- 29 minutes ago
Denying what makes us American is to erase where we came from.
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00:06being an immigrant is not a dirty word it's not something to feel bad about or to be shamed for
00:14or to be ostracized and outed for it is to be American to be immigrant is to be American
00:22any immigrant to America is making it more statist less free if you listen to the cable
00:28news you would think this is our biggest threat more people had concealed carry permits then we
00:35could end those Muslims before they before they go out he did political talk says Muslims are
00:42terrorists ruining our country Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of
00:48Muslims entering the United States this is the story of a Somali immigrant who could make history
01:00I made the decision to run for office because I knew that we needed a different voice representing
01:07us we created a beautiful winning coalition of young people of progressives of new immigrants
01:15we won our primary on August 9th with the highest number of votes anyone has ever won in this district
01:24it was sort of like moving a mountain we did it successfully only because everyone believed in
01:31the vision that we had for now time for Ilhan time for Ilhan time for Ilhan Omar will likely become
01:39the
01:40first ever Somali American elected to a legislature in the United States I value the resources in our
01:48community I value all of you and this is why so many of you came here today because you all
01:55need
01:55someone to value your voice and I pledge you that there is a beauty and uniqueness in living in one
02:06of the
02:07most diverse districts in the country there is a huge diversity in class in socioeconomics what is the
02:14responsibility to people in upper middle class society to those that are their neighbors who
02:21are struggling these are the kind of conversations I'm looking forward to having in a unified district
02:27that sees themselves as one we're really excited to have Ilhan here she is on track to be the first
02:33Somali American woman elected for Minnesota House that ability to create connections with people who don't
02:41look like me who don't share my identities has sort of been the success of my campaign Somalia was my
02:51foundation I think it gives me a real perspective on what my identity is when I was eight the country
03:00ended up having a civil war we ended up in a refugee camp in Mombasa to be a refugee means
03:08to be in between
03:09to be internally and externally homeless the refugee camp was sort of where I developed my resilience and
03:19really understood how much I'm able to survive America represents a new beginning this is the place
03:28where I get to understand who I am what what my purpose is and live out that purpose
03:39so he's like the unofficial mayor of Little Muqaddish show see the riverside he'll give us a little
03:44tour I'll give you a little tour I've been I've been doing this tour for the past 16 years I
03:50call it out of East Africa
04:00how are you good to see you how are you this is my favorite spot in the neighborhood a bar
04:08and a
04:09mask that's the beauty and that was the beauty of our campaign yes exactly it's our office here people
04:15of all walks of life of different races of different ethnicities of different ages coming together one
04:22lady who's 71 years old told me this is what America looks like right that's what she found yeah
04:29this is great the American dream is to be able to start from nothing and have a future that could
04:41be
04:41built with lots of promises if you work hard to know the reality is this American exceptionalism this
04:50this beautiful dream that is sold to us it's not really available to everyone that we all must work
04:56hard for people who are living in the margins of society people who are not in that envisioned dream
05:03for for Americans my dream is to make sure that all of us can one day live in America where
05:13that
05:14American dream is actually possible
05:37the difference between American citizens and the undocumented Americans when they apply to college is
05:44that zero federal aid basically you have no money for school and loans are such a no-no for undocumented
05:51students what do you do how do you pay for a credit that's like worth a thousand dollars when your
05:59family makes that in a month dreamers are undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States by
06:14their parents as children dreamers consider themselves Americans because the United States is the only home
06:21they have ever known today there are approximately 4.4 million dreamers living in the US the young dreamers
06:28all across the country these kids are Americans just like us President Obama issued an executive order of giving work
06:36authorization and relief of deportation to those dreamers who qualified under the new policy known as DACA
06:43deferred action for childhood arrivals DACA allowed hundreds of thousands of young people to get jobs to stop living in
06:52the
06:52shadows and to say they were undocumented and unafraid I am one of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in
06:59the shadows of the United States
07:01this might be my only chance to convey the truth to all of you that undocumented immigrants are people too
07:09but DACA is controversial to some people you and the other people here illegally don't deserve to be here
07:17they're bringing crime they're rapists and DACA still leaves many immigration problems unsolved the DACA
07:26program only offers a temporary sigh of relief with its three-year work permit a bill that would have
07:33these young people deported I think that's wrong and I think most Americans would think it was wrong
07:40this is the story of dreamer Gustavo his parents left Colombia in 1999 hoping to give their children more
07:48opportunities and a better life he was just five years old this is behind the headlines
08:15it's a lot of pressure to do well especially in my high school it was like good grades good grades
08:20good grades good grades
08:21I would do all these extracurricular activities drama club student government class club the moment that
08:30it became defined that I was undocumented it was after we took our PSATs and I saw my score and
08:38it was
08:38awesome and I realized like from this point on like I just I'm doing it for nothing and it hurt
08:45it's disheartening
08:47for people to deny my American identity
08:50because they're, in a way, denying
08:51the last 17 years of my life.
