Dream
a little
dream
Young Undocumented Latinos Emerge
to Advocate for Immigration Reform
ASTRID SILVA WITH SEN. HARRY REID ACCEPTING THE IMMIGRANT YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL
Each generation gets its share of attention. Millennials are the generation du jour. Much has been written about
these young folks but the most delightful discovery has been their openness to diversity, ideas, and innovation.
In the Latino community, the DREAMers, young Latino Millennials who
lack documentation because they immigrated as children with their parents,
offer a shining example of their generation. Initially risking deportation,
these young leaders stepped forward to ask for immigration reform, putting a
human face to the issue of illegal immigration and spawning a modern civil
rights movement.
We recently interviewed one young dreamer, Astrid Silva, winner of the
2014 Immigrant Youth Achievement Award from the American Immigration
Council, to get her point of view.
Born in Durango, Mexico, Silva crossed the border with her parents and
little brother in 1992, when she was four. As a young child, she admits to sensing that she was different, but she embraced the role of advocate after seeing
too many opportunities closed to her because of her lack of documentation.
When Congress failed to pass the DREAM Act that would give residency
and a path to citizenship to undocumented youth like her, Silva reached out
6
DECISIVE LATINO
to Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada), writing him letters and asking for his
support. One year later, she became a DREAMer, acknowledging her undocumented status and advocating for others like her.
Here’s her story.
Decisive Latino: When did you learn that you had no papers?
Astrid Silva: Growing up, I knew something was different. I couldn’t do
what others did, even the Girl Scouts required paperwork. I felt weird but the
full realization came as I got older and wanted to drive and apply for college.
This required a social security number that I didn’t have.
DL: How do you relate to fellow Millennials?
AS: The only difference between me and my friends, is that they’re not
dealing with being undocumented.
I withdrew after high school. I went to a magnate school with 100 percent