing Latino population efforts to help the group succeed and gain more
power and wealth have not been met.
-
The Dream Act offers conditional permanent residency to certain immigrants of good
moral character who graduate from U.S. high schools, arrived in the United States as
minors, and lived in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's
enactment
-
The Dream Act has been vetoed irregardless of the multitude of benefits it would have
not only for Latinos, but the US as a whole.
-
DACA acts as a substitute for the DREAM Act until further notice.
Brief:
Although Latino immigration has soared in recent decades, this growing immigrant
population is not being allowed the possibility to pursue the American Dream. This essay will
discuss the impact of Mexican immigration to the overall findings of Latino immigration and the
possibilities the DREAM Act presents for advancement despite its inability to be enacted
throughout the United States.
According to data from the Migration Policy Institute, of the top ten countries with the
largest immigrant groups entering the United States, 5 of them are Hispanic countries (“Largest
U.S. Immigrant Groups over Time, 1960Present”). Mexico alone accounts for 28% of
the total immigration population; the largest
group standing on its own and almost equal to
the total population of the other 9 countries
summed together (“Largest U.S. Immigrant
Groups over Time, 1960-Present”). Since
Mexican immigration has risen, there have been
changes to the demographics of the United
States. In the past four decades the Latino
caucus has grown from merely 3 percent of the population to 16 percent, denoting them as a
majority group in the United States (Guttierez). California and New Mexico both no longer have
whites as the majority of the population; rather, Hispanics, namely Mexicans, are the majority of
the population in those states (Guttierez). As changes like this occur, we have seen efforts to help
this growing population that have yet to truly come to fruition.
In 2001 the Development, Relief, and Education
for Alien Minors Act was first proposed. The bill offers
conditional permanent residency to certain immigrants
of good moral character who graduate from U.S. high
schools, arrived in the United States as minors, and
lived in the country continuously for at least five years
prior to the bill's enactment (“Dream Act: Summary”).
Although the bill does not name any one-target group,
the Migration Policy Institute has found that “the overwhelming majority of the 2.1 million
potential DREAM Act beneficiaries are from Mexico and other Latin American countries: 62
percent from Mexico, 11 percent from Central America, and 11 percent from Latin America”
(“Largest U.S. Immigrant Groups over Time, 1960-Present”). Latino immigrants would be the
predominant beneficiaries of the act and would greatly benefit from this legislation. The
possibility of legal residency would allow for less fear to plague the illegal population of the
Latino community, greater opportunities for success, and more local political power for the
Latino caucus.
The DREAM Act would have a tremendous impact, and yet, it has not been passed in
Congress. The bill would allow Latino immigrants who qualify a better chance at improving
their futures, as it would remove the federal provision that penalizes states “that provide in-state
tuition without regard to immigration status” (Dream Act: Summary). Latino immigrants would
be more likely and able to attend college, less likely to engage in criminal activity, and have a
better chance at increasing their future earnings. There would no longer be a fear of deportation,
and the prospects for economic success would increase. Research from the Center for American
Progress has shown that in passing the bill there would also be a $329 billion increase to the
United States economy by 2030 because the 2.1 million “DREAMers” would be able to acquire
better paying jobs and put money back into
the economy (Guzman). Nevertheless, in 2010
the Act was vetoed. In response to the veto,
President Obama enacted DACA in 2012, the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This
policy allows certain undocumented
immigrants who entered the country before
their 16th birthday and before June 2010 to
receive a renewable three-year work permit
and exemption from deportation ("DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Immigration Equality"). DACA is acting as a substitute for the DREAM Act until it gains
enough support to be passed in Congress, but it is insubstantial in comparison.
The DREAM Act is an incredible piece of legislation that benefits not only the Latinos
that comprise most of the beneficiary pool, but also the United States as a whole. Vetoing such a
bill is in discordance with the American Dream, and Latinos, specifically the large influx of
Mexican immigrants in the United States, should have the chance to work towards their dream.
DACA is not enough. The Latino population has swelled because of immigration and that
increase should be accounted for and respected by allowing immigrants a chance to succeed.
Works Cited
"DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) - Immigration Equality." Immigration
Equality. Immigration Equality, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
"Dream Act: Summary." NILC.org. National Immigration Law Center, May 2011. Web. 7 Mar.
2015.
Guttierez, David G. "An Historic Overview of Latino Immigration and the Demographic
Transformation of the United States." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the
Interior, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.
Guzman, Juan C., and Raul Jara. "Infographic: How the DREAM Act Helps the Economy."
American Progress. Center for American Progress, 1 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
"Largest U.S. Immigrant Groups over Time, 1960-Present." Migrationpolicy.org. Migration
Policy Institute, 02 Oct. 2013. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.
Relevant Websites:
DREAM Act Portal: https://dreamact.info
The White House’s Stance on the DREAM Act:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/DREAM-Act-WhiteHouse-FactSheet.pdf
Unauthorized Immigrant Population Rising: http://www.pewhispanic.org/2013/09/23/populationdecline-of-unauthorized-immigrants-stalls-may-have-reversed/