09:07I had applied to Columbia because various sources
09:10for undocumented students had said
09:11that they would provide aid for undocumented students.
09:25I had to go.
09:28I had to go.
09:29I had to go.
09:29I had to go.
09:30I had to go.
09:30I had to go.
09:30I had to go.
09:31I had to go.
09:34Seeing the words, congratulations, in the email,
09:38it was insane.
09:39I felt my entire brain wanted to believe
09:41what my eyes were looking at.
09:43Being undocumented, you know, you're looking for validation,
09:46you're looking for something to tell you.
09:47All your efforts are worth it,
09:49and you're not this criminal
09:52that deserves to be kicked out of this country.
10:03So then I have a meeting with a financial aid officer.
10:06She looks at me, and she was like,
10:09like, as soon as I say hi,
10:12I did get $11,000 in a scholarship.
10:15So she pulls out the Excel sheet, and she's like,
10:18with this scholarship, you still have, like, a $60,000 balance.
10:25If I wasn't used to that kind of hopelessness,
10:28I would have, like, started bawling right then and there.
10:33Do I give up on Columbia just because I can't pay for it,
10:37because the federal government doesn't think I deserve my own tax money?
10:43I have 16 days to raise $60,000 for I can't attend school.
11:12Do I give up?
11:13What do you mean, Papi?
11:15Perder Colombia?
11:16No, I know that it's been your dream,
11:19going to university.
11:20The government is taking my taxes
11:23and now they don't give me money
11:25for the school,
11:27and I want to look for $60,000.
11:30But when things don't exist,
11:32what do they do?
11:32It's not the only one who can't study
11:34or go to a university for papers.
11:36There are many, many guys.
11:39If you think about it,
11:40it's even more easy.
11:43How?
11:45Because he's got the support of us.
11:47He's been with us.
11:48The one who wants can.
11:50I know that you have a lot of gifts,
11:53a lot of talents.
11:55And one of them,
11:57he's like a father.
11:58You know that you can't die,
12:00but the question is that you have to fight
12:03and insist.
12:03The one who insists,
12:05persists and arrives.
12:06Yeah.
12:08I just got my first bill for the school.
12:11I am in need of $60,000.
12:13I sent out.
12:14I can't remember how many emails there was,
12:15because it was just so many.
12:24The Columbia newspaper,
12:27all types of associations.
12:29There's Danel Petijapuralta.
12:31I think he's a professor.
12:32He wasn't documented.
12:33He's from the Dominican Republic.
12:34I emailed the school,
12:36the president of the school.
12:38I haven't heard back yet.
12:40It's like,
12:41I don't know if I'm going back to my job.
12:42I don't know if I'm going to stay in Columbia.
12:44I don't know what classes I'm going to take.
12:45I don't know how much money I'm getting.
12:46I don't know anything.
12:50Frustrating.
12:51I feel like I'm making my problem everyone else's problem.
12:54Which I guess is sort of internalizing the hatred towards immigrants.
12:58But I have no other options.
13:02Because I want to start school.
13:08I had been told that I had to talk to my advisor.
13:11And I mean,
13:11there's like a million things going through my mind.
13:13Thinking like,
13:14is this it?
13:15Is this my chance to like,
13:16capitalize on this entire experience?
13:30Hi.
13:31Hey.
13:33Good to see you.
13:35My parents,
13:37they're like happy for me,
13:38but they have no idea what to tell me.
13:39I mean,
13:40it's like story of my life.
13:41No, of course.
13:42And they didn't go to college, right?
13:43No.
13:44They didn't even,
13:44my mom didn't even go to high school.
13:45Yeah.
13:47And they're like,
13:47get a technical degree.
13:48You're going to waste all this money.
13:50Yeah.
13:51And a college degree.
13:52And...
13:53So I mean,
13:53I've been in the immigrant rights movement since 2007.
13:56And we've all gotten into school and through school
14:00in just a lot of different ways,
14:02but it's never easy.
14:03A lot of people just like burn out
14:05because they get tired of going through the maze.
