DACA INTERVIEWS

By Amanda Carvallo and Michelle Rivera

Name: Nina Ortiz

Major: Criminal Justice

Race/ethnicity: Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Hawaiian

Gender: Female

Class: Middle

Geography: Big Spring, TX

Generation: 18-25

1.      What is DACA?
“I think mainly… it’s a good thing, I think. Because it’s supposed to help with immigration kind of and everybody here, everybody in America, are generally immigrants. I mean the only people who weren’t were native Americans. So I mean like I think its important that everyone should be able to live here if they want to and I don’t know I think it’s a really big deal and it’s important.”

2.      How do you feel about it?/ why?
“like I said I think it’s really important and I think it’s needed. And I think it allows like the younger generation to like help build a life here in America because there’s so many opportunities that we have that most countries don’t have, so I think it’s a really good thing to have.”

3.      How have you/ anyone you know been affected by DACA?
“not to my knowledge, I don’t think so.” (no one)

4.      If you were in charge, what would you fix?
“Ummmm…….. that is a good question.. um…I guess I would… make it for a longer term, like if you have to reapply it should maybe be longer than just two years.. maybe make it four or five."

Name: Justin Freidman-Feiader

Major: International Relations/ Economics

Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latinx

Gender: Male

Class: Low

Geography: Puerto Rico

Generation: 18-25

1.      What is DACA?
“Um DACA is the program that makes it so childhood arrivals aren’t deported. So they can have jobs and live lives- like people.”

2.      How do you feel about it?
“I think it’s a good program. I don’t think those people need to pay for the crimes of their parents.”

3.      Why do you feel that way?
“why? Um.. imp really deep in my values. Um because of my family. It’s this idea of ‘you’re an individual and you are fully responsible for your actions, but not that of others’ and that just kind of resonates with me.”

4.      How have you/ anyone you know been affected by DACA?
“Um I know a few people. I have a few friends who are scared right now.”

5.      If you were in charge, what would you fix?
“I feel like, at this point, these people have lived here their entire lives. You might as well give them citizenship.”

    

Name: Gyongyi Pisak

Gender: Female

Class: Middle

Geography: New Braunfels, Texas

Generation: 51-70

1. “I think it’s when people who are here illegally, or came to the states illegally, uhm but they have lived here all of their lives, right? This is the Dreamers Act right? And that they would like to stay because this is the only place they know”

2. “I think that these people did not come here on their own, they didn’t break the law. They came here as minors, so I don’t think it’s their fault, if they’re here and therefore they should be allowed to stay”

WHY? - “Because it’s not even against the law. If a minor comes, it wasn’t their intention, it wasn’t their decision, it’s not their fault. It’s not logical”

3. “I don’t know anyone.”

4. “Well I would uh, since these people have gone through school let’s say, their working, I don’t think I would change anything about it, I would let them continue what they’re doing. And if they did something illegal they would probably be punished for that anyways.”

Name: Tristan Pennywell

Gender: Male

Class: Can’t determine

Geography: San Marcos, Texas

Generation: 18-25

1. “Um I believe it’s something about like immigrant’s children going to school in Texas, somehow. I’m not really sure how it all relates totally.”

2. “I think it’s important, I believe it should be in places. Is it like being discussed to be repealed or something?” (I answered briefly to what I know best of my knowledge)

WHY?- “Well, I guess because being a children of an immigrant, you would like not really have a choice of going to a completely different county. And I guess if you’ve been here all your life then you should definitely be entitled to a work permit and equal citizenship eventually.”

3. “I haven’t been affected personally. I believe I do have some friends, or friends of friends, actually there’s one that I can think of that I’m pretty close to, she goes here.”

4. “Well I’m not really sure, I would of course defend it because I think it’s important. And I would assume there’s obviously millions of people here that would also like to defend it so I guess just try our best to keep it around. Because it could change a lot of lives to get rid of something like that.”