Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jason Finley Students gather on the Capitol steps Friday in support of the California DREAM Act. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jason Finley [Click to enlarge]

Policemen on horses carefully watched as more than 1,000 students and community members marched on the State Capitol to urge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign the DREAM Act on Friday.

The DREAM Act, or the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, is intended to allow students who are undocumented immigrants to be able to receive financial aid in California and eventually gain legal status.

Senate Bill 1301, the California DREAM Act, was passed by the Legislature this summer. The bill is currently on the governor's desk waiting for his veto or signature, and the point of the march was to put pressure on him to sign it.

Sociology professor Manuel Barajas said the DREAM Act will allow undocumented students to benefit society by becoming teachers, doctors, scientists or engineers. Blocking their access to higher education will only be detrimental to society, he said.

"These students by no fault of their own are classified as undocumented immigrants and they come from humble families who contribute tremendous wealth to the state and nation through their hard work, taxes, creativity and humanity," said Barajas.

Fifteen Sacramento State students marched across the Sac State campus on their way to board the bus that would take them to Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento to meet up with other protestors and then march from there to the Capitol.

Some students on campus expressed their support for the Sac State contingent, while others showed their opposition.

"Education is a privilege, not a right," yelled one spectator on campus, as he watched the students march by.

In response, the chants from the students grew louder.

"El Pueblo unido, jamas sera vencido!" (Our people united, can never be defeated!)

Like many colleges in California, Sac State has students who lack documentation but continue to pursue their studies regardless.

Juan Carlos, freshman engineer major at Sac State, who didn't want his last name used because of his immigration status, said he moved to San Francisco from Mexico when he was two years old and has lived in the United States ever since.

"Yet, I can't apply for FAFSA or any loans, so it makes it really difficult to pay for school," Juan Carlos said.

Because he is an undocumented immigrant, school has been full of challenges and obstacles unlike the typical ones that students face.

"Here at Sac State, there are many groups who have helped me including MEP, AMP, CAMP and EOP," Juan Carlos said. "Even then it's not the same. For example, AMP gives out a check for $900 to help out its members, but I couldn't get one because of my situation," he said.

Armando, a senior ethnic studies major from Michoacan, Mexico, has also had his share of difficulties because of his legal status. Even so, he's an active student as he is part of el Movimiento Estudantil Chicano de Aztlan, the Ethnic Studies Student Association and El Comite del Pueblo. He also did not want his full name used because of his immigration status.

"It's very difficult going to college because I've had to be working one or two jobs the whole time I've been attending," Armando said. "I've been going to school for six years now and I'm barely about to finish. I know that if I had an opportunity to get grants or loans, I would have already been done."

Although he is not a citizen, Armando still feels he is as much part of the United States as anyone else.

"I understand why some taxpayers don't want their money going towards non-citizens, but my parents, as well as everyone else in this country who works and makes a living, all pay taxes. It doesn't matter if you have papers or not, you still pay taxes," Armando said.

On Sept. 15, California's 3rd District Court of Appeal's ruled Assembly Bill 540, which was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in October 2001, unconstitutional.

The law gave undocumented students the opportunity to pay in-state tuition fees at California's public university instead of international student fees. The requirement is that the student attended at least three years of high school in California and graduated.

"Any student, whether undocumented or not, if he or she went through high school and resided in the area for some time, should be able to get financial aid, grants and scholarships," said Sam Rios, professor of ethnic studies.

Students from Valley High School in the Elk Grove Unified School District almost did not make it to the march. School officials tried to keep the students from attending.

"The buses showed up and we were about to get on, but the police and our principal came and told the buses to leave and us to go back to class," said Valley High School student Shahil Ali.

The students still found a way to go by crossing the street to Cosumnes River College and joining the group of students from that college attending the march.

Fifty percent of students in California are Latino, and neglecting their education will not only be detrimental to the Latino population, but to society in general, said Sam Rios, ethnic studies professor at Sac State.

"Latinos are already one-third of the population of California, and by 2050, they will be one-quarter of the (United States') entire population. They will be the ones taking care of the older population, which is largely Anglo, in terms of paying for their social security," Rios said.

Andres Cuevas can be reached at acuevas@statehornet.com

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