14:09Growing up as an immigrant in this country,
14:13we always end up having to like rely on our plan C and plan D
14:16because A and B will always be shut in our face.
14:20So...
14:22I would rather honestly like take two classes a semester
14:25and graduate in like six years,
14:27then give it up.
14:31But you do have that meeting.
14:32Why would they bring you in to tell you like everything's the same?
14:38A lot of things don't make sense.
14:47So I am on my way to have a meeting
14:50with one of my academic advisors
14:53who is going to tell me whether I get a scholarship.
14:58It's a very under the radar scholarship.
15:01So I'm super excited.
15:03I'm super nervous.
15:11I'm kind of lost for words.
15:13It's like getting in all over again.
15:15I can't believe it.
15:16I...
15:17They said I'm very deserving.
15:19They said that I...
15:22That the system shouldn't be like this
15:25and this is their way of like combating the system.
15:30I spoke to the vice dean and he had been advocating for me.
15:37I kind of full ride to Columbia University.
15:44So I'm...
15:45I'm here.
15:46I'm here to stay.
15:47I'm here at Columbia University to stay.
15:49I gotta call my mom.
15:51I'm gonna tell her that this is happening.
15:53There's nothing else to stop me.
15:55Like this is it.
15:56This is it.
15:57I'm in.
16:16hear from people you like this.
16:31I'm coming here, sir.
16:33No, no.
16:36You love it.
16:40I don't.
16:40That's I've been helping.
16:41Let's spend more time spirits and fans who live throughout this world is in theirreries.
16:57The debate over immigration has been a hot topic in recent media coverage.
17:02Build that wall. Build that wall.
17:05Tens of thousands of migrants have been forced to flee El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras
17:12as violence between gangs warring over drug groups has led to some of the highest homicide
17:18rates in the world.
17:21Desperate to save their lives and escape, they travel by train, by foot, and by makeshift
17:28rafts.
17:29Moms from Central America hand-carrying their children across the border.
17:34Contrary to what dominates the airwaves, they are not sneaking across the border.
17:39They turn themselves into border patrol upon arrival.
17:43In 2016 alone, over 68,000 families have crossed the border seeking asylum.
17:50This is the story of one woman's journey to reunite with her mother in the U.S.
17:55business.
17:56This is Behind the Headlines.
18:24We are here at Sacred Heart Church.
18:26This is where people arrive after their long journey.
18:34This all started back in 2014 when we were seeing hundreds of them being dropped off at
18:39the bus station.
18:40We had a massive wave of families, children, women, moms coming into our country and most
18:48of them unaccompanied by themselves.
18:52They're human beings, they're people and they're children and they need care and love and attention.
18:57They're very sad, but they're going to help you.
19:04They're going to help you?
19:04Do you think?
19:06Yes.
19:07Yes.
19:07Yes.
19:07Yes, yes.
19:10Yes.
19:10All in El Salvador, they take away all the money,
19:13and if they don't give them, they threaten them to kill them
19:17or to kill them.
19:21Diariamente, they kill 2-3 people,
19:24and the women, first, they kill them.
19:28All these bad things, they kill them.
19:32That's why we came from them, practically.
19:37I had to travel in bus for 20 hours,
19:40and she was crying.
19:42So, she was able to asphyxiate there,
19:45and I was taking water, pouring water.
19:52When we were hiding in the mountain,
19:55they started shooting.
19:57So, they started shooting at us.
20:00So, I only did that,
20:01and she was going to shoot me on the ground,
20:03because I shot them.
20:08They're going to go before a judge,
20:12and they're strangers in this country.
20:14It's very difficult to make sure that their story is heard correctly
20:17if they don't have legal representation.
20:20If they don't find that help,
20:22it's very possible that they're going to be deported back to their country.
20:26They're not safe there.
20:28They run this risk of being kidnapped,
20:31of being recruited, of being raped.
20:34It's very dangerous for the children,
20:36and the children is why they're here.
20:40They already had an electrocardiogram
20:43and an echo.
20:44At the moment, it was fine,
20:46but I needed the surgery,
20:49but I had to wait.
20:53How long did you wait?
20:55Until a surgeon,
20:57I don't know,
20:58because they're emigrant,
21:00they don't want to take it.
21:01The doctor told me that if I was waiting for them,
21:04it could be worse.
21:09It could be worse.
21:11It's what they told you there,
21:13but they're two surgeries that they have to do.
21:16Don't trust me,
21:17you'll see many people
21:20who will want you to help
21:22and help you with your child.
21:25For that angel
21:26be someone in life,
21:27have a future here.
21:33You like it.
