Dayanna Rebolledo was brought to the United States from Mexico at the age of 9. Now, at age 21, she finds herself working odd hours at a factory in order to afford paying out-of-state tuition at a community college. Dayanna aspires to one day be a high school teacher. Tired of living in fear, she began to organize, coming out of the shadows for the first time last May. She is now one of the leaders of OneMichigan, an undocumented youth-led group out of Southwest Detroit.

When the DREAM Act failed last year, Dayanna realized that instead of waiting for another 10 years for something to change, she needed to take direct action.

Full story below.

My name is Dayanna and I am undocumented.

I came to the United States when I was nine years old. Growing up, I always knew I was undocumented, but I didn’t understand the meaning of being undocumented until senior year. I couldn’t get my driver’s license, I was being denied from universities and my dreams of becoming a teacher would have to be put on hold. It also meant the multiple lies I had to tell my friends to explain why I wasn’t attending the schools to which I was accepted, and to explain why I couldn’t go on a cruise to the Bahamas with them. Senior year is supposed to be the best year of your teenage life, but how do you make the best of it when you are constantly reminded that you are not welcome in the place you consider home?

I am not good at giving up, especially when it comes to my dreams. I still told myself many times that the lack of a social security number was not going to stop me from making my dreams become a reality. I was working two jobs after high school trying to save some money so I could pay my first semester at a community college. My family was going through some bad economic times and it got to the point that we lost our house and our car. Everything my parents had been working so hard for was now gone.

As I tried to be strong for my family, I told them not to worry about it, that I would just have to work harder and save the money again. Somehow I was able to save my tuition money in time to start school that winter, but I still felt very empty. Being undocumented was something I never talked about with anyone.

Last year, I heard of a DREAM Camp happening, and it was the first time I had ever heard of the DREAM Act and about other people in my same situation. It was also the first time I heard a student share his story, and I remember just sitting there thinking, “One day I will be sharing my story, and I will not be ashamed of being undocumented.” It has now been over a year and I am no longer ashamed, no longer afraid of being undocumented.  I have decided to stand and fight for my dreams, my family and my community. I will no longer live under a shadow of immigration status. I am tired of waiting for something to happen.

I have declared what side I stand on, but have you?