Undocumented have much to offer society

By Kent Wong Kent Wong teaches labor studies and Asian American studies at UCLA. He coedited a new student publication titled "Underground Undergrads: UCLA Undocumented Immigrant Students Speak Out"

I have taught at UCLA for the past 20 years. In the past few years, I have met an extraordinary group of young people who are among the most brilliant, compassionate, and dedicated students of my career. They have tremendous talent and could make amazing contributions to our society. There is only one obstacle, however, and that is their undocumented-immigrant status.

More than 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high schools throughout the country each year. The vast majority came to this country as young children, brought here by their parents or relatives. They had no say over the decision to come to this country, and for many, this is the only country they have ever known.

Like virtually every public college and university in California, UCLA has a sizable undocumented student population. Undocumented students at UCLA have beaten all odds to gain admission to one of the most prestigious public universities in the country. Yet they are ineligible for most financial aid and scholarships, they are prohibited from getting driver licenses, they are barred from receiving student loans, they cannot obtain work-study funds or work on campus, and upon graduation, they are not eligible to seek legal employment.

Many UCLA undocumented students commute by public transportation two hours or more each way to attend classes because they cannot afford to live in the dormitories. During final examinations, some sleep in the library and shower in the gym in order to conserve precious hours for studying. They also are forced to find jobs as baby sitters, housekeepers, gardeners or in other positions in the underground economy.

In spite of all these obstacles, they are graduating from college, and some are entering graduate and professional schools.

The California Dream Act introduced by the state Legislature would allow undocumented students to compete for financial aid opportunities. Both the California Senate and California Assembly passed similar legislation last year, but it was vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The future of hundreds of thousands of students is in the hands of our immigrant governor. Our country has been extremely welcoming and generous toward him. Our students hope that he might find similar compassion in his treatment of them.

On a national level, the federal Dream Act would provide an opportunity for undocumented students to earn a path to legalization by pursuing their educations or serving their country in the military. In spite of bipartisan support, a minority of senators blocked the Dream Act from passage last October.

My students at UCLA have been trained as teachers, social workers, scientists, accountants, engineers, and health-care professionals. Their skills are desperately needed by our society. Business leaders realize that our economy needs more trained professionals, and many have supported both the California Dream Act and the federal Dream Act. Educators realize that years of public investment in these young people will go to waste unless there is a change in the law.

I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with these extraordinary young people - these underground undergrads who are forced to live in the shadows. These students have done everything our society has asked of them: they have worked hard, stayed in school, and are pursuing their dreams. They have not failed us, but we as a society have failed them.

Passage of the California Dream Act and the federal Dream Act would not only provide support for undocumented students but also strengthen our society as a whole.

Source: http://www.dailynews.com/editorial/ci_9524914

Book Publication Party

Written by Oscar, UCLA Alumnus

The night before we were to leave to Berkeley for the RISE Immigration Conference, we headed over to Professor Kent Wong’s home to celebrate the book’s publishing and the hard work that students put into constructing the book and promoting the text among community members, educational and government institutions, and community organizations, among various entities and interests.

Professor Wong prepared the food from scratch (at least that’s what he told us), but in all seriousness, the food was amazing! Great food, great conversations, great laughter, and most importantly, great, accomplished people were at this event. It was truly inspiring to see various UCLA students and alumni united at this event with a common goal: To advocate for undocumented immigrant youth by being a positive, genuine example of what an American should represent.

Many of my peers have fought difficult obstacles to arrive at UCLA and to contribute to the fabric of this country. From escaping a worn-torn nation, a failing economy, an abusive parent, religious intolerance, to unforgivable poverty, many of these Americans have lived through various socio-economic, political experiences that present a unique perspective in any conversation and demonstrate the unique contribution undocumented youth bring to our nation.

The book party marks and celebrates a serious accomplishment for youth who have been organizing for political change and support and who only desire to contribute to this nation, a nation full of resources and opportunities to lead the world and create positive change – the book represents, captures our hopes, our dreams, our fears, our struggles, and our sweat and tears.

Dream Act Strategy Conference at Los Angeles Trade Tech College

Written by Oscar, UCLA Alumnus

Organized by Senator Cedillo’s office, SALEF, among other key organizations and political/community leaders, the California Dream Act Strategy Conference at Los Angeles Trade Tech College provided a forum to discuss the previous challenges that hindered—and the effective strategies and methods that helped—efforts to grant financial assistance to deserving AB540 students in California through the CA Dream Act (currently SB1301). The event hosted an array of discussions regarding political, media and community, grassroots strategies that will make the CA Dream Act a reality this political season.

