Inspiring Leadership in Immigrant Communities - ILRC

Inspiring Leadership in Immigrant CommunitiesJanuary 2003The informational campaign consists of the students informing their peers, teachers, schooladministrators and community about the benefits offered by AB540 to undocumented immigrantstudents. In order to carry out the campaign effectively the students needed to be trained andeducated about the differences between state and federal law and on exercising restraint whenasked questions to which they do not know an answer and to refer those questions to appropriateorganizations. ILRC, in collaboration with other non-profit organizations and communityorganizations, has worked closely with the students to provide them with the necessary trainingand resources for the execution of the campaign.To carry out the information campaign the student groups have engaged in a variety of activities.For example, while students in the city of San Francisco have preferred to give presentations atcommunity meetings, students in Sonoma County have chosen to give presentations in theirclassrooms and during school assemblies. But when given the opportunity, student groups havenot shied away from using the media as a tool to do outreach. The use of the media has rangedfrom holding press conferences to conducting individual interviews and appearances ontelevision and radio programs.While the students were first concerned about informing their peers regarding the benefitsoffered by AB540, they also began an advocacy campaign to encourage the UC Regents to makeAB540 applicable to the UC system. To accomplish this, they wrote testimonials about theirlives in California as undocumented immigrant students and submitted them to the UC Regents.In their testimonials, the students highlighted their academic achievements and how anopportunity to receive a UC education would positively affect their lives and ability to contributeto society. Some students, in addition to submitting written testimonials, were able to offer oraltestimonies during a regents meeting in which AB540 was discussed. The regents decided toadopt the application of AB540 to the UC system, thanks in part to the advocacy campaign of thestudents.The advocacy campaign went on to address additional issues and has established links withstatewide and national efforts addressing similar issues. For example, although AB540 facilitatesaccess to higher education, it does not provide for undocumented immigrant student eligibilityfor public financial aid. In light of this, students in collaboration with educational organizationshave explored alternative sources of financial aid such as private scholarships. The students thuswork with organizations to try to increase the number of private scholarships to whichundocumented students may apply and also inform others about the existence of the scholarships.Considering that AB540 is a state law, and a state cannot provide for ways for immigrants tolegalize their immigration status, students working on the AB540 information campaign havejoined a nationwide movement in support of the legalization of undocumented immigrantstudents. The students have chosen to support a Senate bill, the Development, Relief andEducation for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act, which proposes to legalize the immigrationstatus of students who meet its requirements once it is passed. In the House of Representativesthere is a similar proposal called the Student Adjustment Act.The adoption of student legalization as an issue by student groups working on AB540 hasallowed the groups to grow in membership, as well as gather more support. Currently students9-11