Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1234752
These 11th graders at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento consider themselves to be Dreamers — from the DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act, a proposed federal bill that would grant residency status to qualifying immigrants who entered the U.S. as minors. But they cannot apply for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a pol- icy established by a 2012 executive order from President Obama allowing undocumented youths who arrived in the U.S. before age 16 to enroll in school and hold jobs. Students had to be 15 to apply, and today DACA is closed to new applicants, including these youngsters who missed out. e Supreme Court is expected to decide by June whether President Trump can end the program. For students like Jose, who grew up expecting to enroll in DACA, the government's backpedaling has been devastating. "I feel like I don't have a voice, like I don't matter," he says. Burbank High Spanish teacher Elizabeth Villanueva, a mem- ber of Sacramento City Teachers Association, tries to keep Dreamers focused on success and helps them navigate the sys- tem. She takes them to visit colleges. She explains about AB 540, which allows undocumented students access to in-state tuition rates for California's public colleges and universities, and the California DREAM Act, which allows AB 540 students to apply for state-funded Cal Grants and non-state-funded scholarships. She also encourages students already in DACA to re-enroll early as a precaution. To help students remain calm, she teaches them meditation and breathing exercises, and encourages them to "live in the moment." "I tell them to achieve the best academic record possible," says Villanueva , a CTA Human Rights Award winner. She meets with Dreamers and holds parent information meet- ings and "Know Your Rights" workshops where guest speakers discuss immigration law and college planning. "I understand students' frustration and lack of hope, but I tell them they are not hopeless. It's important to focus on positive aspects to build their confidence." Anxiety over DACA has also traumatized teachers. Valladolid, for examples, anguishes that he did the wrong thing by encour- aging students to come "out of the shadows" and enroll in DACA, because now the government has their information on file and may deport them. DACA-enrolled teachers like Angélica Reyes, a world history teacher in a Los Angeles high school she does not want identi- fied, are fearful of what could happen. "I'm scared that one day my son will be waiting for me at school, not knowing why I didn't pick him up. The thought of being detained and separated from my family is horrifying," Reyes says. Her parents brought her here from Mexico at age 1 and made a living as street vendors. "Today I'm a role model for my stu- dents. I hope that when they see me, they know they can achieve their dreams, too." Reyes, a member of United Teachers Los Angeles, is an activist for Dreamers and is involved with nonprofits including MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán), which seeks to pro- mote Chicano unity and empowerment through political action. "My activism feels like I am contributing to my community, fighting back and resisting," says Reyes. "I'm doing it for myself — and my students." Yolanda Gooch, SDEA member and restorative justice teacher at Hoover High, says, "The immigration issue impacts me greatly. I feel frustrated at the constant conflict my Elizabeth Villanueva, a member of Sacramento City Teachers Association, tries to keep Dreamers focused on success at Burbank High School. Continued from page 26 29 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 0