21:36How do you do the horse?
21:38Yes.
21:41Yes.
21:42Yes.
21:45Wow, wow, wow, wow.
21:52Hello, ma'am.
21:53How are you?
21:54How are you?
21:55How are you?
21:56How are you?
21:57I'm in an albergue.
21:58I'm in an albergue.
22:00How are you?
22:00I am in a private office.
22:01I was in an albergue.
22:02I'm in a private office.
22:02I've told you,
22:03you have to be afraid,
22:04the lady in the consulate,
22:06they don't have to be afraid.
22:08They don't have to be afraid,
22:08they don't have to be afraid,
22:09they speak with the truth,
22:09they're living in an albergue.
22:11He has to ask for an asylum
22:13in him.
22:14He could ask me to talk
22:16to him on the weekends.
22:17Well, let's see, I'm the only one who can help me.
22:34I'm already desperate to see my mom.
22:40For me, my mom means my life because she was always with me.
22:44My mom left us practically and she was always fighting for us.
22:53I feel nervous.
22:56Since she came to 10 years ago,
22:58despite all the criticism she had,
23:00when she left us because she would have more children,
23:03she always showed us that we were her life
23:07and she came to fight for us.
23:08What's the difference?
23:14Abuelo, ¿dónde estás?
23:16¿Ah?
23:16Ay, le vas a pedir los bombones a tu abuela.
23:19¿Cómo le vas a decir?
23:21Abuelita, dame bombón.
23:23Ay, ya sé lo que me falta en el aire.
23:26Te siento bien orgullosa de mi mamá.
23:40¿Cómo estás?
23:42Bien.
23:44Bien bonita esta mano.
23:46Y vos todas sequitas de prisión, ¿no?
23:49Y yo, en verdad, era así, mami.
23:52¿Qué quieres?
23:53¿Dinero quieres para los bombones?
23:55Mami, quiero dinero.
23:56¿Ah?
23:56¿Pedir los chicles a tu abuela?
24:05Me siento muy feliz porque ya estoy con mi mamá,
24:10ya conoció a mi hija,
24:13ya la pude abrazar después de tantos años,
24:16lejos de ella.
24:21Los sueños que tengo para mi hija son,
24:23primero que se le lleve a cabo sus cirugías
24:26para que ella pueda ser normal.
24:29Mi sueño es verla correr,
24:33verla feliz sin que esté sufriendo.
24:36Sueño con verla ya estudiando,
24:39ayudándole a hacer sus tareas.
24:42No sé, que el mundo la reconozca
24:44por lo que ella hace.
24:47No sé, a seguir adelante,
24:49a hacer lo que en nuestro país no podemos hacer.
25:22En mi país,
25:24tienes que tener una circuncisión
25:27antes de ir a mi país.
25:28Yo estaba miedo en mi país
25:30de no ser segura.
25:33La razón por la que no estoy mostrando mi cara
25:36es porque de mi seguridad.
25:38no ser segura.
25:56No sé,
25:58no sé,
25:59no sé,
26:00no sé,
26:05no sé.
26:29No sé,
26:32no sé.
26:33como una mujer.
26:35No sé,
26:36no sé.
26:38No sé.
26:39No sé.
26:57no sé.
27:00No sé.
27:05No sé.
27:07No sé.
27:17No sé.
27:17No sé.
27:18No sé.
27:18No sé.
27:18No sé.
27:19No sé.
27:20No sé.
27:21No sé.
27:22Y no tenía pensamiento
27:23para haber quedado aquí.
27:23at all. I was still thinking about returning back to my country.
27:31When I met my counselor at the Commission for the Blind, she said the commission is going to help
27:38me to learn how to navigate by myself and to go back to school and to get a job. Among
27:48all those
27:49things that she said, the most exciting things for me was learning how to use the cane. Because
27:58all my life I could not move from one place to another place without being guided. That
28:06represented giving me my freedom. I decided to stay here.
28:21I'm in school every day, Monday to Sunday. My major is science. I plan to be a psychiatrist.
28:33Islam is my light, is a guide for me. I go to the mosque almost every Friday to pray. I'm
28:44most grateful for being alive. I am grateful for being able to read and write. Being able
28:54to read Braille, to feel the words, the spelling. I'm so happy when I'm reading Braille.
29:03I don't have everything that I want to have, but at least I'm seeing where I'm going. I'm
29:11seeing my dream. I'm seeing the direction where I'm heading to. America felt me my freedom,
29:20my safety. They helped me to make my dream true, to make my dreams real.