Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1539593
UTL A members have been outspoken in defending their immigrant students and communities. It's a personal fight for many, including Miranda. "I grew up in the community where I taught for 23 years — I see myself in the students and I see my parents in the parents. When I was a child, I remember having to hide when immi- gration was going door-to-door and I can relate to the fear the community is feeling," Miranda says. "Working with other folks who have similar backgrounds and some who are DACA recipients — we're very passionate about this work. Seeing our students every day and knowing that their parents are bringing them to school with all these hopes and dreams being under threat is difficult, but it keeps us going." Supporting immigrant communities in our neighborhoods Miranda says it's important for educators to find what they are comfortable doing to support. Some of L.A.'s community schools started delivering groceries to families who were afraid to leave their homes, which was a way to make an immediate difference. Middle school physical education teacher Alex Vogel did just that in early summer when ICE raids began occurring outside Latino supermarkets in Whittier, causing families to forego trips for groceries, out of fear of harassment based solely on the color of their skin and the language they speak. "We were very concerned about the lack of food our students and families were going to have," says Vogel, bargaining chair of Whittier Elementary Teachers Association (WETA). "We knew there was going to be this fear in our communities and there were going to be food disparities." Despite attempts to get school district administration and the school board to act, Vogel says nothing was done to support students and families, so he and three other WETA members (and two students) organized a food distribution, distributing four pallets of groceries to local families. "Families were very grateful, and we had a lot of very " If we have students being pulled out of our schools andfeelingunsafe,we're going to end up with empty classrooms and school closures and serious losses in our school communities." —UTLA Vice President Maria Miranda "Ifthere'sfinancialhardship, food disparities and fear athome,thatstudentisn't going to be able to learn. It'spartofcaringforthe community and the people we serve." — Whittier Elementary Teachers Assn. bargaining chair Alex Vogel, on WETA's response after ICE raids at neighborhood markets Resources for Educators, Students and Families O U R U N I O N B E L I E V E S immigration policies should guarantee human rights and protect the integrity of the family unit without discrimination; we suppor t immigration policies that keep families together. Regardless of immigration status of students or their parents, ever y student has the right to a free public education free from harassment. Visit CTA's webpage Home Is Here: Supporting Immigrant Educators, Students and Families at cta.org/homeishere for the latest information about current immigration policies and resources and guidance you can use. You can also order Red Cards that outline our constitutional rights in multiple languages to help you and others defend yourselves against ICE actions, along with posters to express support for immigrants. All these resources can be ordered for free by any CTA member. 19 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 Maria Miranda Alex Vogel