DREAMS FROM THE UNDERGROUND was an event at the 28th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Featuring the talents of “underground” artists, those who operate outside mainstream media, the event and culminating film became a platform to bring awareness of the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) and for the UCLA DREAM Resource Center and undocumented Asian American youth to seek support. The number of undocumented Asian Americans is staggering, and often left unnoticed, overshadowed, or unspoken. According to the Department of Homeland Security in 2011, there are 1.3 million undocumented Asian Americans in the United States. It is estimated that 416,000 of those undocumented Asian Americans are in California. Seven years ago, Tam Tran, under the guidance and mentorship of VC’s Armed With a Camera Fellowship, produced a groundbreaking film, LOST AND FOUND, that created national awareness of the plight of undocumented youth. Tran unified her passion for filmmaking with her commitment to assist undocumented students like herself to attend college and attain legal status. In addition to testifying in Congress to plead for passage of the DREAM Act, Tran continued her passionate effort with the UCLA Downtown Labor Center. It is there where she continued the work she started with her film and inspired the creation of DREAM Summer, an internship program that is the first of its kind to give DREAM Act-eligible student leaders the opportunity to gain leadership skills within social-justice organizations. Visual Communications chose to continue the legacy of Tran through the event and film, DREAMS FROM THE UNDERGROUND.