The essay “My Life in the Shadows” by Reyna Wences appeared in the New York Times Upfront in January 2011. A more precise date of publication is unavailable. The essay was written almost two years ago in an attempt to raise public awareness of the problems of illegal immigrants in the U.S. as well as solicit support for the DREAM Act bill (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) giving undocumented youth more opportunities in this country. The target audience is the general English-speaking population, particularly in the U.S.
Talking of her main points, the author makes a claim that many Americans are upset about 11 million illegal immigrants like her who can potentially take their jobs. She also makes a reservation that the youth under 16 who were smuggled to the United States by their parents should be given a legal chance to succeed in their new home. Wences’ main goal is to persuade her readership that the illegal immigrant youth should be taken out of shadow, and that it could be done with the help of the DREAM Act. To back her claims, the author uses personal examples and illustrations from her own life. For instance, she describes the hardships many people including her family faced back in Mexico and while crossing the U.S. border. Wences emphasizes that it was not her own choice to be an illegal immigrant and that the youth like her should not be responsible for the decisions made by their parents. She also accurately pinpoints the uncertainty and limited opportunities that undocumented immigrants confront in American schools and employment sector. She explains that, “growing up undocumented has meant living in limbo, with opportunities only half open to [her]”. The author reaches a consensus that some change is necessary.