What is YOUR Vision?

By Uyen Ha

Among many other things, having been exposed to the struggles of low-income families and realizing the reason for that is the result of their lack of a social security number causes one to really see life for what it really is—ongoing struggles and injustice. As a kid, we complain that life is not fair because we do not have extravagant things—things that we can live without—but have you ever imagined life without a SSN? You might be following that question with, ‘what does this have to do with leadership?’ Well, I can explain.

I am part of a program called Emerging Leaders at my college and its purpose is to expose us to different leadership topics and situations in order to refine our leadership skills. Throughout the course of the program, we create a vision and work on making it a reality. This vision could be anything, large or small, from something we wish to change in the community or just a goal we have for ourselves.

Having attended a school system known for its diversity, I was exposed to many different people and their cultures, beliefs, and struggles at a young age. During my final years of high school, one controversial issue really caught my attention and empathy—illegal immigration. I became aware of this issue when a close friend of five years told me she was undocumented. I had no clue what that meant, which is ironic because I should have known considering the setting I’ve been in for basically my whole life. For so long, I have seen diversity as a norm, not knowing there was an illegal way of getting to America to even question how someone got here.

I felt obligated to learn more about this problem and became quite partial to it because it is a reality for many people I know and care about. It’s frustrating to see people whose goal is to have a better life for their families be deprived of the means to achieve it. People say America is the land of opportunities, but I feel that title is misleading in this case. What opportunities are we giving the children who did not choose, but was brought to this country by their families in search of a better life? Who is to say that wanting the best for future generations is illegal? Or that any human being is illegal? Were we not all immigrants searching for a better life at some point?

With that said, the vision I had was to raise awareness about illegal immigration and hopefully find sponsors to fund at least one undocumented student’s secondary education. I plan to make a documentary illustrating the everyday struggles undocumented students and their families go through due to their lack of legal residential status. I also want to show the different obstacles undocumented students have when trying to apply, fund, and attend college and show their credentials and why other students like them deserve an education. I hope to reach out to those who are unaware of the issue and maybe even change perspectives of those who are on the opposite side.

It is a shame to see such incredible talent, intellect, and potential go to waste because of nine numbers. Instead of thwarting these students’ opportunity of achieving higher education, we should consider how allowing those to achieve their dream could be beneficial to our country.

As a leader, I feel it is very important to not only know what you want and believe, but to also stand up for it, even if/when you are alone. If we don't stand up for what we believe in, no one will. Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” There are many people on both sides of this issue, but there are many hiding in the shadows, afraid to fight for their rights in fear of deportation. I choose to speak up and stand up about this issue because it is what I believe in and feel is just. What will/do you stand up for?

**If there are any questions or suggestions about illegal immigration or my vision, PLEASE comment! I would love to read it!