[Music]
before I begin I want to come clean I
have three confessions to make number
one when I introduce myself to white
folks I get a kick out of it well let me
tell you why usually the conversation
goes something like hi my name is Javier
it’s very nice to meet you and they will
respond something like hello my name is
so-and-so
Cameron probably and they would say wow
Javier
where are you from man thinking that I’m
gonna tell him or her an exotic place
far far away where they can vacation and
I respond
I’m from Cranston Rhode Island to their
disappointment and looking at their
disappointment pointing face is
priceless to me and I got a kick out of
it I’m sorry
confession number two the movie in time
featuring Justin Timberlake is one of my
favorite movies of all time I was
thinking to myself while watching the
movie like wow the concept of people
having this time clock in their inner
arm and the clock timing down to zero
and then you automatically collide and
die I know it’s really dark on September
5th the Trump administration and Jeff
Sessions rescinded the daca program
which put a time clock on 800,000 people
across the United States
my third confession I am a doctor
recipient myself for those who know me
and didn’t know that about me surprise
for those who don’t know what the
program is it stands for the firt action
for childhood arrivals and it was made
for people like myself who were brought
here when there were children it was
signed on by President Obama in 2012
through an executive order
with obviously requirements first
requirement was that you had to be in
the country for your 16 second that you
had to hold a high school diploma or a
GED the requirement was that you had to
have a clinical clean background nope no
chemical criminal records I was one of
those people and this program gave you a
piece of paper this piece of paper was a
work authorization that you can renew
for two years now I tell you that story
about my introduction is because I
honestly I feel like a true Rhode
Islander I graduated from Edgewood
elementary school I went to Parkview
middle school I went to Cranston High
School East I graduated from the
Community College of Rhode Island I went
to Rhode Island College I now go to
Brown University I’m such the Rhode
Islander that I hate driving more than
thirty minutes to get somewhere I can
tell you where to get the best Italian
grinder in the state these deli if you
haven’t had it you’re not living but
yeah so I truly feel like we’re Islander
and I don’t need a piece of paper paper
to tell me that I’m not before 2012 that
was just a regular kid this picture is
actually the first time I stepped into
Island and this is the first time where
I understood my realities I knew that I
was in a foreign place but I was with my
family and I was ready you know to make
it happen what this picture doesn’t tell
you is that four days before this
picture was taken I was stranded in the
middle of Ciudad Juarez the most
dangerous city in the world surrounded
by drug dealers
toots gang members kidnappers I was
trying to cross the border if you want
to get that story out of me you might
have to buy me a couple beers but for
the sake of time my father and I made it
over the border very safely and our
journey began from New Mexico to
Providence in one Greyhound bus one trip
the trip was around five days and it’s
funny this picture that I dug up for my
closet it has a caption in the back and
that caption says from my father Xavier
senior I hate McDonald’s all the bus
stop stop in McDonald’s
my dad from that day on hated Burgers
hated it as I went through the education
system here in Rhode Island I understood
that my path was gonna be a little bit
different
my undocumented Ness didn’t really set
in into my senior year of high school
where people were applying to college
and looking for jobs I knew that I had
to be different and seeing how I
couldn’t Drive seeing how I couldn’t get
a like obviously I couldn’t get a
license or I couldn’t work I had to take
things into my own hands and start
getting creative I started working under
the gig under the table gigs I went I
did some construction work I worked at
this beautiful food truck the ironic
thing about this food truck is that I
couldn’t even drive it so that was just
a cook and that’s the best part part of
it right but I saved enough money for me
to go back to college because I knew
that education was the one thing that’s
gonna erase my family from the financial
burden that we have as first generation
and I was able to do that went to
Community College Rhode Island I
graduated and I got an associate’s
degree in general studies with a path to
Rhode Island College and this is all
great but how was I going to save up
more money to
and graduate from Rhode Island College
so I had to drop out and go back to the
food truck after twenty twelve happened
obviously was a game changer this
President shall executive order was
built exactly for me and I was the first
person the guy in a line and got my
paperwork my piece of paper with that
piece of paper I rented the MV got my
driver’s license I got it at 23 when I
treat a guy at 16 I put on a suit and I
went to my first interview where I got
the job at this mortgage company in
Middletown co-linear this company had a
401k insurance good paying salary sick
days vacation days things that I had
never had in my life and it was great I
moved on to my next job in the medical
field from Fresenius Medical Care
providing dialysis to those who had five
stage kidney disease and that job was
actually very eye-opening it was like
wow these people need help I’m glad to
be part of this in those four years I
was able to save enough money to return
to her Island College and pay for my
tuition and I was very proud to say that
I graduated May of this year and became
the first person of my family and my
family tree nevertheless
to graduate from a four-year institution
[Applause]
so although this piece of paper changed
my life and legislation comes and goes
executive orders come and go the one
thing that’s constant in my life is the
support of my parents this is a picture
of me in kindergarten looking all dapper
a picture when I graduated high school a
picture when I graduated Community
College and a picture when I graduated
for Allen College next year we will have
