Menlo-Magazine-Fall-2014

Professor Michelson’s Book Looks atImmigration Policies and Undocumented Latino YouthMelissa R. Michelson, Professor ofPolitical Science at Menlo Collegeand a nationally recognized experton Latino Politics, has published anew book: Living the Dream, New ImmigrationPolicies and the Lives of UndocumentedLatino Youth. She wrote Living the Dreamwith Maria Chávez, Associate Professor ofPolitical Science at Pacific Lutheran Universityand Jessica L. Lavariega Monforti,Associate Professor and Associate Dean ofthe College of Social and Behavioral Sciencesat the University of Texas-Pan American.Michelson’s previous work includes theaward-winning book Mobilizing Inclusion(2012), describing her research on voterturnout in minority communities.In Living the Dream, the authors relay thereal-life stories of 101 undocumented Latinoyouth currently living in the United States,in four different states. While many undocumentedimmigrants in the U.S. are adultswho made conscious decisions to live herewithout legal documentation, others werechildren who were brought to Americaby their families and have lived in the U.S.for the majority of their lives. These youthare often nicknamed DREAMers after theDREAM Act (The Development, Relief, andEducation for Alien Minors Act), a measurefirst proposed in 2001 to regularize the22 FALL 2014status of these youth. The DREAMers labelis evocative of the concept of The AmericanDream, and the idea that children broughtto this country by their parents should havethe opportunity to pursue that dream.Instead, DREAMers live on the margins ofsociety, in limbo, waiting to see if they willbe allowed to stay and pursue their dreams.Jose (a pseudonym), one of the DREAMers,notes in the book, “We don’t know what isgonna happen. You know, we don’t havethat—we’re living in the moment, we’reliving day-by-day. You know, we may getdeported next year, we may get deportedin five years. So how can you make a planor plan your life in the next ten years if youdon’t know where you are going to be.”In July 2012, President Barack Obama issuedan executive action, Deferred Action forChildhood Arrivals (DACA), which grantedsome DREAMers two-year deferrals of anydeportation action as well as work permits.Using interviews conducted just after thatannouncement, this book tells DREAMers’stories and discusses how immigration law,including DACA, is shaping the lives andpolitical attitudes and behaviors of theseyoung Latinos. The book provides an historicaland economic argument for the passageof the DREAM Act, and for creating just, fair,and inclusive immigration policies.Linda Smith, New Deanof Library ServicesLinda Smith was recently appointedDean of Library Services. Linda, whohas worked at Menlo College since2005, was previously the AssociateDean of Library Services. Linda has anM.S.L.I.S., University of Illinois, and a B.A.,Western Illinois University. She recentlypresented “The Story of the Bowman LibraryResearch Skills Tutorial” a workshoppresentation with Lisa Velarde, and SarahClatterbuck at the Northern and CentralCalifornia Psychology Libraries 2014 meetingon Instruction Tools and Technologies,at Palo Alto University. She was awardedPRIMO Site of the Month from the Associationof College & Research Libraries for theBowman Library Research Skills Tutorial,which she co-authored with Lisa Velarde,Cheryl Collins, Anne Linvill, and William H.Walters in December 2013.Fabian Eggers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marketing, andhis family at the President’s Calistoga Reception.PHOTO: ANDREY POLIAKOV