The conference was important since the CA Dream Act has now moved through various critical tests within the California legislature and has been modified to gather additional support and meet key demands made by the Governor. The most fundamental change includes the elimination of state aid, a modification that personally seems unjust considering that immigrants, undocumented or otherwise, pay sales taxes, property taxes, and income taxes. But the current form of the bill allows for needed institutional (university) assistance, in the form of grants, scholarships, fellowships and the Governor’s fee waivers, which applies to community colleges, to students who currently attend public colleges and universities in California. Considering the thousands of dollars that I, along with other AB50 alumni and current students, have paid in tuition and fees at our universities, it seems fair that we have access to the same pool of resources available to our peers.

Some of the people present included Angelica Salas, Gil Cedillo, Nativo Lopez, Kent Wong, and various AB540 student groups from Los Angeles and Orange County. We sold a ton of books and actually ran out of texts towards the end of the event. I had a really great time talking about the book, listening to the speakers, and mingling with colleagues and peers. And I loved the refrescos, especially the Jaritos!

Attending these events, not to mention speaking about the issue, is always a challenge for me considering the psychological, emotional strength they require. It is mentally taxing to talk about one’s difficult circumstances, circumstances that cannot be remedied until immigration reform is implemented. But although it is challenging to constantly face this issue, attending these events give me hope and strength knowing that other students, community members, and political leaders are working together to push for needed relief and to acknowledge the hard work, academic accomplishments, professional aspirations, personal sacrifice and integrity, citizenship and patriotism of AB540 youth. Our issue is not one of undocumented immigrants using emotional tools to gain a legal status: Our issue and battle is for the right to an education, to respect as human beings, and to the acknowledgment of our dedication to the betterment of community and nation.

To find out more about the CA Dream Act, please visit:
http://dist22.casen.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC=%7B618F8B21-E3F2-436F-AD33-4F47062FA1BD%7D

Bonaventure Hotel

Written by Miguel, UCLA Student

There was a slight error in the room name, so people had trouble finding the conference room; nonetheless, there were approximately 2 dozen educators from all levels interested in learning about the Underground Undergrads publication and how they could help undocumented students gain access to higher education. The audience was moved by such facts that the degrees earned by undocumented students cannot be used to work, and in turn, become pretty and expensive decorations. More so, they were impressed by how hard students are willing to work to achieve their goals; such as working two to three jobs to pay for tuition. Equally impressive was the students’ level of achievement, like a student that has gone from working in garment factories, to working in a corporate office with his own cubicle, computer, phone, and interns. The conference ended when the teachers shared recommendations on steps they could take such as demanding that the organizations they donate to offer scholarships open to all students, regardless of immigration status.

AB540 Graduate and Professional School Student Panel at UCLA

Written by Tam, UCLA Aluma and Community Advocate

June 4, 2008

Eleven other AB540 graduate students and I spoke to current undergrads and recent graduates about applying to graduate school. Some of the fields represented were Public Health, Engineering, Mathematics, Chicano Studies, American Studies, Microbiology, History, Literature, Teaching, Law, and Architecture. Some of the schools that students have been accepted to or are currently attending are UCLA, CSUN, Brown, Arizona State University, Claremont, Yale, Harvard, Berkeley, UCSB, Michigan, and Columbia. While this panel took place at UCLA, students from other campuses were also present: CSULB, CSUN, CSUF, Cal Poly Pomona, SMC and LACC. The outreach to other campuses was possible partly due to the release of Underground Undergrads. We had done many book promotion events at these other campuses and because of the stories in the book and student testimonies at the book presentations, other student groups became aware of what students at UCLA have accomplished.

Loara High School Experience

Written by Tam, UCLA Alumna and Community Advocate

June 3, 2008

On June 3, I drove down to Loara High School with another student where an afterschool AB540 conference was being held. There were many educators, students and parents present. While we didn't make a presentation, we did table for the book. The most exciting part for me was running into my old supervisor. We worked together when I tutored ESL/Composition at Santa Ana College. She was really excited to see the book because she had heard so much about it. It was really exciting for me too just to catch up on events and ask about my former co-tutors and what they've been up to.