a picture when I graduate from an Ivy
League institution however now that this
program is ended congressmen and
Senators are trying to explain that this
is not my fault
because that was a child and I had no
say on my parents bringing me and
they’re putting the blame on my parents
and I completely disagree with that they
are the original dreamers I am a result
of their sacrifice and anyone’s gonna
blame anyone
let’s bring Congress if this is so
important it’s top priority we have a
time clock right now to go and make this
change for these people and maybe bring
them back into the fold right my dream
began in this Greyhound bus half a mile
away from this building over there by
the Dunkin Donuts Center back then was
the Convention Center and but also my
reality began right I knew that I was
brought here and I had a purpose the
purpose to bring my community up from
poverty my family up in the American
social ladder
and help those who feel the same way
along the way now obviously my dreams
are becoming real
however people think that while you’ve
done so many things you should be happy
I am happy but that’s not the end for me
I have even bigger dreams my dream is to
go to law school and become an attorney
and not just any mediocre law school I
want to go to Harvard or Yale or
Stanford because I know that after I get
one of those degrees I’m gonna be able
to put real change into this broken
immigration system we’re striving for
this utopian future where everyone gets
along and immigration is not an issue
and we want to help everyone at least
that’s what I’ve seen seen you folks
here
however there’s I have also seen the
hatred the malice that these people now
feel that they have the power to to to
do right to come out of the shadows and
call me illegal that I shouldn’t be here
that I don’t pay taxes that I should be
happy that I’m getting this piece of
paper and I just want to clear some
misconceptions I do pay taxes I wish I
had a picture of my furrow of my income
tax up there but I mean Donald Trump
can’t do it why should I
[Applause]
I have been trying to contribute to my
hometown to my state and to my country
ever since I stepped foot of that
Greyhound bus because my community has
shaped me to be presentable man and a
person to not let obstacles ruin my
dreams all my friends although mostly
white they’re hustlers they’re
go-getters I learned from them I’m not
gonna let one piece of paper hold me
back of what I really want to do and
although this program is over I stand
with you today to raise awareness for
those people and I ask you to stand in
solidarity with those 800,000 people and
those 11 million people that are also
being ignored right now today
you will hear people speak about
remembering the past taking action in
the present for a utopian future that we
all want to see after listening to my
story and understanding how it has
impacted my life and other 800,000
people I ask you when does this
futuristic utopian please start does it
begin after I leave this red carpet does
it begin when you leave this building
when does this utopian future that we’re
working so hard for begin thank you
you
[Applause]
before I begin I want to come clean I
have three confessions to make number
one when I introduce myself to white
folks I get a kick out of it well let me
tell you why usually the conversation
goes something like hi my name is Javier
it’s very nice to meet you and they will
respond something like hello my name is
so-and-so
Cameron probably and they would say wow
Javier
where are you from man thinking that I’m
gonna tell him or her an exotic place
far far away where they can vacation and
I respond
I’m from Cranston Rhode Island to their
disappointment and looking at their
disappointment pointing face is
priceless to me and I got a kick out of
it I’m sorry
confession number two the movie in time
featuring Justin Timberlake is one of my
favorite movies of all time I was
thinking to myself while watching the
movie like wow the concept of people
having this time clock in their inner
arm and the clock timing down to zero
and then you automatically collide and
die I know it’s really dark on September
5th the Trump administration and Jeff
Sessions rescinded the daca program
which put a time clock on 800,000 people
across the United States
my third confession I am a doctor
recipient myself for those who know me
and didn’t know that about me surprise
for those who don’t know what the
program is it stands for the firt action
for childhood arrivals and it was made
for people like myself who were brought
here when there were children it was
signed on by President Obama in 2012
through an executive order
with obviously requirements first
requirement was that you had to be in
the country for your 16 second that you
had to hold a high school diploma or a
GED the requirement was that you had to
have a clinical clean background nope no
chemical criminal records I was one of
those people and this program gave you a
piece of paper this piece of paper was a
work authorization that you can renew
for two years now I tell you that story
about my introduction is because I
honestly I feel like a true Rhode
Islander I graduated from Edgewood
elementary school I went to Parkview
middle school I went to Cranston High
School East I graduated from the
Community College of Rhode Island I went
to Rhode Island College I now go to
Brown University I’m such the Rhode
Islander that I hate driving more than
thirty minutes to get somewhere I can
tell you where to get the best Italian
grinder in the state these deli if you
haven’t had it you’re not living but
yeah so I truly feel like we’re Islander
and I don’t need a piece of paper paper
to tell me that I’m not before 2012 that
was just a regular kid this picture is
actually the first time I stepped into
Island and this is the first time where
I understood my realities I knew that I
was in a foreign place but I was with my
family and I was ready you know to make
it happen what this picture doesn’t tell
you is that four days before this
picture was taken I was stranded in the
middle of Ciudad Juarez the most
dangerous city in the world surrounded
by drug dealers
toots gang members kidnappers I was
trying to cross the border if you want
to get that story out of me you might
have to buy me a couple beers but for
the sake of time my father and I made it
