Before opening the envelope, A.Z. was a typical all American, high achieving high school senior, getting ready for college. But after she read the letter inside, A. Z. felt like a second-class citizen watching her dreams of college crumble.
That letter changed her life. Despite the fact that she was born in New York and had been a Jersey girl since the age of four, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) told her that she did not qualify for the financial aid she applied for. The reason? “Your parents are not legal New Jersey residents.” Although she appealed, the response essentially said the same thing: because your mother is not a legal resident, we will treat you like you have lived in Guatemala for the past 14 years, even though you actually lived in New Jersey the entire time.
Today, the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world. With over 2.3 million men and women living behind bars, our imprisonment rate is the highest it’s ever been in U.S. history.
Imagine: A bride-to-be trying on a wedding gown, her face lights up and the clerk beams in response. The shopper happily informs the clerk that she is marrying a woman, and declares, "My girlfriend is going to love this." The clerk immediately tells the shopper that she disapproves of gay marriages and will not sell the dress to her.
Stop here: What would you do if you were a bystander watching this unfold?
ABC News recently reenacted this exact scene at a bridal store in New Jersey on four different occasions. Even though the bride-to-be and clerk were actors, those watching them argue were very real customers.
