Dreamers open up about their personal stories on new website, ‘Faces of DACA’

We often hear about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, but the people behind the ‘Faces of DACA’ website want us to know “who” is enrolled and what their stories are.

“It definitely puts a lot of people in this place of uncertainty and the stories shows that there is a struggle but also there is resilience to these people,” said Faces of DACA Editor-in-Chief, Christopher Rendon

Faces of DACA is a collection of personal stories form local recipients.

“We started it in September. As soon as Trump made his decision to rescind the program my friend Daniel, who is the creator of the website , decided to do something about it,” said Rendon.

So far 21 stories have been released online.

“Some were terrified, others were very eager to do it. In this situation you’re not sure what to do. I felt that the people that stood up and did the interview were ready to tell their stories and get out of the shadows,” said Rendon.

Since 2012 800,000 people have been approved for DACA, and more than a quarter are now California residents. However, the storytelling website tries to steer clear of mere numbers.

“Instead of a number we wanted to show that each person has a story. Each person came with a different reason. A lot came for economic reasons, others came because of dangers in their country,” said Rendon.

http://www.facesofdaca.us/

*Tonight at 5:30 p.m. Dreamers and those behind the Salinas-based project ‘Faces of DACA’ will be at Hartnell College for a panel discussion. The public is invited to attend. It will be held at Hartnell’s Mainstage. It should run from 5:30 to 7:30.*