Skip to main content
Back to Show
Independent Lens

The Graduates: Undocumented Students

Gustavo Madrigal started school in the U.S. in 5th grade after coming from Mexico with undocumented parents. They set high standards, but his undocumented status presented barriers to attending college. After graduation he worked for a time, then became an activist for the DREAM Act and began attending classes at Freedom University, which offers courses to help students prepare for college.

Support Provided By
Season
Vivien's Wild Ride
1:24:45
When her eyesight begins to fade, a film editor reimagines belonging and what it truly means to see.
The Librarians
1:25:43
Librarians across the U.S. examine how restrictions on library content are shaping communities.
Life After
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:23:41
A filmmaker investigates assisted dying through the lens of disabled voices missing from the debate.
Ratified
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:23:41
A bipartisan coalition continues a century-long fight to add gender equality into the Constitution.
Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution
1:24:19
Phil Sharp’s RNA discovery reshaped science, medicine, and the global biotech industry.
AAPI Voices
Unlock with PBS Passport
41:44
An elusive photographer uses street art tactics to share his previously unknown work with the world.
Changemakers
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:23:38
See how the Philippines' tense race for president in 2022 became the nation's fight for its soul.
Disability Visibility
Unlock with PBS Passport
54:20
Three families are transformed when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Our Community
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:24:21
How public libraries shaped a nation and remain a beloved sanctuary for Americans today.
WE WANT THE FUNK!
1:22:07
The syncopated story of funk music, from its roots to the explosion of '70s urban funk and beyond.
Home Court
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:24:52
The coming-of-age story and rise of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy.
Bike Vessel
Unlock with PBS Passport
1:24:55
Father and son bond on an ambitious 350-mile bike ride in this portrait of familial love.
Active loading indicator