Inspired by a legacy of past movements and different intersections of identity, DREAM Action NIU will host the ninth annual Coming Out of the Shadows (COS) at NIU. Coming Out of the Shadows at NIU is inspired by the annual Coming Out of the Shadows event, coordinated by the Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL), which organized its first COS on March 10th, 2010. Although it was the first of its kind for undocumented individuals in the Midwest and across the country, the roots of COS are attributed to the National Coming Out Day organized by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Coming Out of the Shadows is an act of resistance against rhetoric that dehumanizes undocumented immigrants.