Students for Fair Consideration

In the words of Harvey Milk:

“Brothers and Sisters, you must come out! Come out to your parents, come out to your friends, if indeed they are your friends, come out to your neighbors, come out to your fellow workers. Once and for all, let’s break down the myth and destroy the lies and distortions. For your sake, for their sake. For the sake of all the youngsters who’ve been scared.” – Harvey Milk

The day is almost here. On March 10th, undocumented youth all over this country will finally come out the shadows and lay claim to their own futures launching us into our week of action, the National Coming out of the Shadows week (March 15th to the 21st). No longer will we let ourselves be intimidated, scared and ashamed. We have worked long and hard, we have risen to meet every challenge and we have made this country a better place for all. And yet, we are relegated to live in fear. So let us come out and end this fear.

Yes, we are undocumented. We do not have those nine magic numbers. We are without papers. But we are not and have never been without identities, without dreams, without hope for the future. The time is NOW to claim our identities, our country, our rights, and our dreams.

And it begins with YOU. It is your time to come out as an undocumented youth. But you are not alone. Hundreds of thousands of promising young people, just like yourself, are making the decision to come out with you. Together, we are coming out of the shadows, leaving behind the fear and the broken promise of the American Dream. We are empowering ourselves to seek a better future, a future in which we are respected, in which our families live with dignity, in which our American Dream is possible.

We know that coming out as undocumented is a terrifying thought for many of us. But we also know that the experience is empowering and liberating for each of us, as well as for all of us as a community. We have created a guide to coming out to help you work through your fears and come up with coming out plan that is right for you. You can find that guide here. Additionally, you can contact us for help in planning your coming out. We are here to support each other through this process!

We have prepared a guide to help you get going, in addition to different levels of coming out, check it out here: Coming out, A How to Guide = http://www.dreamactivist.org/comeout/

Will you come out with me?

Mohammad Abdollahi
Co-founder DreamActivist.org
Online and Youth Organizer | Manager

Need 1 to 1 support? Call us at 1.800.596.7498 or
Email: mo@dreamactivist.org

P.S. If you are an ally and not undocumented work with your undocumented connections and help them come out.

For the DREAM Action week, RISE will be facilitating a teach-in about AB540 (undocumented) students in higher education.

“Dreamers: The Struggle of Undocumented Students in Higher Education”

The teach in will be part of “Decolonizing the University: Fulfilling the Dream of the Third World College,” a conference taking place February 26-27, 2010 at UC Berkeley, in commemoration of the Ethnic Studies Department’s 40th anniversary and in celebration of the 10th annual Cultural Night of Resistance.

More about the conference:
“The purpose of this conference is to have collective dialogues about fulfilling the dream of the Third World College and decolonizing the university at large. These goals are more relevant today than ever given the demographic change in the state and the nation, and the racial, sexual, gendered, and colonial dimensions of transnational capitalism, neoconservatisms, and neoliberalism globally. It is also significant that as people of color have become the majority in the state of California, the state has dramatically changed its priorities in funding and it is about to allocate more resources to prisons than to public higher education.”

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?v=wall&gid=229249904147

About the teach in:

Despite economic hardships and unique sociopolitical challenges, many undocumented students have excelled academically and are active and productive members of society. Nevertheless, when these students apply for college admissions they are confronted with the reality that they cannot attend. Many if not all of these students were brought here as minors by their parents and thus had no choice when their families moved to the United States. Because of their immigration status, these students do not qualify to receive federal or state financial aid. These students are not eligible for Pell Grants, Cal Grants, federal loans, or even work study. Furthermore, they are not even eligible for most public and private scholarships since they require applicants to be at a minimum permanent residents or citizens. Even though these are bright and talented students with dreams of earning a degree, many give up because they find it difficult, if not impossible to afford an education.

Now, more than ever, action needs to be taken for these students’ rights as both the Federal and California Dream Acts have failed to pass and the comprehensive immigration reform has not been supported by the Senate in the past.

Our goals are to increase awareness around the issue and at the same time motivate attendees to get involved in the struggle and resistance that has been developing in the past years.
In order for the DREAM Act (which would make undocumented students qualify for financial aid and open a path to citizenship) or immigration reform to get enacted, student power and allies will be essential.

