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Dreams of graduating in America crushed

Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities
5/02/12 08:40am
culture opinion
This article is one in a series discussing immigration issues through artwork and words, through the eyes of a student.
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The series & assignment

This article is one in a series created by students in Mr. Alex Escamilla's journalism class at Southwest Community Campus. Students were asked to complete artwork and write an article regarding immigration issues in Grand Rapids, and America as a whole. Students worked with artist Reyna Garcia and Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities to complete artwork that best showed their views on immigration.

 

For more information on the project and those involved, click here.

 

All artwork will be displayed in an upcoming art show, open to the public.

 

Users may vote, comment, share, or tweet these articles up until the art show.  The student whose article and artwork receives the most votes, comments, shares, and tweets will receive a special Rapidian award.

Ravon M.

The dream of an 18-year-old boy, Juan Rodriguez, of graduating high school in America, is crushed. Juan lived in Wyoming, MI. He wanted more than ever to finish high school and go to college. He wanted to be a construction worker. He was an A student and a hard worker. Juan wanted a better life for his family and wanted them to be proud of him and his accomplishments.

On December 19, 2010, Juan was driving to the store when a policeman pulled up behind him. He requested him to pull over. The police officer got out of his car and askd Juan for his first and last name, without giving him a reason for pulling him over. The police officer ran a background check on Juan and found out that he was undocumented. Later on Juan was deported. He was so close to having his dream of graduating high school come true.

But now that dream is so far from becoming a reality.

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