Personal Stories - DACA - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Resource Guide - Subject & Course Guides at University of Kansas

YouTube Videos

Published on Feb 3, 2017

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, is an Obama-era policy that granted a work permit and temporary protection from deportation to children that came to the U.S. with unregistered parents. Now, the fate of more than 750,000 people is unclear. Donald Trump said he would repeal the policy during his campaign. He later promised something “that’s going to make people happy and proud.” DACA recipients are now pursuing advanced degrees and full-fledged careers. Sixty-five are in medical school in the United States, and approximately half of them are enrolled in the Loyola-Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. The Atlantic spoke with these medical students and residents about the anxiety surrounding the future. “I think about it for about five seconds, I find it a little unbearable to think about, and then I forget about it because it just doesn’t fit in my brain,” says Marina DiBartolo, a medical resident at the University of Pennsylvania. “Right now, there’s no path to legalization.”

(The Atlantic)

Published on Feb 23, 2017. Undocumented immigrants talk about xenophobia, the future of DACA, and the threat of deportation. (Vanity Fair)

Public Radio International

DACA Diaries
Intimate stories from the people affected by DACA, a federal program that has given many a lifeline as they start their adult lives. 2018 Public Radio International
Nearly 40 percent of DACA recipients are high school or college students. Now their future is in limbo.
PRI's The World, Jan. 17, 2018, by Marnette Federis, Kenya Downs, and Sophie Chou

Undocumented Americans

American Psychological Association. 2013

What is it like to grow up as an undocumented youth in America? In "Undocumented Americans," three undocumented youth who arrived as young children - Jong-Min, Pedro and Silvia - share their stories of how they are fighting hard to achieve their piece of the American dream. Their experiences are emblematic of the struggles of millions of undocumented children and youth in America who deal daily with isolation from peers, the struggle to pursue an education, fears of detention and deportation and the trauma of separation from family and loved ones. This video calls for valuing the contributions of and caring for all members of our society, even those without documentation.

Streaming Video

Life, Deferred (Vida Diferida)
2017. In English,Spanish. (24 min.) Licensed for all KU students, faculty, and staff connecting to the Internet.
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This documentary film tells the story of Vanessa, a teenager born in Mexico who has lived in the United States with her family since she was six years old. Once an excelling middle-school student with big dreams of becoming a doctor, Vanessa begins to be haunted by her undocumented status as she reaches high school.. Reconsidering her aspirations, Vanessa begins to give up on academics. Then, in the summer of 2012, President Obama approves the "Deferred Action" policy that would grant Vanessa immunity from being deported for the next two years, allow her to get a job and apply to college.. Vanessa’s story offers a window into the DACA generation, the impact of this policy on a young person’s life and the new challenges ahead. As government policies take new turns with a new administration, VIVA DIFERIDA highlights the uncertainties haunting undocumented youth and their families in the USA .
I Was Born in Mexico, But . . .
2018. (13 min.) Licensed for all KU students, faculty, and staff connecting to the Internet.
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A poetic short featuring the voice of an undocumented young Latina woman who was brought to the U.S. as a child. The film introduces viewers to a personal voice on the immigration debate: DACA, the Dream Act, and other immigration reform, speaking about what it’s like to grow up and face an uncertain future as a young undocumented person in America.. Because she doesn’t want to appear on camera, found footage from American culture illuminates the anonymous woman’s voice as she travels between despair and determination, struggling with her new identity and the reality that going to college will be very difficult without financial aid, and the uncertainty of her future when she can’t legally drive, work or reside in what she considers to be her home country of the United States. This film is available with English or Spanish subtitles.. "...a powerful reminder of the plight of illegal Mexican immigrants. Recommended." - Video Librarian