Thread: Young people in Chicago try to put a face on immigrants

Young people in Chicago try to put a face on immigrants

Published March 14, 2011

Chicago – Young immigrants in Chicago are seeking to put a human face on the large number of undocumented people in this country and thus have decided to "come out of the shadows" and speak openly about their own immigration situation.

Some 300 young people staged a noisy protest on March 10 in Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago to demand immigration reform using the slogan "without papers and without remorse."

"Without documents and without fear," chanted the young protesters gathered around a stage in front of city hall as they called for the creation of spaces so that undocumented immigrants can tell their stories, live, study and contribute to their communities.

Ariana Salgado waited her turn that day to "come out of the shadows" and announce that she is undocumented.

"My name is Ariana and I'm undocumented," said the young woman. "I came to this country with my mother and brother when I was six years old," she continued, trying to hold back her tears. "I grew up hearing from my mother not to share (the fact) that I did not have papers."

Along with Salgado on that day were eight other young people, including Latinos, Filipinos and Arabs, who had also decided to make their undocumented immigration status publicly known.

The 18-year-old woman, who does not remember anything about her country of origin - Mexico - said that it's good for young people like her to say they are undocumented.

"It brings to light that the problem is a human one," Salgado told Efe. "When someone comes out of the shadows as an undocumented person, they see the student, the worker, they see the head of a family. If we don't talk about our status and we say we need a change, then we're always going to stay in the shadows."

Her parents supported her when she made her decision to "expose the urgency of the problem" of living without any legal future in this country, Salgado said.

"All our lives as undocumented young people we've grown up in silence and embarrassed to say we're undocumented, and that's something that our parents, teachers and politicians tell us," activist Tania Unzueta told Efe.

Unzueta is a member of the Immigrant Youth Justice League, or IYJL, and part of the group that prepared these nine young people to announce their undocumented status.

Unzueta said that "coming out of the shadows" is a psychological act that leaves the young immigrants free to be able to say who they are.

Preparing each young person to come out of the shadows, however, requires many hours of conversations and meetings with a team of lawyers, Unzueta said.

Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2 ... z1Gf2agIZQ

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

Preparing each young person to come out of the shadows, however, requires many hours of conversations and meetings with a team of lawyers, Unzueta said.

"Hmm! meet with lawyers first for many hours!"

How about meeting with ice to prepare your deportation

why don't you all go back to Mexico & do all of this . & see if you all get a way with I don't think so just get the hell out we did not ask you to come over to Our country at all .you all want is a free bee
well that Over

no amnesty

Duplicate Post. Locked.
Original Here http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-231365-.html