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Ireri Unzueta Carrasco, una mexicana de 25 años a quien sus padres llevaron sin autorización a Chicago a la edad de siete, dijo que Veliz ``realmente no dijo mucho. Qué bueno que la dejaron hablar, pero es un lip service (una declaración de la boca para afuera) para la comunidad, porque todavía siguen las deportaciones. Hablar en un podio no va a cambiar la realidad''.
Unzueta es una de las 40 pasajeras del Undocubus, una iniciativa de la organización activista No Papers, No Fear (Sin Papeles, Sin Miedo), que desde el 28 de julio han visitado varias ciudades estadounidenses para retar al presidente Barack Obama a que decida cuál prefiere que sea su legado como presidente: el que apoya a los inmigrantes no autorizados o el que ha realizado más deportaciones que nunca.
DREAMers on display at Democratic National Convention
Sept. 4, 2012: Day two of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina featured an historic occurrence – DREAM Act advocate Benita Veliz spoke to the assembled delegates and television audience during the 9 PM hour. Following a video focused on immigration policy, Benita took the stage to share her own personal story, applaud the DREAM documentation program announced by the Obama Administration on June 15, 2012, and made the continued case for a permanent legislative solution.
“The strength and courage of the DREAM movement has led to historic policy breakthroughs and now leads to the televised stage of a national political convention,” said Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice. “It’s a testament to Benita Veliz and the hundreds of thousands of similar stories she represents that the DREAM movement has come this far and continues to work so hard – Benita and her fellow DREAMers are an inspiration.”
As Huffington Post noted of Benita’ story, “After her parents brought her to Texas from Mexico at the age eight, Veliz graduated from high school two years early as a National Merit Scholar and as her class valedictorian. She then graduated from St. Mary’s University, which she attended on a full academic merit scholarship.
“But in 2009, she said a small driving error threatened her ability to stay in the only country she knows. Veliz neglected to make a complete stop at a stop sign, prompting a police officer to pull her over. Deportation proceedings were then initiated when it was discovered she was undocumented.”
Though she was eventually spared deportation, Benita and fellow DREAMers now continue to advocate for a lasting solution that will allow these aspiring Americans to give back to the nation they call home.
Source: America's Voice -- Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform. On the Internet: www.americasvoiceonline.org
 
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