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Photo: Diego Lozano
Resilient shirt by Ganaz Apparel
Our President ran a campaign that targeted – among others – those deemed illegal, foreign
and alien. He largely won due to his staunch stance on “othering” people. In light of this, it’s
crucial to highlight those who live in the shadows as a way to play with the light. Arizona
is home to several thousand seeking asylum through the Dream Act. Instead of aliens or
foreigners, we call them Dreamers.
The three people interviewed here are ordinary humans with the drive and heart to make a difference.
Although they each have their own stories, they are united in a singular goal to achieve a better life.
And, at the end of the day, providing asylum is part of the gospel of the American Dream. Isn’t that the
pilgrim passage? Trying to make it better. Are immigrants just the new pilgrims?
You’ve walked for over five hours, but it feels like 20 when you’re five years old. Your little brother is being
carried by a stranger, and your mom is moving quickly. The stars above are magnetic, huge and alarming, and
you feel the moon sag into you. There is no time for a lot of questions. You have to keep moving. You dropped
your stuffed animal a while back, but it’s too late to pick it up now.
Once you make it to the big city, you are separated from your mom and jammed into an apartment with
several other people – how many, you’re not sure. You are five years old and without a mother in a land that
doesn’t know your name and doesn’t seem to want to. Crying doesn’t feel like a safe thing to do right now, so
you just let your eyes sink into the ground. You make yourself quiet.
Finally, your mom comes back. She is relieved. It’s time to start a new life, she says. You don’t know what
that means, but you think it’s something special. You don’t understand her enthusiasm, but you sense that life
will be different in some way.
Photo: Diego Lozano
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