Diary of a Dreamer in MAGA Country: Week 1

Despair and Hope.

Originally published on Medium on Jan 23, 2025

Where to begin? My fitness watch has been telling me all week that I need to rest, to “take it easy”, and my toddler has been a butt; he can feel my energy. He keeps asking me to lift him up and carry him, hold him. He forces me to stop and step away from the chaos in my phone. I am safe.

For now. I am safe. Repeat after me, “I am safe”.

I am also privileged, DACA has afforded me a quality of life unseen and unimaginable for so many people who are more deserving than me. I didn’t choose this life, I was one year old when I was brought here. I was given the opportunity to grow up in the bastian of hope that America told the world it was. Was. I’ve learned much about the reality of the hopelessness that the United States has always actually been for so many of its marginalized groups throughout its short history. We were taught and commanded in school to think of this nation as great but what made it great? Freedom, Civil Rights, Gender Equality, Education, -Prosperity: only one of these is actually owed to America. The greatness of this nation is owed to the people who’ve fought for it. Only one of these values is still being lauded.

Make America Great Again just means to make some people prosper over others while the rest are left fighting to survive. I don’t need to be explicit with who is meant to prosper and who is meant to fight.

So far this week birthright citizenship for children of undocumented individuals, and documented but traveling individuals, is now being debated in courts. Native American’s citizenship is in question as well. Some people are just figuring out that D.E.I. innitiatives were mostly benefitting white women and also included veterans; not just those with brown skin. New laws passed in congress that will do away with due process rights and allow for mass indefinite detention. A bishop prayed for mercy and Christian Nationalists called her evil. Trans people are not safe. And a congressman submitted a proposal to rid us of the 22nd Amendment. Taxes will inscreases for anyone making less than $300k anually. Medication price protection: gone. Eggs are still expensive.

Oh great nation,your tired, your poor, huddled and yearning, are struggling to breathe.Let Us Breathe Again.

My prayer: Diosito, dile a mi niño que me siga pidiendo que me siente en el piso a jugar con su arena y sus carritos. Recuerdale a mi mama y a mi papa que me llamen y me hagan quedarme en la llamada hasta que les diga lo que siento. Dejame ver lo bonito del mundo.

No me quites mi fe en tu cariño.

Practical steps: I blocked a ton of people this week. a ton. Also, bye bye to my public profile on FB, it is too risky. But i’m on one with other social sites. Ain’t no one shutting me up! I’ve got a good plan of action and a ton of great people who care a LOT and won’t be going down without a fight.

I will do what I can and I will rest.

There is resistance. There is rest. There is the greatness that is America working and fighting everyday in these new United States to save us, again.

Photo by Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash