Houston Chronicle (by Mayra Cruz): Wendy Ramirez said she was first inspired to pursue a medical degree when her father was paralyzed after a drunken driver hit him when she was a child.
But before graduating from high school, she was initially discouraged by a counselor for a reason most students don't deal with, but eventually gained admission to the University of Houston-Downtown as a biology major.
Ramirez came out to dozens of people on Thursday by announcing she was no longer afraid of her past, the fact that was keeping her back: She is an illegal immigrant.
Attendees at the rally greeted her disclosure with cheers. She said she did not want "to be judged by a document, but by the qualities I possess."
The organization Immigrant Families and Students in the Struggle gathered community members and supporters to listen to students like Ramirez "coming out" about their immigration status. The rally was staged Thursday in support of the Development, Relief, Education for Alien Minors Act - better known as the DREAM Act - at the UH-Downtown campus.
"I am Wendy, I am undocumented and unafraid, and I have the right to dream," she said. Ramirez was one of four students who shared their stories.
The DREAM Act has been under consideration by Congress since 2001. If passed, it would allow some young illegal immigrants to gain citizenship after attending two years of college or enlisting in the military after also passing a criminal background check.
While the DREAM Act gained bipartisan support in Congress over the years, its passage has stalled in both the House and Senate.
Opponents said passing the bill would provide amnesty for immigrants who entered the country illegally.
The most recent version of the bill was introduced last year, but did not gather enough votes. An estimated 2.1 million young people would benefit from the DREAM Act, according to the Immigration Policy Center,a pro-immigration think tank.
Isaac Valdez, an applied mathematics junior studying at UH-Downtown, told supporters he was involved in seven student organizations, tutoring, and also was a full-time student.
"Just because you don't have nine numbers on your birth certificate doesn't mean you can't do something in this life," he said in Spanish.
Valdez said he didn't mind losing sleep or giving up his social life for his academic career, but did not want to keep passing up job opportunities because of his status.
Amid chants of "education, not deportation," advocates said the DREAM Act would allow students to be productive members of society.
UH-Downtown President Bill Flores said approximately 400 undocumented students are enrolled at the university.
"(Undocumented students) want to educate and contribute to American society," he told the crowd. "We say, 'Let them.' "
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, is expected to release an alternate version of the DREAM Act in June. While the proposed bill would allow young illegal immigrants to stay in the country, it would not allow them to gain citizenship.
Immigrant advocate Cesar Espinosa said he wants to see the language in Rubio's bill before deciding if he'll support it.
"From what we've heard, if it's not something that supports a path to citizenship, it is not something that we would support," he said.
But before graduating from high school, she was initially discouraged by a counselor for a reason most students don't deal with, but eventually gained admission to the University of Houston-Downtown as a biology major.
Ramirez came out to dozens of people on Thursday by announcing she was no longer afraid of her past, the fact that was keeping her back: She is an illegal immigrant.
Attendees at the rally greeted her disclosure with cheers. She said she did not want "to be judged by a document, but by the qualities I possess."
The organization Immigrant Families and Students in the Struggle gathered community members and supporters to listen to students like Ramirez "coming out" about their immigration status. The rally was staged Thursday in support of the Development, Relief, Education for Alien Minors Act - better known as the DREAM Act - at the UH-Downtown campus.
"I am Wendy, I am undocumented and unafraid, and I have the right to dream," she said. Ramirez was one of four students who shared their stories.
The DREAM Act has been under consideration by Congress since 2001. If passed, it would allow some young illegal immigrants to gain citizenship after attending two years of college or enlisting in the military after also passing a criminal background check.
While the DREAM Act gained bipartisan support in Congress over the years, its passage has stalled in both the House and Senate.
Opponents said passing the bill would provide amnesty for immigrants who entered the country illegally.
The most recent version of the bill was introduced last year, but did not gather enough votes. An estimated 2.1 million young people would benefit from the DREAM Act, according to the Immigration Policy Center,a pro-immigration think tank.
Isaac Valdez, an applied mathematics junior studying at UH-Downtown, told supporters he was involved in seven student organizations, tutoring, and also was a full-time student.
"Just because you don't have nine numbers on your birth certificate doesn't mean you can't do something in this life," he said in Spanish.
Valdez said he didn't mind losing sleep or giving up his social life for his academic career, but did not want to keep passing up job opportunities because of his status.
Amid chants of "education, not deportation," advocates said the DREAM Act would allow students to be productive members of society.
UH-Downtown President Bill Flores said approximately 400 undocumented students are enrolled at the university.
"(Undocumented students) want to educate and contribute to American society," he told the crowd. "We say, 'Let them.' "
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, is expected to release an alternate version of the DREAM Act in June. While the proposed bill would allow young illegal immigrants to stay in the country, it would not allow them to gain citizenship.
Immigrant advocate Cesar Espinosa said he wants to see the language in Rubio's bill before deciding if he'll support it.
"From what we've heard, if it's not something that supports a path to citizenship, it is not something that we would support," he said.
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