By Julissa James
Editor in Chief
The Undocumented Student Ally Coalition (USAC) held a series of events aimed at supporting undocumented students.
The USAC-led effort, starting Nov. 14, was focused on educating the campus community about the experiences of undocumented students and bringing awareness to the resources available to support their journey.
These events coincided with the United We Dream National Educators Coming Out Day that happens annually on Nov. 12. This campaign encourages educators, students and allies across the nation to increase the visibility of their support for the undocumented students they serve.
Starting off with a healing circle, the rest of the week consisted of an open forum with and UndocuMixer, information tabling, UndocuTalk’s given by expert allies, a California Dream Act workshop, and concluded with an Undocumented Student Ally Training session.
Ricardo Muñiz, president of Espiritu de Nuestro Futuro, the undocumented student and student ally organization, believes undocumented students need allies now more than ever with the recently shifted political climate.
“It’s important for the undocumented community to have allies that are actually U.S. citizens, especially in these hard times that we are going through, because those people are the ones who vote,” Muñiz said. “We can all hold politicians accountable, but voters have that extra power. We need them.”
USAC brings support for these students to the forefront, and Espiritu de Nuestro Futuro relies on these supporters to help them push the agenda forward, especially through periods of uncertainty.
“There are some professors on campus who are supporters of Trump and things of that nature, so it’s really important to see people are there for you, support you and are willing to come out openly about it,” said Muñiz.
The Undocumented Student Ally Training allowed for the community to gain a deeper knowledge on policies that affect undocumented students, and the proper ways to support them. After completing the training, participants joined the already 60 allies on our campus by signing an Ally Contract that provided them with a Dreamer Safe Zone decal to post in their space, officially identifying them as a resource for undocumented students.
Paz Oliverez, associate vice president of student success services at Dominguez Hills, hopes that these events not only bring attention to challenges faced by undocumented students, but also make the community more proactive about supporting their well being.
“As we continue our collaborative efforts to raise awareness about challenges faced by undocumented students at CSUDH and bolster campus programs and services to address their needs, the Undocumented Student Ally Coalition (USAC) and ENF (our undocumented student & student ally organization), aim to encourage CSUDH staff and faculty to come out publicly and move beyond support into action,” said Oliverez to Dateline Dominguez. “Likewise, we endeavor to shift the narrative around student success to one that highlights our shared responsibility to provide resources to all of our students.”
