In this week’s episode, we focus on a group of dreamers in the U.S. who have lived in the country for most of their lives yet have no clear path to permanence or citizenship in the country. The episode’s guest is Dip Patel, the founder of an organization called Improve the Dream which advocates for this group of young people known as “Documented Dreamers.” It turns out that many people do not know about the predicament and difficulties that Documented Dreamers face—their situation often flies under the radar and is often overshadowed by larger immigration debates in the U.S. Dip helps us disentangle why almost a quarter million young people who call America home face an uncertain future that hangs in the balance.
Episode details:
Understanding the journey of "documented dreamers," and Dip's personal journey as a documented dreamer
The founding and mission of Improve the Dream
The America's Children Act and immigration reform that would help documented dreamers
Why we need comprehensive immigration reform that supports both undocumented and documented dreamers
Specific challenges that documented dreamers face when it comes to attending college in the U.S.
What Improve the Dream is doing to create change and how to help
Episode Resources:
Documented Dreamers: An overview
Breakdown of dreamer populations
Follow Improve the Dream
Follow Dip Patel
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Sign up for America Calling: my take on the intersection of education, culture and migration