It has been said that there are about 450 undocumented students in the UC system. Students who have not received an equal opportunity to fulfill their dreams of achieving an education. That actually goes against decolonizing, ethnic studies and world college ideals which to a certain extent can be counteracted by increasing the awareness and supporting this AB540 student-led movement.

We hope to see many of you there.

New America Media, News Report, Seth Sandronsky , Posted: Feb 05, 2010

“In dreams, immigration officials rushed in and arrested me,” said Ju H. “I woke up sweating. My heart was pounding.”

Eyes tearing, the 20-year-old immigrant without citizenship documents from South Korea and current community college student in the San Francisco Bay Area continued telling his story to advocates, lawmakers and students at a crowded Capitol summit in Sacramento on Wednesday.

He described barriers to federal and state help for himself and others like him seeking education at four-year institutions. The walls to such schooling would fall with passage of the federal Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, first introduced in Congress in 2001.

DREAM Act for California Immigrant Students Gets Push

The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center and The California Legislative Tri-Caucus (The Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, the California Latino Legislative Caucus, and the Legislative Black Caucus)

Invite you to

Stand Up for the DREAM
February 3, 2010
9:30 – 11:30 am
State Capitol, Room 3191
Sacramento, CA

A summit to raise awareness about the plight of undocumented students and promote the DREAM Act as an effective, bipartisan solution. Distinguished panelists will include representatives from the legislative caucuses, scholars, educators representing K-12 and higher education, community activists and students.

Speakers include:

Senator Gilbert Cedillo, Chair, The California Latino Legislative Caucus

Assemblymember Warren Furutani, Chair, Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus

Assemblymember Sandré Swanson, Chair, Legislative Black Caucus (invited)

Edward Hernandez, Chancellor, Rancho Santiago Community College District

Al Mijares, Vice President Western Region, The College Board

Save the date and register early to reserve your space for this free event.

To register, please email jdonovan@collegeboard.org

with your name, affiliation, and email address.

To learn more, visit www.collegeboard.com/dreamact.

(Ambassadors: I’ll be going to this event. Let me know if you want to go, and need help with a ride. Kathy)

After reading several articles about the dreamer’s deportation cases, it came to me in an epiphany that I may have chance to face deportation too. It’s a brutal, yet it’s a clear fact for me as well as other undocumented students. In the past, my family always told me to conceal my identity so that I won’t be able to get caught by the I.C.E. However, I’ve been constantly exposed myself to the public numerous times. In fact, I knew the circumstances: I will not only put myself into risk, but also put our family into jeopardy.

It sounds obscure to understand, but deep inside of my heart I knew I had to take a risk to help my family and my peers. Kent Wong once said, “These young students risk themselves to speak out despite of no legal status and subjugate to deportation, but greater risk is the silence of the face of oppression and face of injustice!” Indeed, it is crucial for all of us to fight for our dreams that will determine our future. I knew I couldn’t just wait and hoping for politicians to solve our problems. This is when I knew I had to do something to share my story and help other people. In this economic recession, immigrants and minorities get the worst hit, especially undocumented students. I feel as if poor get poorer and rich get richer. In the midst of financial crisis, however, we are not willing to give up. There are thousands of undocumented students are working full-time job at the restaurant, sometimes working double shifts and earning eight dollars an hour to support the family. Worst of all, these students have no government issued ID to proof its identity and unable to drive or get financial aid, which makes undocumented students to work triple hours than other students. These are one of the few struggles that undocumented students are facing in this difficult time, however, they had shown moral virtues to serve in schools as well as in communities. Also, they are proven to be strong and able to overcome these challenges and successfully graduate from top school with honors and recognitions. But despite of all that, our time is the most crucial part of all of us.

So in this critical time, we must stand united. We, as Dreamers, are depending on the DREAM Act to pass by next year. Let us be optimistic about our future. Let us be ready and prepare to shift our focus on the immigration issues. As many people would say, we must organize, mobilize, and take collective action. Every day, I’m glad to see we are growing and getting stronger. By next year, let’s look back our tragedy that happened in 2007 and let’s make sure it will not happen again. C. Whitton once said, “It’s how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success.” With that being said, we must pressure Congress and President Obama to Pass the DREAM Act as well as Comprehensive immigration reform starting today. It’s not too late to reach our dreams; it is rather matter of commitments and dedication for next couple of months to strive for our dream. “You only live once – but if you work it right, once is enough.” J. Lewis. Let’s win this fight in 2010.

