LESSON
1____________________
VIDEO SCRIPT | How to become an American?
When I was in high school, there was this program, and you had to read
an article about why you were an American. One of the girls in my school
found out I was applying, and she said, "But you're not American. You
weren't born here, so you shouldn't be able to apply."
I remember I got so angry because it was the first time anyone had
questioned if I was an American, and I had never thought of it like that. So I
wrote the article about how being an American is your values—values of
diversity, of tolerance, you know, inclusivity, freedom, the rights to an education
—and all of those values are values that I have, and values that my family
has.
I'm Bruna. I'm 26 years old. I was born in Brazil, and I grew up in Florida.
My name is Marcy. I am 22 years old. I am from Honduras.
I'm Wella. I'm from Zambia. I'm 21, grew up in Maryland.
My name is Elena. I'm 23, from Mexico, but I was raised here.
I'm Esther. I'm 21 years old, a Korean-American born in Brazil.
My name is Jetzy. I came at the age of two from Mexico, and I am an
undocumented person living in the U.S.
I think an American is someone who loves the idea of that American dream
—the one that, if you work hard, you can prosper in the United States.
I do support myself like anybody else does. I do pay taxes, so I do give back to
the community and all of that. Granted, with DACA—DACA means
opportunities and open doors.
The ability to work and to get from one social class, let's say, to the next, or
economic class to the next; to have an education.
I work. I am a college student. I love this country. It doesn't matter that I
wasn't born here. I think that's what makes me American. It's not a piece of
paper—it's where your heart belongs to.
The U.S. is the only home I know.
The United States is the only home I know.
This is where I grew up.
This is my home.
My father first came into this country fleeing. He was actually almost killed
when I was six months. I have family members who just recently have lived
through very tough experiences and have been granted asylum because of
their situation.
And I don't know what my life holds. It's a lot of uncertainty, a lot of fear,
and a lot of nights without sleep.
My first memory in the United States is being in my bilingual kindergarten
class.
This picture is actually from my eighth birthday. This was right when I was
just beginning school here. It was a precious moment to me because it was
the first birthday I don't—so many—that I had missed out with my parents.
My parents are the hardest-working people I know. I remember the first year
they worked at a bowling alley, and they would take us with them at like
1:00 a.m. They were able to go in because we didn't have anyone else to
help take care of us at night. My sister and I would sleep in the chairs of the
bowling alley, and it was back then when you could smoke in bowling alleys—
and it reeked. I just remember how hard my parents worked.
I think I was attempting to throw a snowball at my siblings. This was the first
time I ever saw a snowstorm when I first got here. I think it kind of shows
that I'm similar to a lot of kids here.
This photo is my dad, my mom, my brother. We are celebrating my friend's
birthday in the United States—and the first one now being separated from
my parents.
This is a photo of me in first grade. I remember my mom dressing me up in
the morning. I couldn't understand why I had to wear fancy clothes to
school. This is the first school photo that my family bought. Oftentimes they
come in these packages, and for us, that was a luxury. But I think my mom
really felt like she needed to document my youth.
And this photo is my dad and I. We are in the Twin Towers. Right behind it,
you can see the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty in itself holds a lot of
meaning. This is where I consider my home, where I plan to, you know, grow
old, and one day have a family and buy that house with the white picket
fence. So I don't see myself living anywhere else than in the U.S.
I'm a DACA beneficiary. I'm a DACA recipient. I am a Beca woman—Soy una
mujer Beca—and I'm here to stay. I am here to stay. I am an American here
to stay.
