Dreamers & Allies Raise Awareness for the Dream Act in Illinois
Across the country, Inside Out/Dreamers has been transforming buildings, walls, and even parking lot floors into statements about our common humanity as a country. The global participatory art project by award-winning artist JR has been traveling the United States to celebrate diversity and raise awareness of immigration and Dreamers — the estimated 2 million young undocumented immigrants raised as Americans, but who currently have no pathway to citizenship in the United States.
During this crucial time leading up to a Congressional vote on the Dream Act, dozens of Dreamers, immigrants, and allies came out to take their portraits and share their stories at the tour’s kickoff in Springfield and Champaign. Here are just a few.
Follow along on Instagram with #IOPDreamers.
Champaign,IL
“It really sends a strong, powerful message”
“My name is Carmen. I’m a senior here in the school of social work. I’m standing in line to take a selfie for immigration because I am an undocumented student and this is something amazing and unique that I have never seen before. It really sends a strong, powerful message that [organizations] and students are here to support me. Everyone up there looks different, there’s a huge diversity, so it brings a huge smile to my face to see all the support.
“I had tons of friends that didn’t know my status and once they found out I was a DACA student, they were shocked. They didn’t know what to say because they didn’t think they knew anyone that was undocumented. But once we talked and I said it was OK, they gave me a hug and said, ‘I’m here to support you.’”
“Everyone up there looks different, there’s a huge diversity, so it brings a huge smile to my face to see all the support.” — Carmen
“The beautiful contribution of immigrants”
“Right now people are fighting a certain kind of immigrant. There will be a time when my kids or my grandchildren will be the nativists. They will be the ones saying, ‘not them.’ And I want them to have a point in history to say, so what was grandpa doing? I do this, this immigration advocacy, for my kids and because of their ignorance. They grew up in this great society with all the privileges of being American. They will forget where they came from and will lose the notion of the beautiful contribution of immigrants. I would love very much for us to all realize that.
“Illinois is already pro-immigrant. We have an Illinois Dream Act and we just passed the Trust Act which is essentially to become a sanctuary state. We have both senators with us. The mayor wanted to include her sign of the City of Champaign in her portrait for the wall. She wants to lend her support. The University [of Illinois] has come out in support of all immigrants. They’ve set up a webpage specifically to feed people the right information. So from an outsider’s point of view there is nothing to do here. On the other hand, a good portion of our Congressmen who represent Illinois, haven’t yet spoken out positively. The number of votes we have here will make an impact on the Dream Act. So we’re not done.”
“There will be a time when my kids or my grandchildren will be the nativists. They will be the ones saying, ‘not them.’.. I do this, this immigration advocacy, for my kids and because of their ignorance. ”— Ricardo
Springfield, IL
“I am your next door neighbor, I am your classmate”
“I think it’s important to put a face to the undocumented status, because so many people can say, ‘immigrants this and immigrants that,’ without having a name to it. People don’t think of me as undocumented because I am your next door neighbor, I am your classmate. I’m doing everything else that you do. Realizing that sheds light to the humanitarian side of being a Dreamer.
“We’ve heard a lot about a clean Dream Act and I think that’s what it needs to be. If you read and look into all the students that are Dreamers, I’m not the only exceptional one. There are people who are out there dreaming to be lawyers and doctors, and they’re going to change the world. There are so many of us who have worked our hardest to accomplish all of these things. I can probably say that most of us were brought to this country to do so, because we might not have had these opportunities in our home countries. So I’m really hoping legislators take that into consideration.”
“There are people who are out there dreaming to be lawyers and doctors, and they’re going to change the world.” — Ana
“I am here today because of people like Ana”
“I am here today because of people like Ana. When you know someone like Ana, how can you not be for the Dreamers and work hard for them? We have many Dreamers at Illinois College.
“I think Ana is exceptional, she’s a very hard worker, all her dreams, one by one, no doubt she accomplishes them. She’s very bright and works very hard. She has two, three jobs at a time. Did she tell you she graduated from Illinois College with high honors? And when she graduated from high school, she was valedictorian, the first Latina person to be valedictorian.”
“When you know someone like Ana, how can you not be for the Dreamers and work hard for them?” — Liliana
Your Next Steps
- Take action now: Use our call tool to dial your member of Congress and urge them to pass the #DreamActNow.
- See more stories from our stop in Miami.
- Learn more about Inside Out/Dreamers and catch us on tour this month.
Remaining Tour Dates
- Memphis, TN — Friday, December 8
- Nashville, TN — Monday, December 11
- Lancaster, PA — Wednesday, December 13
- Reading, PA — Thursday, December 14
- Philadelphia, PA — Friday, December 15-Saturday, December 16
- Washington, DC — Monday, December 18-Tuesday, December 19
