The main focus of my topic is the recipients of DACA, Dreamers, and the fact that they have had no answer given to them in regard to their future since the rescind of DACA in 2017. They’ve been living in a constant state of fear and uncertainty not knowing where their path lies, whether it be continuing their life here or being sent back to a place they hardly know to start over.

One genre I am exploring is a campaign video. The goal of this video would be to showcase, in about 30 seconds, the life of a Dreamer and how New York City is all they’ve ever known. The video is aimed to reach those who feel that deporting all Dreamers is best for the country but haven’t considered how it may actually affect the Dreamers themselves. It will be made to be emotional and attention grabbing in the quick 30 seconds it can show on any platform as an advertisement, whether it be on television, YouTube, or on social media.

Another potential genre is also a video, but more of a documentary. It will showcase the life of a Dreamer in New York City, just as the campaign video would, however, it would include a lot more about how the Dreamer’s life would change if they were sent back to a country, they know nothing about. Showing the Dreamer’s life from childhood until now, the video is reaching an audience’s emotions at a much deeper level.

Being as the fate of Dreamer’s continues to be a huge part of the huge political debate, a political poster seems fitting to reach an audience who has the ability to vote and influence the decision made for their future. The main slogan I plan on using on a poster is “Let the Dreamers, DREAM”. This is meant to show the audience that Dreamers have had a rough few years trying to figure out where they might end up, without being given an actual answer since their hope had been ripped from directly underneath them. Letting the Dreamers follow their dreams not only appeals to the emotion of the audience but also appeals to other Dreamers in bringing them together to fight for their own future, especially those who may be afraid to show who they are due to the risk of deportation.

As most political debates include, a speech also seems fitting to reach the audience. A speech is often delivered to a more sophisticated audience than posters and campaign videos are, however, it is still meant to reach an audience that has the ability to influence the decision of the government. It will bring to light the struggle Dreamers have had through this whole battle and how until now, it seems to have no feasible end. The constant fear of deportation and uncertainty has taken a toll on Dreamers, between their mental health and their desire to continue pushing and working towards the goals they had set for themselves years ago. Many Dreamers also hit a point of realization at some point where they finally understood how their status actually limits them when it comes to attending college or applying for jobs, all things that they had grown up thinking they’d be able to do with ease. The speech will reach more of a politically inclined audience, focusing on the politics of the situation, but also using a language that people without a political background will be able to understand. In order to effectively reach the politically inclined audience of people who may not necessarily support the Dreamers, I will also mention how keeping Dreamers in the country can also benefit the nation, not just the Dreamers themselves.

All four of these genres are made to emotionally touch an audience that will hopefully influence or have some sort of effect on the government and their decision for the future of Dreamers. Visual genres tend to have a larger impact on greater audiences since they are easier for most to see and understand, however, genres like speeches can have a drastic effect on just the right audience, depending on how the topic is portrayed.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, has been an ongoing debate since the implementation of the program in 2012 by the Obama Administration. There was a massive uproar following Obama’s Executive Order to put the program into place, providing a sense of relief to those who were brought here illegally as children. The program provided them with the ability to work and attend college in the United States, still not creating a path to citizenship. As a response to the uproar and part of the anti-immigration campaign, the Trump Administration rescinded DACA in September 2017, pulling the hope Dreamers had been finally given from underneath them. The revoke of the program sparked an even louder reaction from Dreamers and their supporters all over the nation. There were protests and rallies by Dreamers, lawsuits filed by legal officials, and threats by states to sue the government due to its claimed unconstitutional actions. These reactions caused a domino effect of court hearings and rallies to follow for months to come.

As of November 2019, DACA is being taken to the Supreme Court with the goal of determining whether the rescind of the program by President Trump’s Executive Action was constitutional. The Trump Administration argues that Obama’s use of an executive action was illegal and, therefore, Trump can use an executive action to correct Obama’s actions. Legal officials and Dreamers have responded to Trump’s claims through campaigns and follow-up lawsuits. Through this ongoing debate, Dreamers have been left in a state of uncertainty, not knowing where their future may lie.

Through my video, I hope to reach all Dreamers who are fighting for their future as well as those who are fighting alongside the Dreamers, giving them support they may need to keep going. The purpose of my video is to attract the viewers in a quick thirty to forty-five second snippet of a Dreamer’s life showing all they’ve ever known, New York City. This is meant to emphasize the fact that deporting Dreamers sends them back to a place they’ve never experienced, forcing them to start over. The video will be much more visual and musical as opposed to including lots of sophisticated language, in order to draw in the attention of viewers and appeal to their emotions in connecting to Dreamers and their true struggle. The stance of the video will of course be in support of keeping all Dreamers here using minimal but intense language behind the different scenes of New York City. The ‘story’ is being told in the third person looking into the life of a Dreamer. As we switch from snippet to snippet, I am attempting to pull in the audience as they begin to connect with the Dreamer, considering many parts of their lives are insanely similar.

My speech, on the other hand, is going to reach a more educated audience, explaining the purpose of DACA and how DACA not only benefits the Dreamers but also the nation as a whole. By appealing to an audience that may not necessarily support Dreamers, or use their emotion to influence their stance, I am going to include lots of facts and statistics regarding how Dreamers have affected the number of people who seek a higher education and how Dreamers also contribute to the economy with their work authorizations. The main slogan of my speech will be “Let the Dreamers, Dream!” to emphasize my purpose, fighting for Dreamers to get the future they desire. Following this, I will mention the effect this uncertainty in the program has had on the mental health of Dreamers. I will also discuss how the state of fear and anxiety they are currently living in can easily be solved through any decision by the government, especially one that provides a path to citizenship. I am attempting to influence the listeners to act towards the cause and fight for an answer that will both benefit the country and Dreamers themselves.