The Road to • 2001

The DREAM Act is first introduced to the

Immigration Reform Senate but dies quickly in committee and

A Timeline
does not return to the floor for a vote.
• 2002
The Department of Homeland Security is
created, and billions of dollars are spent
• 2010
The DREAM Act passes in the House of
Representatives but falls short on the Senate
floor — five votes shy from becoming a law.

• The Long Road to on border and airport security. • 2012

Congress spends $18 billion on immigration

Immigration Reform • 2003 enforcement at the border and inside the

United States.
Senate Judiciary Committee approves the

• The DREAM Act DREAM Act by a bipartisan vote of 16 to 3.

• 2006
President George W. Bush calls for com-
prehensive immigration reform. The Senate
passes a major overhaul of our immigration
laws, which include the DREAM Act, by a vote
of 62 to 36. The House of Representatives
does not agree to the reforms.
• 2012
The DACA memorandum is issued, giving
Dreamers who qualify temporary protection
from deportation.
• • 2013
Bipartisan Gang of Eight Senators introduces
immigration reform bill S. 744, which includes the
DREAM Act provisions and a path to citizenship

• 2007 for undocumented immigrants. The bill creates a

• 1986
Congress passes the last major
overhaul of America’s immi-
gration laws, providing a path to
legalization for approximately 3
million undocumented
immigrants living in the United
States. For the first time, it also
becomes illegal to hire
undocumented immigrants.
• 1996
Congress makes it more difficult for
undocumented immigrants to
access any path to legal status by
passing a law that, in addition to
other restrictions, requires
undocumented immigrants to leave
the United States for up to 10 years
before they can legally return to the
United States.
The Senate tries again to pass a compre-
hensive immigration reform package that
includes the DREAM Act provisions. The
effort fails to make it out of the Senate.
Despite majority support, the DREAM Act
falls eight votes short of the 60 votes needed
to stop the Senate filibuster of the bill.
• 2009
The DREAM Act is reintroduced to both
chambers of Congress.
long road to citizenship, in which
undocumented immigrants would have to pay
large fines and fees, pay any back taxes and be
regularly employed for 10 years before they can
get Lawful Permanent Resident status (green
card). Students who came to the United States
before the age of 16, graduated from high school,
and completed two years of college would be able
to get Lawful Permanent Resident (green card)
status after five years. Those serving honorably in
the military would be able to apply for citizenship
after one year.

1990 2000 2010

For more information on immigration reform and the DREAM Act, visit: www.thedreamisnow.org/about#faq

For information and resource about teaching digital literacy and citizenship in the classroom, go to www.commonsense.org/educators. 8
 Student Graphic Organizer
Use this table to keep track of your thoughts as you watch The Dream Is Now.
Section 1
Start time: 00:00
End time: 12:41 (Ends with Glenn Beck saying, “It’s legislation that would have allowed millions of illegal immigrants to get away with staying here in the United States legally.
We the people said, uh I believe it was, ‘No way, Jose!’”)

Key vocabulary
• citizen: a member of a government-led community who has rights and responsibilities
• amnesty: a pardon, or act of forgiveness, for past offenses, especially to a class of persons as a whole
• undocumented: not having the documents necessary to legally live or work in a foreign country
• Social Security number: a 9-digit number given to a United States citizen that is unique to him or her; is often used for tax, employee, patient, student, and credit records

Questions Notes/Response

What is the DREAM Act? What would it offer? To whom does it apply?
The DREAM Act is a bill that was passed in Congress to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants who are children and are going to school in the United Stated.
“Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minor Acts”

In 2001, the passing of the DREAM Act died in community and didn’t even go to the floor for a vote. Secret groups started to form in college campuses,
groups who wanted to change things for undocumented people in the United States. Giving citizenship to people like the ones listed below.
The DREAM Act would expand the ability for youth Americans to go into the military.

This film features four young adults: Ola, Erika, Alejandro, and Jose. What do
we know about them thus far? What are their stories?
Ola- mom works in a bakery, with a mother that is more than thankful to have a bakery where she can work. Came from Albania. Mother was taken from their house, and after
with lots of interrogation room meetings, she was told she was going to be deported and eventually was handcuffed to a chair in a hallway for 6 hours.
Erika- Tamales, came to US when she was 11. Secretary and graduated at the top of her class. Really took charge by going to Senators, Washington, and actually was arrested in
the end for standing up for the DREAM Act. Mother got taken and sent back to Mexico.
Alejandro- Attended a high school and was in the Marine Corp. City core commander for his city of Chicago. Picked up the flags of his father. Has always been known to be a
good guy.
Jose- top math scholar and wanted to be a mechanical engineer. Awarded full scholarship. When graduated, he couldn’t apply for the jobs because he was undocumented. Now he
works in physical labor and construction. “I has a degree, what am I doing?”

