Jose Antonio Vargas is a 30 year old Filipino immigrant who has become an award winning journalist for the Washington Post and the Huffington Post.
He is also, as he revealed to us in a NY Times article last month, an undocumented immigrant, who only learned about his status at age 16 when he applied for a learner’s permit to drive an automobile.
His article revealed the insecurity and sense of lack of national connection being forced on innocent immigrant children who are brought over to this country by family at a young age, and have no understanding that their families came illegally. When they discover that, they are totally in shock and have trouble relating to the idea that they cannot enter the military or go to college because of their illegal status, through no fault of their own, and also face the threat of being deported to a nation they have no memory of at all!
These young people only wish to contribute to the country they have grown to adulthood in, and the DREAM Act provides that possibility, but it is in limbo as part of the nativist anti-immigrant movement prevalent in many areas of this country!
Vargas felt a need to bring attention to this issue by bringing up his own case, putting his own ability to remain in this country in jeopardy.
He should be applauded, and the push for the DREAM Act is essential as we are losing many talented young people for our future, and victimizing innocent young people in the process!