DREAM Act 2010.

My S4FC game plan was to reach out to the Korean American community to promote and educate people about the DREAM Act. With a lot of help from Kathy and Prerna, I came up with the idea of creating a video and a blog to reach out broadly to the Korean American community.

A few weeks ago, we were able to complete the video and the blog. Since then, I’ve publicized my video and blog online and via email. I sent out a massive email blast to hundreds of Korean American organizations, urging them to support Korean undocumented students. Within less than a week, the video has reached over 900 views and overwhelmingly received positive feedback. I was astonished how quickly information disseminates online.

At first, I was afraid to come out. I knew there were great risks involved. However, I knew I had to take a chance because our family’s situations are getting worse. On top of that, I knew a lot of undocumented students are having a hard time due to our immigration status. So I couldn’t just sit down and wish for the DREAM Act to pass. That’s when I committed myself to do something, anything to pass the DREAM Act.

As I mentioned, I’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback from the people. It’s great to see a lot of people willing to help me pass the DREAM Act. With great support from the community, I will continue to reach out to the Korean American community and I hope to get full support to pressure the Senate and President Obama to pass the DREAM Act.

Online social networks are really effective tools to educate people about our situation and promote the DREAM Act. So I encourage S4FC ambassadors to come out and take an advantage of online resources in order to share stories and reach out the community. For the next couple of months, we have to work diligently to push for the DREAM Act, as well as comprehensive immigration reform. I will say again, again, and again, we do not have that much time, so I urge you guys to start organizing and take collective action in your local community today!

Here is the video of the clip those who haven’t seen the video yet.

If anyone wants to know more about me or the federal DREAM Act, please check out my website: JoinJu.com

Hello everyone, a few days ago I wrote an essay for my philosophy class. We could write and essay on the topic of our choice and I chose the topic of the dream Act. In the essay I expose the arguments against the Dream Act and the arguments for it. I hope you like it. Here is the essay for those of you who want to read it.

The DREAM Act: Should it be passed?
For many years the immigration issue has been a very controversial topic in the United States. Many questions are raised in the discussion of this subject. One of the biggest inquiries around the immigration issue is whether undocumented students should get residency enabling them to continue with their education and to be employed. The DREAM Act, which stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, is an act that if passed, will give temporal residency to undocumented students who arrived in the US as children, who graduated from high school, with good behavior, and who have been in the country for at least five years prior to the Bill enactment. (Wikipedia encyclopedia, “Dream Act”)There are both positive and negative arguments for the passing of the DREAM Act. Some people argue that the Act shouldn’t be passed because undocumented students committed a crime by coming to the US illegally. They also argue that if undocumented students receive residency the budget crisis will only worsen due to the large new population of students that will need financial aid. Others allege that undocumented students are not guilty of being undocumented. They also say that if the DREAM Act is passed not only undocumented students would benefit from it, but the US as a whole would be better served if residency is given to undocumented students. (Monico, “Dream Act: Make it a Reality Soon”) Although, both sides of the controversy have strong bases to support or counteract the passing of the DREAM Act, I support the passing of the DREAM Act, because it would benefit both the US and undocumented students.

Some people say that the DREAM Act shouldn’t be passed because undocumented students broke the law by coming to the US illegally, therefore they should be punished for this crime and not rewarded with the DREAM Act. It is common knowledge that anyone that breaks the law has committed a crime. We also know that anyone that breaks the law should be punished without exceptions. If the DREAM Act is passed the US wouldn’t be punishing the undocumented students for breaking the immigration laws. Instead, the US would be somehow rewarding them and in the act, giving other immigrant students reasons to come to the US illegally. One thing would lead to the other. The passing of the DREAM Act will lead to more undocumented immigration making the immigration issue even bigger. (The Heritage Foundation, “A Sleeper Amnesty: Time to Wake Up from the DREAM Act”)
While the prior argument holds some validity I think that the Act should be passed because even though undocumented students are in the US illegally, they are not guilty of their illegal status. Many of the current undocumented students were brought by their parents when they were still little. They had no idea that they were breaking the laws of immigration. Most of them are good people who want to go to college, pursue a career and better their lives. Most of them live honestly without harming anyone. They shouldn’t be punished for a crime that they didn’t know anything about. Also giving residency to undocumented students could actually help the US economy. By passing the DREAM Act we would have more legal citizens that would pay taxes which will help better the recession.

