So this whole idea of coming out undocumented as a community officially launched last Wednesday, and I’m sure you’re wondering how things are going so far. Maybe you’d like to see what’s been done and get some ideas. Perhaps you’d like some inspiration or need a little push to motivate you. Or maybe you just think all DREAMers are awesome and would like any excuse to read about them, especially when they end up in the New York Times. If any of these apply to you, then keep on reading!
Read the full story »Coming out of the Shadows – A How To Guide
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“Brothers and Sisters, you must come out! come out to your parents, come out to your friends, if indeed they are your friends, come out to your neighbors, come out to your fellow workers. Once and for all, let’s break down the myth and destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake, for their sake. For the sake of all the youngsters who’ve been scared by the votes from Dade to Eugene. On the Statue of Liberty it says ‘ Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.’ In the Declaration of Independence it is written, ‘All men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights.’ For Mr. Briggs and Mrs. Bryant and all the bigots out there, no matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words from the Declaration of Independence! No matter how hard you try you can never chip those words from the base of the Statue of Liberty! That is where America is!”
-Harvey Milk
Congratulations! You have decided to come out of the shadows about your undocumented status. Perhaps you have finally decided to tell your friends why you haven’t signed up for your drivers’ ed. class or why you still don’t drive to school. Maybe, you will come out to your guidance counselor, who has asked you repeatedly to turn in your college application, but you were too afraid to tell him/her that you don’t have a social security number and that you still don’t know how you will pay for college without financial aid.
Please remember you are not alone. You are part of a large community of courageous undocumented youth who have decided to come out of the shadows about our immigration status. We live every day in fear and we are tired of it. We want to be able to talk about our lives and our stories without fearing persecution or deportation. We are not free to travel, go to school, work, live, but we refuse to be helpless. In the same way the LGBTQ community has historically come out, undocumented youth, some of whom are also part of the LGBTQ community, have decided to speak openly about their status. Your courage will open the way to having even more conversations about your immigration status. Sharing your stories will allow us, as a movement of undocumented youth, to grow, as we continue to learn to accept ourselves. By being more open we will begin replacing fear with courage and, ultimately, be united in our demands for change. You will be surprised how little other people know about the realities of being undocumented. People who know someone who is gay or lesbian are more likely to support equal rights for all gay and lesbian people- the same follows for people who know someone who is undocumented. Also note, if you must also confront intersecting oppressions (i.e. Gender, Race, Class, Sexual orientation), coming out about your status is one of the many hurdles for liberation.
National Coming Out Day
March 10th is National Coming Out Day. In Chicago, the Immigrant Youth Justice League will be holding a rally and a march to launch a week-long “coming out” of undocumented youth across the country. In other cities and towns, students are coming out to their friends on a much smaller scale. Whether big or small, consider participating in the National Coming Out Day and weeks by coming out!
Before you get started:
If you are nervous about coming out:
Include Know Your Rights Info here.
How to Participate in the Coming Out Week:
Your Commitment:
Look at the list below and determine your level of participation. Every bit helps moves us closer to passing the DREAM Act!
“I am a Dreamer”
Share your story with anyone (friends, family that do not know, a teacher, etc.) and get at least 10 petition signatures
“Shout It Out”
Get 25 petition signatures (or text) & share you story with us (written or video)
“We Are Here, Get Used to It”
Get 50 petition signatures (or text) & share you story with us (written or video) & hold a coming out party
“Loud and Proud”
Get 75 petition signatures (or text) & share you story with us (written or video) & hold a coming out event w/ press coverage
“Out of the Closets and into the Streets”
Get 100 petition signatures (or text) & get 5 people to share their story with us (written or video) & hold a coming out event w/ press coverage
Coming out is a very important and empowering time in a persons life. By coming out of the shadows you’re finally shedding some light on this issue that has been affecting others for years. Remember that there’s other youth out there, like yourself, that are too scared to come out. By taking the first step many more will find the courage they need to speak out as well!
Whatever you decide to do….Be creative and Be Brave!
Popularity: 35% [?]
Popularity: 1% [?]
Undocumented youth all over this country will finally come out the shadows and lay claim to their own futures. No longer will we let ourselves be intimidated, scared and ashamed. We have worked long and hard, we have risen to meet every challenge and we have made this country a better place for all. And yet, we are relegated to live in fear. So let us come out and end this fear.
So this whole idea of coming out undocumented as a community officially launched last Wednesday, and I’m sure you’re wondering how things are going so far. Maybe you’d like to see what’s been done and get some ideas. Perhaps you’d like some inspiration or need a little push to motivate you. Or maybe you just think all DREAMers are awesome and would like any excuse to read about them, especially when they end up in the New York Times. If any of these apply to you, then keep on reading!
A night of activism, food, music, fun… what more could you ask for?
NIU is one of the few schools in Illinois that offer scholarships to DREAM Act eligible youth. While community organizations, like KRCC and …
In the last couple of days, we’ve been tossing around the idea that Obama has not been straightforward with immigration reform advocates, given that he has not committed to comprehensive immigration reform this year
Quite funny …
Have you participated in our coming out actions? GREAT!
Not only is important to be out and about as a Dream Act student, but also to be counted in the census!
Here at DreamActivist we can’t stress …
SEATTLE, WA – As part of the National Undocumented Come Out Week coordinated by the United We Dream Network, students all over the country are disclosing their undocumented status during the week of March 15th …
Press release, National Immigration Law Center
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Undocumented students from coast to coast will announce their status and identity publicly this week. In “coming out” to their peers, these students hope to raise …
We know that we promised to upload one story everyday for Coming Out Week and apparently you all expected us to do it on weekends too. But we were in New Jersey facilitating a training and didn’t have time …. so we’re going to make it up to you by posting TWO stories every day! 
WDAC members come out on video! What creative ways can you think of to come out?
On the day of their sister’s 26th birthday, two undocumented brothers write about why they haven’t seen her in three years, why we need immigration reform as soon as possible, and why we need to march.
Undocumented youth all over this country will finally come out the shadows and lay claim to their own futures. No longer will we let ourselves be intimidated, scared and ashamed. We have worked long and hard, we have risen to meet every challenge and we have made this country a better place for all. And yet, we are relegated to live in fear. So let us come out and end this fear.