The documentary mentioned the passing of Proposition 300 in Arizona. What

effect does this proposition have on undocumented college students in Arizona?
For the students who were undocumented, were having to go into a crazy amount of debt because they wouldn’t be supported by the government. Officers would have to look and check in
with the government officials to make sure that they are being responsible, and safe in the United States. So all of these undocumented students started having to drop out of school
because they couldn’t afford the price that it takes to go to a University.

One argument in favor of the DREAM Act is that it would expand the number
of youth eligible for military service. What do you think about this argument?
It was really hard to hear that kids like Alejandro couldn’t go into the marines just because of where him and his family came from and for being undocumented. Something that
somewhat worries me about allowing more youth eligibility for going into military services is the fact that these young adults are wanting to go into a war that is extremely
dangerous; is there not anything different that these young adults can do for the country rather than going out on the war front and battling?
The DREAM Act was put up for a vote in 2010. What ended up happening?
The DREAM Act was passed by Congress in 2010, but from what I got it was a lot of simplifying and making fine print corrects from the previous trials of bills given to the
Government. From what I understood, it wasn’t until 2012 that President Barak Obama and his administration would stop deporting undocumented immigrants if they were able to
fit the certain criteria that was taken and formed around the standards in the DREAM Act.

Why was it so bold for young undocumented Dreamers to declare their

status and identify themselves publicly in support of the act?
It shows that they are not scared. By saying their names and fully expressing that they know they are undocumented, and that they know that people are not supporting them as a
person. This shows just how messed up this subject is, and that it is wrong. These young students standing up to older adults and governmental officials expresses nothing but
bravery and it also shows just how many undocumented college students there are that are really struggling and having lots of challenges because of this Act not passing.

What might be at stake if young people begin to doubt that working hard and
playing by the rules will actually pay off?
If young students start to get the idea that working hard is not going to pay off, that’s just so sad and disappointing. Playing by the rules is a society rule that should be learned by
everyone at a young age. Like these young kids, if all of this work didn’t pay off in some kind of way, then they would feel very hopeless and discouraged. But this story is really
showing how you should stay committed to something you believe. Because in the end, if you work hard enough and put enough energy towards that goal, then someday you will
be able to get it (or pretty darn close to it).
Section 2
Start time: 12:41
End time: 22:54 (Ends with the narrator, Guggenheim, saying, “But this ‘other’ has become us. And they’ve always made us better.”)

Key vocabulary
• presidential memorandum: a type of order issued by the president of the United States to manage and govern the actions, practices, and policies of the executive branch
• DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals): a presidential memorandum, signed in 2012, that directed the federal government to focus its immigration enforcement
efforts on criminals and other high-risk immigrants. DACA allows the government to defer for two years the removal action (deportation) of certain people who came to the
United States as children.
• deportation: the expulsion or formal removal of a person(s) from a country

Questions Notes/Response

Though the DREAM Act didn’t pass in Congress in 2011, President

Obama was able to enforce the DACA memorandum. What was it?
How did the memorandum come about?
DACA is a presidential law that stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It’s a law that would pass that would allow undocumented students to apply for this DACA
status within the United States. What this would do is allow temporary relief from getting deported for those specified students.
Its one of the three ways that Obama could take action to help undocumented immigrants.

Why did the political landscape seem to shift in favor of

immigration reform after President Obama’s re-election?
It would have looked very low if the political landscape didn’t shift in favor when almost everyone else around us is changing to be in favor. It would be more controversial to not
support immigration than to support it.

Some people are in favor of the DREAM Act for economic reasons.
What reasons did the documentary point out? How would you
support or rebut these reasons?
There would be more tax payers- $329 million (this could go to other departments such as education that would really be beneficial for those departments
There would also be a lot more job offers because of the high demand for living and the cost that is associated with living in this country.

What do you think of this quote by the film’s narrator?

“Pick a moment in history and you can always find an ‘invading race’ —
the Chinese, the Jews, the Irish, the Italians ... there was always a new
‘other’ we were told to fear. And consistent throughout the struggle is
a battle between our very worst instincts and our very best. But this
‘other’ has become us. And they’ve always made us better.”
This quote is powerful. I agree with the fact that throughout history, there has always been an “other” race that society is supposing to oppose. How messed up is this, and why is it
something that is STILL going on? There is definitely is a battle that us humans in society with us battling between our very worst instincts and our very best, because I want to
hope that everyone wants to be a decent, respectful, kind, and fair person, but in real life, that just will never happen. We have to battle with our species in which we need to make
sure people are doing their society duty and acting with kindness, and when that doesn’t happen I do understand that actions need to be taken and not everyone is going to agree
with those actions.
For information and resource about teaching digital literacy and citizenship in the classroom, go to www.commonsense.org/educators. 10
Section 3
Start time: 22:54
End time: 29:22 (Ends with the narrator, Guggenheim, saying, “Join us. Let’s write their ending together. Sign the petition. Let’s fix our broken immigration system. The
dreamisnow.org.”)

Key vocabulary
• social media: forms of online communication that allow users to participate in online communities and share information, ideas, messages, and other media content
• mobilize: to bring people together to take action or for a political objective

Questions Notes/Response

What do you think would have happened if Erika hadn’t posted

the YouTube video? Do you think that the bus would have returned
with her mother?
I was so happy that Erika did post that video. If she didn’t, I don’t think that the bus would have turned around because it seriously brought her so many supporters and more
people on board for backing her and her mom up. The mother could have returned in a a different way, but, it would have taken a much longer time and probably would have been
more brutal and dangerous.

What are the benefits of using social media to champion or

support a cause? What are the drawbacks?
The benefits for using technology and social media are so much; the fact that anyone can see what is posted, that there is free speech when saying thing online, and the fact that
people can share to their own personal website/media page about things they read on the internet. Some of the benefits that are also there are ability to show emotion. Like Erika
did, when she was emotional and sad about what happen with her mother, it was her emotions that changed everyone’s opinion in supporting her.

What is the status of the DREAM provisions right now? How is

Congress currently addressing these issues?
The current status for the DREAM Act is still under supervision. Since the Senate passed the legislative of immigration, that is allowing families, people, societies, and supporters
who would have qualities accepted in the DREAM Act to have citizenship through a legal route and specific steps included.

What are your overall reactions to the documentary? Do you think

it was effective at addressing the issue? If so, how? What did you
like or not like?
I feel like this was a very powerful documentary and honestly it was something that I had no knowledge about. The more that we talk about current events in our classes, the more
that I am learning about how much I don’t know about immigration and these laws that are really affecting people and their lives. For me, I was thinking about one of my close
friends who had a brother that was deported when she was a senior in high school; and just how hard that was and hearing her side of the story and her emotions, I really thought
about that when seeing this film and honestly it made me cry because I just feel so sorry for these young adults and families.

What is something that you learned from this film that you would
like to share with others?
Something that I learned and took away from this film was strengthening my knowledge for different perspectives. The fact that we saw multiple young adult’s stories and
experiences really changed the way I thought of the whole DREAM Act, but most importantly, it really made me sad throughout watching the film. Just to hear about four true
stories and see how they have affected their lives was shocking to me. I couldn’t believe that the government was actually doing these disgusting actions to young adults. Ones
who aren’t even 21 yet are getting handcuffed and deported out of the country just because of who they and their families are.
For information and resource about teaching digital literacy and citizenship in the classroom, go to www.commonsense.org/educators. 11
 Core Curricular Ties for Teachers
Want to incorporate The Dream Is Now into your teaching plans? Use the activities below for inspiration.

ENGLISH TEACHERS
Explore an immigrant’s dream. Have students begin by reading Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus.” What language and imagery does she use
to bring the Statue of Liberty to life? How does this poem portray the experience of arriving at Ellis Island as an immigrant in the late 19th century?
Then read Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” and have students compare the two. How does Hughes’ figurative language evoke immigrants’
unrealized hopes and dreams? How is this poem, if at all, still relevant to what today’s Dreamers are facing?

HISTORY TEACHERS
Analyze the legislative process. Have students watch Schoolhouse Rock’s animated short, “How a Bill Becomes a Law” (found on YouTube and
SchoolTube). Then have students create a graphic showing the traditional legislative process, using a free media creation tool like Piktochart
(www.picktochart.com). Using the Road to Immigration Reform: A Timeline, compare the DREAM Act’s legislative journey to the typical course of a
bill becoming a law.

MATH TEACHERS
Study the statistics. Have students watch Terence’s Chalkboard Talk (1:45 min), found on the documentary’s site (www.thedreamisnow.org/
documentary). You may want to review the vocabulary terms found in the Discussion Guide and introduce the term “tax revenue”: government
income from taxation. Have students discuss the economic implications of allowing Dreamers to become American citizens. How might the proposed
immigration reform bill affect potential tax revenue? How might our economy be affected if Dreamers are deported?

SCIENCE TEACHERS
Debate the STEM issue. Have students read “America Desperately Needs More STEM Students. Here’s How to Get Them” by Rodney C. Adkins
(2012, Forbes Magazine), which argues that the United States has a shortage of STEM graduates and STEM-ready workers needed to fill the many
jobs in this growing job sector. Compare this argument to Giovanni Peri’s op-ed “The Economic Windfall of Immigration Reform,” (2013, The Wall
Street Journal), which claims that, despite the small number of STEM graduates, the availability of STEM jobs is overstated. Have students compose
their own argument about whether or not there’s a shortage of STEM candidates qualified for available jobs, citing evidence from these and other
sources.

For information and resource about teaching digital literacy and citizenship in the classroom, go to www.commonsense.org/educators. 13