Graduating, undocumented and unafraid

TWO TEXAS high school valedictorians used the occasion of their graduation to announce to the world their status as undocumented immigrants. Their courageous declarations inspired many people in the fight for immigration justice--but also spurred an ugly, racist backlash.

In early June, Mayte Lara, a 17-year-old graduate from Austin, posted to Twitter to declare her pride in being class valedictorian and receiving a full scholarship at the University of Texas. She added, "Oh, and I'm undocumented."

On the very same day that Mayte posted her tweet, Larissa Martinez gave the valedictory speech at a graduation ceremony in McKinney, Texas, a suburb of Dallas (also the site of a notorious incident of police abuse of a Black teenager last summer).

At the ceremony, Larissa announced she wouldn't be giving the "traditional Hallmark" valedictorian speech and declared, "I am one of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows of the United States."

Both students have temporary residence in the U.S. via Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program allowing undocumented people who migrated to the U.S. as children to request a deportation deferral. While DACA status allows for work and study, it must be renewed every two years, leaving the long-term fate of people like Larissa and Mayte uncertain.

In her speech, Larissa, who migrated to the U.S. as an 11-year-old and is bound for Yale University in the fall, described her situation as someone "here without official documentation because the U.S. immigration system is broken" and who suffers "dehumanizing accusations" from the media and politicians.

To cheers from the audience, Larissa pleaded for understanding for "people like me, who have become part of American society and way of life, and who yearn to make America great again--without the construction of wall built on hate and prejudice"--a none-too-subtle reference to the bigoted politics of Republican candidates Donald Trump.

AS RACISM and immigrant-bashing has taken center stage in U.S. politics due to the Trumps of the world, Mayte and Larissa's brave declarations were warmly received by many of those living in the shadows of the U.S. immigration system and their supporters.

Student "DREAMers" in particular have been on the front lines of the fight for immigration justice, challenging President Barack Obama for his cruel policy of home raids and ramped up deportations. It's largely due to the DREAMers' determined activism that the Obama administration instituted the DACA program in 2012.

Mayte's tweet went super-viral, garnering 20,000 "likes," a response she says she never expected. As the news about Larissa and Mayte spread, several more Texas students came out publicly as undocumented to discuss their struggles.

Austin school district officials have generally been supportive of Mayte. The district has co-sponsored clinics to assist students navigating the process of applying for DACA status, and last year, Superintendent Paul Cruz, along with other district officials and teachers, took photos holding signs that said, "I am an unafraid educator. I work with and for undocumented students."

SADLY BUT predictably, Larissa and Mayte had to also endure a racist backlash. As Mayte's tweet went viral, it attracted the attention of Internet haters, who heaped a torrent of abuse on her and ultimately compelled her to deactivate her Twitter account.

Some of the online bigots claimed to have reported Mayte to immigration authorities and reported her status to her employer. Others accused Mayte of "stealing" her place at the University of Texas (UT) this fall and her scholarship from a more deserving "legal citizen."

UT officials responded by flatly pointing out that state law allows for a one-year tuition waiver to valedictorians of Texas public high schools, "without regard to their residency status."

Mayte's declaration may become a touchstone in the ongoing fight in state politics over access to "in-state" tuition rates for undocumented students at Texas' public universities, where higher tuition rates for "out-of-state" students approximate those of a private college.

Texas' last legislative session saw the introduction of a bill that would bar undocumented students from access to in-state tuition rates. While that bill stalled out, we may see in next year's legislative session the reintroduction of such proposals from conservative state leaders who have made immigrant-bashing a hallmark of their politics.

Weeks after Mayte graduated, she appeared in person at an Austin school board meeting along with a group of students and educators to support a proposed board resolution that would establish that the school district is a safe place for undocumented students. Mayte told the board, "I know many students that are in the position I'm in, and I don't want them to feel afraid...It's not fair for them to feel like there's no one out there to help."

Despite the harassment she endured, Mayte told reporters, "If I could go back to that day knowing what I know now, would I not [post that tweet]? I think I'd still do it because the positives outweigh the negatives."

All of this highlights the bravery and importance of the stand taken by these Texas students, and all the DREAMers who have been coming out to the world about their undocumented status and pressing for a permanent and fair resolution to the uncertainties they and their families face.

Larissa captured this spirit in the closing words of her graduation speech, saying simply, "In those moments when you need a reason to continue moving forward, close you eyes and picture yourself in the future saying, 'They told me I couldn't, so I did.'"