Posted on 05/29/2006 12:19:30 AM PDT by Prince Charles
A first in Northwest Indiana
HISPANIC SERIES: Illegal immigrant sets sights on attending college through new program
BY JERRY DAVICH jdavich@nwitimes.com 219.933.3376 This story ran on nwitimes.com on Monday, May 29, 2006 12:16 AM CDT
Chapter two: Reaching for the dream
HOBART I Frances Vega cried when she heard the news.
On Nov. 23, the day before last Thanksgiving, she heard about Sen. Dick Lugar's formal introduction of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, Act.
The still pending measure would help young, undocumented immigrants in the United States earn legal status by obtaining an education and completing national or public service, among other criteria.
"It's finally coming to fruition," says Vega, wiping her eyes at a table inside El Super Taco restaurant in Hobart.
Vega, director of Hispanic/Latino affairs for Ivy Tech Community College, sits next to 21-year-old Martin Berrum, whose family owns the restaurant and who had high hopes of enrolling in the school.
[SNIP]
Griffin tells Berrum to take a calculator, pencil and scratch paper to a computer.
Berrum hesitates, more from nerves than any language obstacle. Vega tells him again in Spanish.
"He spoke good enough English without your help," Griffin tells Vega.
"You speak English fine, don't you?" Griffin asks Berrum.
He nods, sits down at a computer and stares into the screen.
Three days later, Vega receives Berrum's test results.
He scored 1 out of 25 in English.
But Vega, who overcame several obstacles to attain her own college degree, has hope -- and a plan. It starts the next day.
(Excerpt) Read more at nwitimes.com ...
No opinion is lowly. Hope we can make a difference.
No kidding. I had to call a firm about some DVDs lost in the mail and got a complete dolt in india who was barely fluent in American English. I severed my relationship with the firm after that.
The Times ran more stories on illegal immigrants than on the veterans (Memorial Day).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.