Kirk should vote for DREAM Act
One week ago, Mark Kirk was sworn in as Illinois senator. Among the first prominent pieces of legislation that Sen. Kirk will vote for is the DREAM Act. This bill would allow undocumented students, brought to the United States by their parents, to gain legal status by completing two years of college or joining the military. I firmly believe that Kirk not only has the duty but also the responsibility as our newly elected senator to stand behind immigrant and refugee rights by voting for the DREAM Act.
As a Pakistani-American born and raised in Chicago, I saw firsthand the struggles my mother faced to ensure her children's quality of life exceeded the one she had. Coming herself from a household of seven children and pursuing a career as a physician, she broke the mold as the first female in her family to make it in the field of medicine. Through it all, however, she made sure to instill in my siblings and me the appreciation of sincere, hard work. It is this same fervor for a strong work ethic I hope to share with my own children someday.
Passing the DREAM Act would not simply be a positive public relations move with the immigrant and refugee community. It is a key puzzle piece that will ensure the offspring of immigrants are given a fair opportunity to fulfill the American dream. It is the plight of each and every different ethnic and racial group that has crossed into the United States to make something of themselves. It is time to move forward as a nation to make this happen.
Nafia Khan
Assistant communications coordinator
Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago