DREAM ACT Documentary

Hello,

I am a photojournalist working at the St. Petersburg Times in Tampa, Florida. My approach is hoping to tell the story of a high school senior who's hoping to attend college or enter the military if the DREAM ACT passes this calendar year. My friend and classmate from Ohio University documented a similar story in Arizona. Here is a link.
http://www.daniamaxwell.com/projects/expelled/

Please if anyone you know who may be interested in having their story told.
Contact me at [email protected],
[email protected] and 336.254.6011.
I am passionate about the DREAM ACT Bill.
Thank you,
Octavio Jones

To quote Admiral Ackbar: "It's a trap!". Just kidding. But really it's ironic that in order to get more support for the Dream Act, more people need to come out of the closet sort of speak to create more sympathy, but doing so has a very real danger. I'm even not sure if I should be on this site. DREAMers were raised here, so we blend in very well so I'm sure if the fear was not there, most Americans would be shocked to find out how many of their close friends (and even relatives) are suffering.

I don't know about coming out of the shadows being that risky. I am still in the shadows but have been involved with individuals that have not only come out of the shadows publicly but make very loud statements through civil disobedience where they get arrested, face fines, get out on bail and get community service, but yet they are still here, they are still fighting and making themselves known where-ever they go.

It is not easy what they do, but in coming out of the shadows they gain so much attention and support that in a sense it mitigates their risk, specially after the Morton Memo and the Obama DHS announcement further mitigating their risk. There have been many attempts at deporting such dreamers, but their publicity makes it specially hard to do so, and any attempt that is made is used to counter ICE.

But yes, I believe there are many people that would be very shocked to find out that I was undocumented, specially as I am getting involved in executive board positions of multiple organizations on campus and participating in research projects.

I have been playing around the idea of just getting this over with and coming out of the shadows once and for all, I have told a lot more people about my status in the past several months as I attempt to create two dreamer type organizations in a campus that never before discussed immigration before and have observed the considerable benefits of doing so through a private scholarship I recently got, and now appealing my tuition to have it lowered from the extravagant amount I have been paying with the help my parents and extended family.

Its the stories of individuals that have demonstrated the true potential but face incomprehensible obstacles that keep on bringing the discussion of the DREAM Act back each and every time, and as we further decrease the influence of tax payers and educate the public about what the DREAM Act really entails our support will keep on increasing.