By Juan Hernández
Reading the Los Angeles Times, I discovered the story of Tony Valdovinos, a young man of Mexican descent living in the United States. You may wonder what is so peculiar about his story, as thousands of young Latinos are in the United States. When Tony turned 18, he wanted to enter the Marine Corps, but he was rejected for something his parents had hidden from him all his life: he was an undocumented migrant. This situation did not stop Tony, however. It only changed the way he decided to serve the country he loved. Since that day, he has been a tireless promoter of the Latino cause and motivates other Latinos to vote in every electoral contest, to win a place in the US government.
«My story is that of many people who only aspire to be better and contribute to the land that is now our home,» Tony commented at the presentation of the play «¡Americano!» based on his life. It’s the story of an American dreamer.
Last week the dreamers’ nightmare found new villains: nine US states governed by Republicans have asked a federal judge to awaken more than 600,000 young people, who are currently beneficiaries of the Action program, from their dream. In 2012, President Barack Obama created the DACA program—Deferred Childhood In Arrivals. The program provides certain benefits to those who were brought in illegally as children. It provides benefits such as obtaining a work permit, health services, and access to financing for studies or businesses. But Donald Trump rescinded the program in 2017. Today, DACA remains on hold. Most unfortunately, some continue to fail to recognize the contribution of these young people and insist on denying them opportunities to serve, as was the case with Tony when trying to join the Marines.
The fate of migrants (including dreamers) is uncertain, especially now that the process for the 2024 elections in Mexico and the United States has begun. Latinos, in general, know that the current US president, Joe Biden, has not fulfilled his campaign promises, and those who aspire to replace him will use this to defer votes from him. We know that nothing happens by chance in politics, which is why the book «Never Give an Inch» is so striking. It is the work of Donald Trump’s former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and has generated a lot of controversies. «Mexico bowed to the North,» Pompeo claims in his book, referring to the bilateral negotiation regarding migration.
«Now books are going to come out because of the elections, and they are going to be wrong because there are 40 million Mexicans (in the United States). If they think that they are going to take Mexican politics as their flag to win votes, it will go badly for them,» responded the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, to Pompeo’s remarks. The topic is hot.
Some analysts see Pompeo’s provocations as part of his strategy to position himself in the White House race, this, of course, with the seal he inherited from his mentor Donald Trump, posing migrants as a threat to his country. Returning to the Dreamers issue, these young people can fight to recover the benefits of the DACA program and be key players in the next elections in 2024. The Dreamers are legalized and able to vote, and if they so decide, they could vote to define the next presidents of the United States and Mexico. That’s the power they have!
Politics follows its natural course in both countries, and Mexican migrants (including Dreamers) have repeatedly shown what they are made of. In 2022 remittances to Mexico were 58,497 billion dollars, 13.4% more than last year. These are historical figures for the second consecutive year! These remittances result from the effort, sacrifice, and soul migrants put into their jobs or ventures outside our country. However, it is also a great opportunity for the states. Just as the National Coordination of Migrant Assistance Offices (CONOFAM) does not give up in the search to achieve a multiplier effect that generates works, projects, and programs to benefit of their families, the states can do the same. This is how we do it in Guanajuato through the «With You Yes» program, thanks to the encouragement of Governor Diego Sinhue. He sees in migrants, especially young dreamers, a great seed of progress for our state.
As we have seen, the dreamers’ nightmare has not disappeared. On the contrary, more ghosts continue to emerge, like the nine Republican states that wish to end the DACA program. However, stories like Tony’s are examples that transcend obstacles. The play about his life might even end up on Broadway, showing that dreamers, even if they are undocumented immigrants, can also be stars.
And what do you think of the dreamers and Pompeo’s memoirs?
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Juan Hernández collaborates with El Sol del Bajío. This column was published with permission.
