[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 186 (Tuesday, December 6, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8348-S8349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JOAQUIN LUNA

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I come to the floor today with a sad 
story for my colleagues. On the day after Thanksgiving, a young man 
named Joaquin Luna committed suicide in the town of Mission, TX. This 
is a picture of Joaquin Luna with his mother--a handsome young man full 
of promise. He took his own life on the day after Thanksgiving.
  He was a senior at Juarez-Lincoln High School, where he was a 
straight-A student, in Mission, TX. He had a passion for architecture. 
In fact, he designed the home where his family lives. He was an 
accomplished musician, played guitar in his church choir. His family 
said he loved helping his neighbors with their landscaping, and he 
always had a smile on his face.
  Joaquin Luna dreamed of becoming an engineer. He had been accepted 
into a number of excellent schools, including Rice University and Texas 
A&M. But Joaquin Luna was struggling with a problem most American kids 
do not even imagine. Joaquin was brought to the United States of 
America when he was 6 months old by his parents. He came here as a 
baby, lived his entire life in the United States, and was undocumented. 
Because of his immigration status, Joaquin Luna was unable to obtain 
financial aid to attend the universities that accepted him. He was 
unable to find a legitimate job. Joaquin's brother said his world just 
closed. He saw that everything he was doing was for nothing. He was 
never going to be able to succeed.
  Joaquin's death is still under investigation, so I do not want to 
jump to any conclusions about why this tragedy took place. But I felt 
it was important to come to the floor today to pay tribute to this 
young man's all-too-brief life and to deliver a message to other young 
people like Joaquin Luna.
  There are tens of thousands of young people in this country facing 
the same challenges as Joaquin. They were brought to the United States 
as children. They grew up every single day--just as we did a few 
moments ago in the Senate--pledging allegiance to the only flag they 
have ever known, our American flag. They would sing the only national 
anthem they ever knew. It was not their decision to come to America. 
Certainly Joaquin did not make any decision at the age of 6 months. But 
America is their home. And for tens of thousands of others in his 
status, America is their home and their future, but they are 
undocumented and their future is uncertain.
  I have a message today for all of the young people like Joaquin. Do 
not give up hope. Keep your dreams alive.

[[Page S8349]]

America is a generous and caring country. We can and we will find a 
way--a fair and just way--to give you a chance to be part of our 
Nation's future. If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless because 
of the failure of the DREAM Act to pass in the Senate, there are people 
available to help and talk to you. You can call the National Suicide 
Prevention Lifeline. The number is 1-800-273-TALK. That is 1-800-273-
8255.
  Today, my thoughts and prayers are with Joaquin Luna's family. I send 
them my sympathy and condolences and assure them I will honor his 
memory by continuing to fight for all of the young people in America 
who are just like Joaquin.
  I never dreamed 10 years ago when I introduced the DREAM Act that I 
would be standing on this floor 10 years later with that bill still not 
enacted into law. Time and again, we have had a majority vote in the 
Senate stopped by a Republican filibuster. Time and again, we have 
brought this issue to the floor and argued the cases of young people 
just like Joaquin Luna. We are only asking that they be given a chance 
to earn their way to legal status. That is it. They have to graduate 
high school. They cannot have any serious criminal issues. They have to 
be willing to either serve 2 years in the military or graduate from 
college. Those requirements say that they have to be people who are 
determined to make America a better place.
  We just had a debate going on now about bringing in talented people 
from all over the world to work in the United States. Think about that. 
We are going to bend the immigration laws so that more talented 
graduates from other countries can come to our country and help build 
it into a better nation, creating more jobs and opportunity. At the 
same time as that is being proposed, we are saying to tens of thousands 
like Joaquin Luna: There is no place for you in America because your 
parents brought you here when you were a child, and therefore you are 
forever banished from being part of America's future. That is a cruel 
outcome and one we should not accept as Americans. This is a great and 
caring nation. It is a nation of immigrants.
  Madam President, 100 years ago, in 1911, a ship arrived in Baltimore, 
MD. A woman walked down the stairs, two little children by her side and 
a baby in her arms. She did not speak a word of English. She came from 
Lithuania. She was bringing her children to America and trying to find 
out how to get from Baltimore, MD, to East St. Louis, IL, where my 
grandfather lived. He was there waiting for her, had a job and a place 
they could call home. I do not know how she possibly made it, but she 
did. That baby in her arms, that 2-year-old infant, was my mother. I am 
a first-generation American. I have the honor of serving in this 
Senate. I do not know if my mom was legal or not legal. Later in life, 
after she was married and had two children, she became a naturalized 
citizen. Upstairs in my office, her naturalization certificate is right 
behind my desk as a reminder about who I am.
  That is my story. That is the story of many families in America. It 
is the story of America. If we cannot open our arms and our hearts to 
those who will come here and work hard to make this a stronger nation, 
we will have lost one of the core elements of America's strength and 
America's future. We are great in our diversity. We are great in the 
fact that so many people are willing to work hard to come to this 
Nation and make it a better place to live.
  Sadly, Joaquin Luna will not be part of America's future, but I hope 
his story will inspire others to step up and speak up for those who are 
promoting the DREAM Act. I want to bring this to the floor again. I 
want to pass it. I want to make sure that the hopelessness and despair 
that many young people feel is replaced by the hopeful belief that if 
they continue to work hard in their lives and continue to be dedicated 
to America, they can make this a better and stronger nation.
  In honor and memory of Joaquin Luna, I ask my colleagues to 
reconsider their position and join us in passing the DREAM Act.

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