over the border very safely and our
journey began from New Mexico to
Providence in one Greyhound bus one trip
the trip was around five days and it’s
funny this picture that I dug up for my
closet it has a caption in the back and
that caption says from my father Xavier
senior I hate McDonald’s all the bus
stop stop in McDonald’s
my dad from that day on hated Burgers
hated it as I went through the education
system here in Rhode Island I understood
that my path was gonna be a little bit
different
my undocumented Ness didn’t really set
in into my senior year of high school
where people were applying to college
and looking for jobs I knew that I had
to be different and seeing how I
couldn’t Drive seeing how I couldn’t get
a like obviously I couldn’t get a
license or I couldn’t work I had to take
things into my own hands and start
getting creative I started working under
the gig under the table gigs I went I
did some construction work I worked at
this beautiful food truck the ironic
thing about this food truck is that I
couldn’t even drive it so that was just
a cook and that’s the best part part of
it right but I saved enough money for me
to go back to college because I knew
that education was the one thing that’s
gonna erase my family from the financial
burden that we have as first generation
and I was able to do that went to
Community College Rhode Island I
graduated and I got an associate’s
degree in general studies with a path to
Rhode Island College and this is all
great but how was I going to save up
more money to
and graduate from Rhode Island College
so I had to drop out and go back to the
food truck after twenty twelve happened
obviously was a game changer this
President shall executive order was
built exactly for me and I was the first
person the guy in a line and got my
paperwork my piece of paper with that
piece of paper I rented the MV got my
driver’s license I got it at 23 when I
treat a guy at 16 I put on a suit and I
went to my first interview where I got
the job at this mortgage company in
Middletown co-linear this company had a
401k insurance good paying salary sick
days vacation days things that I had
never had in my life and it was great I
moved on to my next job in the medical
field from Fresenius Medical Care
providing dialysis to those who had five
stage kidney disease and that job was
actually very eye-opening it was like
wow these people need help I’m glad to
be part of this in those four years I
was able to save enough money to return
to her Island College and pay for my
tuition and I was very proud to say that
I graduated May of this year and became
the first person of my family and my
family tree nevertheless
to graduate from a four-year institution
[Applause]
so although this piece of paper changed
my life and legislation comes and goes
executive orders come and go the one
thing that’s constant in my life is the
support of my parents this is a picture
of me in kindergarten looking all dapper
a picture when I graduated high school a
picture when I graduated Community
College and a picture when I graduated
for Allen College next year we will have
a picture when I graduate from an Ivy
League institution however now that this
program is ended congressmen and
Senators are trying to explain that this
is not my fault
because that was a child and I had no
say on my parents bringing me and
they’re putting the blame on my parents
and I completely disagree with that they
are the original dreamers I am a result
of their sacrifice and anyone’s gonna
blame anyone
let’s bring Congress if this is so
important it’s top priority we have a
time clock right now to go and make this
change for these people and maybe bring
them back into the fold right my dream
began in this Greyhound bus half a mile
away from this building over there by
the Dunkin Donuts Center back then was
the Convention Center and but also my
reality began right I knew that I was
brought here and I had a purpose the
purpose to bring my community up from
poverty my family up in the American
social ladder
and help those who feel the same way
along the way now obviously my dreams
are becoming real
however people think that while you’ve
done so many things you should be happy
I am happy but that’s not the end for me
I have even bigger dreams my dream is to
go to law school and become an attorney
and not just any mediocre law school I
want to go to Harvard or Yale or
Stanford because I know that after I get
one of those degrees I’m gonna be able
to put real change into this broken
immigration system we’re striving for
this utopian future where everyone gets
along and immigration is not an issue
and we want to help everyone at least
that’s what I’ve seen seen you folks
here
however there’s I have also seen the
hatred the malice that these people now
feel that they have the power to to to
do right to come out of the shadows and
call me illegal that I shouldn’t be here
that I don’t pay taxes that I should be
happy that I’m getting this piece of
paper and I just want to clear some
misconceptions I do pay taxes I wish I
had a picture of my furrow of my income
tax up there but I mean Donald Trump
can’t do it why should I
[Applause]
I have been trying to contribute to my
hometown to my state and to my country
ever since I stepped foot of that
Greyhound bus because my community has
shaped me to be presentable man and a
person to not let obstacles ruin my
dreams all my friends although mostly
white they’re hustlers they’re
go-getters I learned from them I’m not
gonna let one piece of paper hold me
back of what I really want to do and
although this program is over I stand
with you today to raise awareness for
those people and I ask you to stand in
solidarity with those 800,000 people and
those 11 million people that are also
being ignored right now today
you will hear people speak about
remembering the past taking action in
the present for a utopian future that we
all want to see after listening to my
story and understanding how it has
impacted my life and other 800,000
people I ask you when does this
futuristic utopian please start does it
begin after I leave this red carpet does
it begin when you leave this building
when does this utopian future that we’re
working so hard for begin thank you
you
[Applause]
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