Areli is a Dreamer: A True Story by Areli Morales, a DACA Recipient

Question 1

When evening came, she sat around a noisy table and ate mounds of tortillas and pollo con frijoles for supper - her favorite.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 2

At Abuela’s house, Saturdays were filled with family and sunshine.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 3

“It’s your mama and papa,” said Abuela.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 4

“From America!”

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 5

“Hola, mi nina,” said Mama.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 6

“Did you get the toys we sent you?” asked Papa.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 7

Papa always asked about the toys.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 8

“Gracias, Mama. Gracias, Papa.”

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 9

Mama and Papa had been away so long, they felt like strangers.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 10

“When are you coming home?” she asked.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 11

She knew the answer.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 12

“Oh, mija, we can’t come back to Mexico,” said Mama.

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Question 13

“We’re trying to get you here to America. With us.”

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Question 14

“Your mama and I dream of the day we will all be together,” said Papa.

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Question 15

“We will send for you soon. I promise.”

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 16

“Mama and Papa think about us all the time,” he said.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 17

“They’re working hard, mija,” Abuela siad,” for all of us. They want us to have a better life.”

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 18

Abuela had told her the answer many times.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 19

” You were born here, so it’s harder for you.”

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Question 20

“How hard?”

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Question 21

Abuela didn’t answer.

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Question 22

“Your mama and papa want you all to be together. As a family.”

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 23

But they weren’t all together as a family that year.

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Question 24

Or Dia delos Muertos.

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Question 25

Or even Navidad.

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Question 26

But she already knew.

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Question 27

"I'm going to Nueva York!"

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Question 28

He flashed her a big grin and gave her a drawing of the two of them in the yard with the chickens.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 29

"So you won't forget us," he said.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 30

A few days later, he was gone.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 31

She was so proud to be at school!

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 32

She learned to tie her shoes and write the letters of the alphabet.

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Question 33

She played al escondite with her new friends.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 34

She barely thought of Nueva York at all…until the day Abuela greeted her with tears in her eyes.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 35

"Your mama and papa are sending someone to take you to New York.

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Question 36

"I want to stay here with you! And my friends. And my home.

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Question 37

To live with them at last."

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Question 38

Abuela's voice was shaking.

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Question 39

Please don't make me go, Abuela."

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 40

"If I could take care of you here, I would, my sweet.

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Question 41

But I am old, and there is no future for you in Mexico.

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Question 42

You don't understand now, but someday you will."

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Question 43

The next Saturday night's dinner was very sad.

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Question 44

She said goodbye to her friends.

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Question 45

She said goodbye to the mountains and the chickens.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 46

"I'll never forget you," she said.

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Question 47

They held each other very tightly.

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Question 48

"This man is a friend of your mama and papa, and he will take you to America," Abuela said.

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Question 49

The man was a stranger to her.

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Question 50

Then she left for her new country.

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Question 51

Her hair was a different color, and it was curly.

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Question 52

Papa had lines around his eyes.

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Question 53

They held each other for a long time.

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Question 54

Everything in New York was bigger and faster and noisier than in the mountains.

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Question 55

It wasn't home at all.

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Question 56

She couldn't speak English, and when she tried, the words came out all wrong.

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Question 57

She made friends with the other girls who could speak Spanish.

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Question 58

But she couldn't stop kids from teasing her.

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Question 59

"She's so backward!"

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Question 60

"Her mom cleans my house. She's our maid!"

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Question 61

She had never felt this way before.

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Question 62

"Illegal means against the law," her mother began.

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Question 63

"Of course you're not," said her mother.

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Areli is a dreamer

Question 64

"But you were born in Mexico.

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Question 65

So even though you are growing up here in America, you are not a citizen of this country."

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Question 66

"I hope so, mija. I hope so."

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Question 67

Her mother wouldn't say anything else.

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Question 68

"If you're a citizen, you can do whatever Americans do," he said.

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Question 69

She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

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Question 70

He wouldn't look at her. "Without us."

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Question 71

But she knew she should stay quiet about her first home in Mexico.

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Question 72

She did not want to be sent back to Mexico all by herself.

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Question 73

She did not want to break the law just by being who she was.

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Question 74

It wasn't easy.

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Question 75

By second grade, she could count by fives.

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Question 76

In third grade, she learned about the Constitution.

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Question 77

By fourth grade, she could write a book report and read it aloud.

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Question 78

Now she spoke English like any other girl from America.

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Question 79

She played jump-rope games and watched TV shows.

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Question 80

They rode the F train all the way to Coney Island, where she saw the ocean for the first time.

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Question 81

Every Fourth of July, she was mesmerized by the fireworks in the sky.

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Question 82

She was a New Yorker.

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Question 83

They got on a boat and sailed into the Hudson River.

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Question 84

"More than twelve million immigrants passed through here on their way to America," said the tour guide.

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Question 85

"Almost every one of us has family that came to this country from a foreign land."

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Question 86

She pictured the millions of other people who had made the long journey to America, and how Lady Liberty welcomed them with ther shining torch.

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Question 87

She did not feel illegal.

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Question 88

She felt like she was part of something very big.

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Question 89

On Saturday, she called her abuela in Mexico.

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Question 90

"Are you working hard?" Abuela asked.

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Question 91

She told Abuela all about Ellis island.

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Question 92

"Those immigrants are part of America.

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Question 93

Remember when you said I might have a brighter future here, Abuela?"

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Question 94

I think I understand now. And I think you were right.

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Question 95

She might be a writer and tell her story.

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Question 96

She might be a teacher to help children who found themselves in this new land.

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Question 97

"Someday, I will."

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