At some point in our lives, most of us have had to pay for the choices our parents have made. As a parent, I know that there are times when we have to make a difficult choice and hope that the consequences will not negatively affect our children.

Let’s say your parents decided to flee from extreme poverty to cross over to the Land of the Free. Their idea was to give you a better quality of life, more opportunities, a chance to succeed. Let’s say you were 5 at the time. You are now graduating from high school. You speak English as well as any other American, play school sports, and have a great GPA. The United States is the only country you’ve ever really known. Your opportunities end there. As an undocumented immigrant, you will have a hard time getting into college. Forget about federal aid. Your life beyond high school will consist of finding employers who hire undocumented workers. If you try to get your papers in order, you will be punished by Uncle Sam and sent back to a country that isn’t entirely yours for 10 years. God forbid you’re married or have kids when this happens.

This week, the Senate is set to vote on the DREAM Act. This act would make it possible for kids who graduate from high school to eventually get their citizenship after either completing two years of university study or military service. These kids have already come so far. If we really do care about America’s children and our educational system, this is the time to act.

To support the DREAM Act, all you have to do is fill out this form on the United Farm Workers website. It’s that easy.

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