Spare Parts

by

Joshua Davis

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An Illinois Senator who introduces the DREAM Act in 2001. It fails to make it to a vote. In 2010, he reintroduces the bill and talks about Oscar as a prime example of a person for whom the government would want to ease the path to citizenship. When the bill is blocked again, Durbin contacts the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services and asks them to reconsider their stance on Oscar’s application. As a result, Oscar’s residency application is approved.

Dick Durbin Quotes in Spare Parts

The Spare Parts quotes below are all either spoken by Dick Durbin or refer to Dick Durbin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Underdogs and Overcoming Odds Theme Icon
).
Four Quotes

This extraordinary young man—a mechanical engineer who won a national competition, a person who can add something to America, who has a wife and family here, who is doing the right thing by going back to the country of his origin even though he has little connection with it anymore—is being told: America doesn't need you.

Related Characters: Dick Durbin (speaker), Oscar Vazquez, Karla Perez
Page Number: 211
Explanation and Analysis:
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Spare Parts PDF

Dick Durbin Character Timeline in Spare Parts

The timeline below shows where the character Dick Durbin appears in Spare Parts. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Four
Underdogs and Overcoming Odds Theme Icon
Immigration, Prejudice, and the American Dream Theme Icon
...picks up the story. In Washington D.C., the story catches the attention of Senators Dick Durbin and Orrin Hatch, who believe that America is squandering a resource by overlooking the talents... (full context)
Underdogs and Overcoming Odds Theme Icon
Immigration, Prejudice, and the American Dream Theme Icon
In 2001, Durbin had introduced legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for young immigrants who had... (full context)
Immigration, Prejudice, and the American Dream Theme Icon
...the DREAM Act is a reward for illegal activity, and the legislation is tabled again. Durbin feels that it is unfair to punish students whose parents brought them as children. Even... (full context)