I feel identified with this movie. I'm glad someone is giving us a voice.

I was brought to the U.S. a month after my 13th birthday and completed Middle and High School here where I met a lot of wonderful friends who after graduation went on with their higher education pursuits. It's been six years since I graduated and have been caught in this Twilight Zone wishing every day I could too be allowed to go to college. I'm 23 now and I've never been more desperate or afraid of what my future will be. I fear I've been crippled for life without these papers. My hopes lie with Immigration reform and the Dream Act. I hope this movie raises awareness and kids who are just graduating or others like me who've been waiting for decades get a chance at the American Dream and a fair future. Love. -E

– E, youth blogger

Hi. My name is Rosa and I want to tell you about how I got involved in “Papers” the Movie and what I do. I also want to tell you about some of the events that we have had.

I got involved in “Papers” because of my brother. He presented the Producer, Rebecca, to me. When I met Rebecca, just by looking at her I could tell that we were going to have a blast with her. So then we started to help out and decided to do a movie about immigrants and the challenges that they face as they turn 18 without legal status.

When we come we help plan events or I help out writing thank you notes to people who make donations. I help out with everything. I don’t just have one main job, I have several jobs. It’s really fun because we have several events like the one that we had on October 18th to show the preview at the Hollywood Theater in Portland, Oregon. It was really fun. We got a lot of donations to go to anything we need like tapes for filming or money for when any of the crew members travel.

– Rosa, age 11, youth blogger

My name is Eric. I am strong but I’m also weak. I’m strong because no matter how hard this crooked pathway is to follow I still don’t give up.

Why? Because there are things and people I care about, also because I’ve gained so much. But I still got a lot to give, and most importantly because of my sweetheart who I would hate to see cry if I was gone. I’m weak too because I get overwhelmed with the stress, the depression, the madness, the sadness, the fact that I can’t work, go to college, or drive which still really breaks me down at this point in time. What breaks me down more is not being able to work or drive because I hardly have money and I can’t get around anywhere especially to my girlfriend’s house. So a ll this hatred, anger, sadness, and stress makes me feel like my own worst enemy. I feel I must get out of the darkness and go into the light. People need to take the time to read between the lines and realize that we are all human. We share the same values, we make mistakes and regret them. We aren’t aliens, we are humans just trying to live our lives and provide for our families…

– Eric, age 19, youth blogger

My parents brought me here to America when I was 4 almost turning 5. I am almost 20 now and well its been rough for me.

The only thing keeping me going is my faith in God, that he will hear the cries of his people and give us our breakthrough for legalization. I am stuck in my life right now. I want to go to college but I can't. I want to get married to the love of my life, but I’m not going to because how am I supposed to provide? How am I going to take us places? I have no driver's license so I can’t drive. Again the only thing keeping me going is my faith. My parents have suggested me going back to Mexico and I have thought about it. But it would be like starting a whole new life from scratch. I can speak a little Spanish, but not well enough to live in a country where it’s the only thing spoken. I can’t read or write it very well either. I know not one bit of history from Mexico. I don’t remember any of my relatives so it would be like being moved to strange place, not knowing anyone, not knowing how to speak the language well, not knowing what to do in life. My goal here in America is to major in counseling and then become a youth pastor and help young people who feel lost and just don’t feel any hope. I want to let them know that there is hope, that there is a loving father who loves them as they are and no matter what they have done. So yea, that’s my story. Thanks for reading it. Love and god bless and I will say this: si se puede.

– Juan, age 20, youth blogger