Zuckerberg Puts His Money Where His Passion Is, Gives Dreamers $5 Million for Education

Zuckerberg Puts His Money Where His Passion Is, Gives Dreamers $5 Million for
Education
By Janie Diaz
Before rolling out the celebrate pride filter on June 26, Mark Zuckerberg was in the news for something a little
more obscure, but every bit as important to his personal passion projects. Donating $5 million to TheDream.US,
a fund for undocumented immigrants to the U.S. that affords them the opportunity to continue their higher
education and become college grads.
Zuckerberg took to Facebook with a message about the donation he and wife Priscilla Chan had decided to
make. He noted that it’s important for eager young minds and hardworking young people to be able to reach
the next logical rung on the ladder of success without having to overload themselves with the worry of being
“caught” getting a US education.
Right now, in the US, millions of young high school graduates are fearful or unable to attend university—because
even when they have perfect marks, superior references, and outstanding community leadership skills listed on
their resumes, they're missing a major piece of the puzzle—American citizenship papers. In an unfortunate
paradox for these young “Dreamers,” most of them have little or no recollection of the countries where they
were born. Many undocumented students graduating today who would be called "illegal immigrants" by those
on the conservative right — have never really lived anywhere else but the US.
While some feel these young, aspiring students should have the chance at education like Zuckerberg does,
others feel strongly they should be sent “back to their home countries.” But no other country can be considered
home, other than by the basis of an event we don’t even remember: being born. Nearly any psychologist,
sociologist, or contemporary anthropologist would agree: if you’re 18 years old and have been in the US for 17
years and six months, there’s no other culture you identify with more than the one you grew up in. US public

schools, afterschool programs, friends from African American and Anglo communities, exposure to the American
“melting pot” for the entirety of your life, then out of nowhere… a tiny village with no employment, straddling
the poverty line, and in many cases, speaking a language these students are not always fluent in. For those who
don’t understand, imagine being told you were born on Mars, and it’s time to go back—because that’s where
you were born—it’s really no different.
Clearly, Zuckerberg agrees, and with his name on the banner of the Dreamer’s Education cause, there’s much
more to this donation than the $5 million. The exposure to this cause on Facebook given by its progenitor and
sitting CEO is a big deal. In addition to all this fanfare and incredible publicity, this is not the first step Zuckerberg
has taken to enhance the possibilities for young, undocumented students who wish to continue on to college. In
2013, Zuckerberg was one of the initial co-founders of FWD.US—an organization that purports to utilize
technology and tech culture to help push immigration reform in a progressive direction. Engaging everyone from
Facebook's own denizens to heavy hitting tech companies who support bills and other legislation to bring forth
comprehensive immigration reform in the US is the common goal. Zuckerberg is at the top of his forwardthinking
game to supporting it — he understands the generation of tomorrow is not a neat package of people,
but a diverse group of multicultural thinkers who have a lot to bring to the table — especially in the tech world.
TheDream.US funding for college gives qualifying applicants as much as $25,000 to seek a college degree and
half as much for those seeking an associate’s degree. But it isn't a free-for-all; this has to be made clear. For
applicants to qualify, they cannot just be anyone who just arrived here, or, say, a 30-year-old person who wants
to go back to school just… because. Applicants must be DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) approved.
Essentially, this means they have to be able to ensure TheDream.US that they will be able to stay in the US to
complete their education. Applicants can also successfully apply if they have TPS (Temporary Protected Status),
which will ensure they cannot be deported at any point during their studies.
Calling immigration reform the “biggest civil rights issue of our time,” Zuckerberg is well on track to do great
things for immigrants seeking an education. Of course, the $120 million he and wife Priscilla gave to schools with
inadequate facilities in the Bay Area didn’t hurt his reputation or the students there, either. But beyond that, as
the best-known face of any social media platform, Zuckerberg has the power to leverage his personal passion on
this issue into part of Facebook’s brand identity. Win, win.