Why the Term 'DREAMers' Does More Harm Than Good

Moving Beyond "DREAMers" and the "good vs. bad immigrant" narrative

When the term “DREAMer” first became prominent with the introduction of the DREAM Act in 2001, it was thought to empower young, undocumented youth. Years later, activists are realizing that the DREAMer narrative has an unintended effect: It separates young undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children from millions of other immigrants—including their own family members.

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