00:08The difference between American citizens and the undocumented Americans when they
00:14apply to college is that zero federal aid. Basically you have no money for
00:19school and loans are such a no-no for undocumented students. What do you do? How
00:28it's like worth $1,000 when your family makes that in a month.
00:40Dreamers are undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States by
00:45their parents as children. Dreamers consider themselves Americans because
00:50the United States is the only home they have ever known. Today there are
00:54approximately 4.4 million dreamers living in the US. The young dreamers all
00:59across the country. These kids are American just like us. President Obama
01:05issued an executive order giving work authorization and relief of deportation
01:09to those dreamers who qualified under the new policy known as DACA. Deferred
01:15action for childhood arrivals. DACA allowed hundreds of thousands of young people to
01:21get jobs to stop living in the shadows and to say they were undocumented and
01:26unafraid. I am one of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the
01:31shadows of the United States. This might be my only chance to convey the truth to
01:35all of you that undocumented immigrants are people too.
01:40But DACA is controversial to some people. You and the other people here illegally
01:46don't deserve to be here. They're bringing crime. They're rapists.
01:51Our country! And DACA still leaves many immigration problems unsolved.
01:57The DACA program only offers a temporary sigh of relief with its three-year work permit.
02:02A bill that would have these young people deported. I think that's wrong and I think
02:08most Americans would think it was wrong. This is the story of dreamer Gustavo.
02:14His parents left Colombia in 1999 hoping to give their children more
02:19opportunities and a better life. He was just five years old. This is Behind the
02:26Headlines.
02:46It's a lot of pressure to do well. Especially in my high school it was like
02:50good grades, good grades, good grades. I would do all these extracurricular
02:55activities. Drama club, the student government, class club. The moment that it
03:01became defined that I wasn't documented was after we took our PSATs and I saw my
03:09score and it was awesome. And I realized like from this point on like I just I'm
03:14doing it for nothing. And it hurt. It's disheartening for people to deny my
03:20American identity because they're in a way denying the last 17 years of my
03:24life.
03:38I had applied to Colombia because various sources for undocumented students had
03:42said that they will provide aid for undocumented students.
03:56I had applied to Colombia. Seeing the words congratulations in the email, it was insane. I felt my entire brain
04:12wanted to believe what my eyes were looking at.
04:14Seeing the words congratulations in the email, it was insane. I felt my entire brain wanted to believe what my
04:20eyes were looking at.
04:20Are worth it and you're not this criminal that deserves to be kicked out of this country.
04:34So then I have a meeting with a financial aid officer.
04:37She looks at me and she was like, like, as soon as I say hi, I did get $11,000
04:45in a scholarship.
04:46So she pulls out the Excel sheet and she's like, with this scholarship, you still have
04:51like a $60,000 balance.
04:56If I wasn't used to that kind of hopelessness, I would have like started bawling right then
05:00and there.
05:04Do I give up on Colombia just because I can't pay for it because the federal government doesn't
05:10think I deserve my own tax money?
05:13I have 16 days to raise $60,000 for I can't attend school.
05:34Why do we have $60,000?
05:37We have not had money.
05:38But I want to stay in the good mood to get ahead.
05:43That's what I want to say.
05:44What do you mean, Pablo?
05:46Perder Colombia?
05:47No, I know that it's been your dream,
05:50going to university.
05:51The government is taking my taxes
05:54and now they don't give me money
05:56for the school,
05:58and I want to look for $60,000.
06:01But when things don't exist,
06:03what do they do?
06:03I'm not the only one who can't study
06:05or go to a university for papers.
06:07There are many, many guys.
06:10If you think about it,
06:11it's even more easy.
06:13Hmm?
06:14How?
06:16Because he's been here with us.
06:18He's been with us.
06:19The one who wants, can.
06:21I know that you have a lot of gifts,
06:24a lot of talents.
06:26And, well,
06:27one of them,
06:28he's like a father,
06:29to know that you can't win.
06:31But the question is that
06:33you have to fight and insist.
06:34The one who insists,
06:35persists and arrives.
06:39I just got my first bill for the school.
06:41I am in need of $60,000.
06:44I sent out.
06:45I can't remember how many emails
06:46there was,
06:46because there was just so many.
06:55The Columbia newspaper,
06:58all types of associations.
07:00There's Danel Petijapuralta.
07:02I think he's a professor.
07:03He wasn't documented.
07:04He's from the Dominican Republic.
07:05I emailed the school,
07:07the president of the school.
07:09I haven't heard back yet.
07:11It's like,
07:12I don't know if I'm going back to my job.
07:13I don't know if I'm going to stay in Columbia.
07:15I don't know what classes I'm going to take.
07:16I don't know how much money I'm getting.
07:17I don't know anything.
07:21Frustrating.
07:22I feel like I'm making my problem
07:24everyone else's problem.
07:25Which I guess is sort of internalizing
07:27the hatred towards immigrants.
07:29But I have no other options.
07:33Because I want to start school.
07:39I had been told that I had to talk to my advisor.
07:42And I mean,
07:42there's like a million things going through my mind.
07:44Thinking like, is this it?
07:46Is this my chance to like,
07:47capitalize on this entire experience?
07:57I'm not a parent.
08:00Hi.
08:02Hey.
08:04Good to see you.
08:06My parents,
08:08they're like happy for me,
08:09but they have no idea what to tell me.
08:10I mean,
08:11it's like the story of my life.
08:12No, of course.
08:13And they didn't go to college, right?
08:14No.
08:15They didn't even,
08:15my mom didn't even go to high school.
08:17Yeah.
08:17And they're like,
08:18get a technical degree.
08:19You're going to waste all this money.
08:21Yeah.
08:22And a college degree.
08:23And...
08:24So I mean,
08:24I've been in the immigrant rights movement since 2007.
08:27And we've all gotten into school and through school
08:31in just a lot of different ways,
08:33but it's never easy.
08:34A lot of people just like burn out
08:36because they get tired of going through the maze.
08:40Growing up as an immigrant in this country,
08:44we always end up having to like rely on our plan C and plan D
08:47because A and B will always be shut in our face.
08:51So...
08:53I would rather honestly like take two classes a semester
08:56and graduate in like six years than give it up.
09:02But you do have that meeting.
09:03Why would they bring you in to tell you like everything's the same?
09:10A lot of things don't make sense.
09:17So I am on my way to have a meeting with one of my academic advisors
09:24who is going to tell me whether I get a scholarship.
09:29It's a very under the radar scholarship.
09:32So I'm super excited.
09:34I'm super nervous.
09:42I'm at a loss for words.
09:44It's like getting in all over again.
09:46I can't believe it.
09:47I, um...
09:48They said I'm very deserving.
09:51They said that I...
09:54That the system shouldn't be like this
09:56and this is their way of like combating the system.
10:01I, I spoke to the, the vice dean and, and...
10:05He, he, he had been advocating for me.
10:08I...
10:09Kind of full ride to Columbia University.
10:14So I'm, I'm here.
10:17I'm here to stay.
10:18I'm here at Columbia University to stay.
10:20I gotta call my mom.
10:22I'm gonna tell her that this is happening.
10:24There's nothing else to stop me.
10:26Like this is it.
10:27This is it.
10:28I'm in.