People on the opposing side of this issue may argue that the passing of the DREAM Act will make the current budget crisis worse, even if the new legal citizens paid taxes. (The Heritage Foundation, “A Sleeper Amnesty: Time to Wake Up from the DREAM Act”) The population of new students in need of financial aid would be too big for the government to supply for education. Also since undocumented students will be studying, many of them won’t work until they graduate. Other maybe will work a part time but won’t earn big amounts of money and won’t pay that much in taxes; therefore the money that they can pay in taxes will not help much with the budget crisis. The government will have more students to give financial to and not enough tax money to spend on education. This will worsen the budget crisis and could conduct to more budget cuts. The passing of the DREAM Act won’t help the US economy. It will worsen it.

Even though the passing of the DREAM Act may not help the US economy at first, I think that it will better our economy on the long run. If we give undocumented students the opportunity to go to college and pursue a career, in ten years we’ll have a large population of professionals that will work and that will contribute to the development of the country. But if we don’t give these undocumented students the opportunity to get an education, we will never see the progress that could have been made. The undocumented population would be more helpful and productive as professional citizens than if they work as undocumented. They would pay their taxes and would help to the development of the country as a whole.

Even though passing undocumented students broke the law when they entered the US, they deserve a second chance. The DREAM Act is this second opportunity. I think that this Act is what we all want for this country. We all want good, professional citizens that work and are productive to the country. Undocumented students are these productive people. They will no longer be criminals that will work undercover because of their undocumented status. They will be good citizens that will contribute to making the US economy better.

If you are in the area, please make sure to attend these events this Wednesday, make some more connections and maybe even give us a write-up.

For Northern California:

Berkeley: Petition drive at UC Berkeley
A coalition of organizations supporting DREAM
Throughout the day, UC Berkeley, 2311 Bowditch St, Berkeley, CA

Davis: Petition drive at UC Davis
University of California, Davis, 18830 Road 112, Tulare, CA?

Fresno: Rally at Cal State Fresno
Latino Student Coalition
California State University, Fresno, 5241 N Maple Ave, Fresno, CA

Merced: Petition drive and informational picket at UC Merced
Dreamers in Action / ASUCM External Affairs
Meet throughout the day on campus, then 5-7PM picket at the corner of M and 21st Street
University of California, Merced, 5200 N Lake Rd, Merced, CA

Sacramento: Petition Drive at Cal State Sacramento
Throughout the day at Main Library Quad
6000 J Street | Sacramento, CA 95819

Santa Cruz: Petition drive at UC Santa Cruz
Students Informing Now (SIN)
All day at 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064

Santa Rosa: Rally at Windsor High School
MECHA
Meet at 8695 Windsor Rd, Windsor, CA 95492

For a full list of events nationwide, visit DreamActivist.

Part of my internship at the Asian Law Caucus last semester, was working with an API (Asian Pacific Islander) youth group called ASPIRE, which stands for Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights through Education. At ASPIRE, students participated in protests, lobbied local, state and national legislators, but, more than anything, students gained a strong understanding that they have to speak for themselves if they want change, such as the DREAM Act, to happen.

It was a very interesting experience, and got me exposed to organizing at a level I was not so used to, since I come from a very grassroots, very student-based organizing background. It also led me to work with a different population.

So many people ask me: “What is the difference between organizing with the Latino versus the API population?.” And I must say, there are way more similarities than differences. Culture and language barriers may vary, but the experiences that these undocumented youth face are just as inspiring.

For some proof about what I am telling you, check out ASPIRE’s summer documentary.

ASPIRE ALC