VOA标准英语2013--'Dreamers' Give Human Face to Immigration Reform

 

'Dreamers' Give Human Face to Immigration Reform

As U.S. lawmakers consider immigration reform, Brazilian born Renata Teodora wants them to think of her.

“It’s important to at least share your story, share who you are so that people know you are not, you know, some criminal. You’re not someone stealing their taxes, stealing their spot from school, that you’re just a regular American no different than anybody else,” she said.

Teodora is a "Dreamer," a term used by advocates to describe young, undocumented immigrants who can now live, work and go to school in America thanks to a presidential directive issued last year by the president.

Advocating for citizenship¹

To show why the current immigration system is inhumane, she recently traveled to Arizona with the pro-legalization group United We Dream to see her mother for the first time in six years. Her family was deported².  They left her behind so she could find a better life in America. While the reunion was staged to make a point, Teodora said speaking through the border fence was still very emotional.

“I didn’t think that I would have the memory of walking up to my mom and not being, not being able to hug her, and having this rusty³ orange fence in between the most beautiful person,” she said.

In a United We Dream video, Dreamers confront Florida Senator Marco Rubio prior to the Senate’s passage of an immigration reform bill that now is being considered in the House of Representatives.  

United We Dream’s Julieta Garibay said Dreamers in 26 states have energized⁴ the movement.

“I think many people started to see, like even if you are undocumented, you do have power, even if you are undocumented, you have a voice and you can put pressure on members of Congress and the president,” said Garibay.

Opponents speak

Opponents of granting the undocumented a path to citizenship call it amnesty, and they say it will encourage illegal immigration.

“If you give amnesty to these young people, they are on a path to U.S. citizenship in which they can sponsor the parents who brought them into the country illegally. So it is a slice of an amnesty that has large scale implications for the future," said Jack⁵ Martin, who is with the Federation⁶ for American Immigration Reform.

He does admit that Dreamers have been effective, though, in generating public support for their cause. 

1 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

2 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

4 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

5 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

6 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。