We recount versions of this narrative over and over to our children and students: "No matter your circumstances, if you work hard, you can succeed."
I'm beginning to doubt the narrative. I cringe when I hear the graduation speakers talk of hope and promise.
It's not that I don't believe in hard work, or am too cynical to dream, it's that our policies and systems do not align with our national narrative. The students who graduate Thursday have been told for 12 years that if they work hard, they will be rewarded.
But, as a nation, we have failed another 65,000 DREAM Act students we have educated into a dead end.
Once again this year, students who were brought here not of their own choice, who grew up in the United States, whom we have invested in, will graduate with the tools to work but not the proper legal documentation nor process for obtaining that documentation so they can fully participate.
Once again this year, students are graduating with college degrees but cannot legally put their knowledge, experience and energy to work. You will notice them at graduation ceremonies because many are "coming out," with "Undocumented and Unafraid" written on their caps.
These DREAMers (named for the legislation that would grant residency to undocumented students who graduate from college or serve in the military) are speaking out louder than ever. They have decided to tell their stories to move us to action.
The cover story of this week's Time magazine, "We Are Americans," highlights some of those stories. The author, Jose Antonio Vargas, who is himself undocumented, calls immigration, "arguably the fundamentally most misunderstood issue in America."
Four years ago when we sent students off to college, we told them it was worth it. I remember saying, "Work hard. Do your best. There is a good chance in four years we can pass the DREAM Act. By the time you graduate, you'll be able to work. "
