PRACTITIONER ADVOCACY TO IMPROVE PRACTITIONER ADVOCACY TO IMPROVE UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT SUCCESSUNDOCUMENTED STUDENT SUCCESS

Santiago Bernal, UCLAAngela Chuan-Ru Chen, UCLA

NASPA National Conference | 3.8.2010

Please note that images included in the original presentation have been removed in effort to protect student privacy.

TERMINOLOGYTERMINOLOGY

COMMON PREFERRED

• Aliens

• Illegal(s)

• Tax Residents

• Unauthorized

• Undocumented

• Unprotected

(UN)DOC-YOU-MENTED(UN)DOC-YOU-MENTED

Select a bag

Please take 5 minutes to place the following items in the bag: Your Drivers License or ID Your ATM/Bank Card/Credit Cards Your Social Security Cards Your Health Insurance Card

Seal the bag and place the bag in the middle of room

(UN)DOC-YOU-MENTED(UN)DOC-YOU-MENTED

What was it like to drop your cards and place them out of your reach?

How many of you did not complete or were unwilling to complete the activity? Why?

Without these items, where do you think you would be today? What would you do? What would you have access to?

As a student what would you do if you weren’t allowed to drive? You can’t prove your age? Can’t work legally?

State Year of passage Financial Aid

Texas 2001 YES

California 2001 NO

Utah 2002 NO

New York 2002 NO

Washington 2003 NO

Illinois 2003 NO

Oklahoma 2003 Limited

Kansas 2004 NO

New Mexico 2005 YES

Nebraska 2006 NO

Wisconsin 2009 NO

In State TuitionIn State Tuition

AB 540 ELIGIBILITYAB 540 ELIGIBILITY

1) Attended CA HS for 3+ years

2) Graduated from CA HS or attained GED

3) Registered or currently enrolled at accredited institution of higher education

• Only applies to public institutions

4) Filed an affidavit as required by individual institution, stating intent to apply for legal residency as soon as one is eligible

• Confidential - Not public record

““Development, Relief and Education for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors”Alien Minors”

Pathway to citizenship & financial aid eligibility1) Evidence of arrival in US at 15 years of age or younger

2) Live in US for 5+ consecutive years following arrival

3) Be between age 12-35 during enactment of bill

4) Earn HS diploma/GED from US HS

5) Demonstrate “good moral character”

• Lead to 6 years “conditional status” to complete minimum of 2 years of higher education or military service

• Then become eligible to APPLY for permanent residency

1.7 million undocumented youth in the U.S.

Every year, 80,000 undocumented students become 18 years old (Passel, 2003)

Of these, 65,000 graduate from high school

13,000-16,000 do not complete high school

7,000-13,000 enroll in college

40% of undocumented youth reside in California

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT PIPELINEUNDOCUMENTED STUDENT PIPELINE

PERSONAL DETERRENTPERSONAL DETERRENT

Limited financial support from family to help cover the cost of fees, books and personal expenses

Transportation (commuting on the bus for many hours each way because they can not afford to live in university housing)

Working excessive hours (no work = no education)

Family obligations — helping with household and sibling responsibilities

May feel a sense of hopelessness and helplessness

Current immigration laws that limit opportunities to legalize their residency status

Fear of being detected by immigration authorities

Inability to obtain financial aid from the institution

Inability to pursue academic careers that require state licensing, background checks or Social Security numbers (nursing, law, teaching, etc.)

Inability to travel and participate in conferences, field trips or research colloquiums

Inability to accept paid internships or qualify for on-campus student employment

Inability to provide identification affects the ability to take tests for graduate school, i.e., GRE, MCAT and/or LSAT

Inability to work in the chosen professional field after graduation

EDUCATIONAL DETERRENTSEDUCATIONAL DETERRENTS

Limited information regarding state provisions

Overall lack of commitment by campuses to serve these students

Insensitivity, rudeness and demeaning attitude

In some states, students being turned away or denied access for failure to provide unnecessary documentation such as a Social Security number, driver’s license and/or residency documentation

INSTITUTIONAL DETERRENTSINSTITUTIONAL DETERRENTS

STUDENT EXPERIENCESSTUDENT EXPERIENCES

• Struggling to Succeed

• Feeling the pressure of being a role model

• Coping with frustration and uncertainty

• Managing life as a “hidden” member of society

• Missing out on opportunities

• Perception of self as compared to other students

• Complications in utilizing campus services

(Albrecht, 2007)

INSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSERESPONSE

• Importance of alternative social networks (Oliverez, 2006)

• College administrators are unaware of current and relevant legislations or are slow to adopt favorable policies (Abrego, 2006; Albrecht, 2007; Feranchak, 2007; Oliverez, 2006)

• Discrepant attitudes among higher education leaders on providing educational benefits (Feranchak, 2007)

• Lack of standard policy/practice (Albrecht, 2007; Biswas, 2005; Feranchak, 2007)

CALL TO ACTIONCALL TO ACTION

RECOMMENDATIONSRECOMMENDATIONS

Develop a systematic way to disseminate information and assist students as they move through high school and college.

Identify allies- counselors and teachers in high schools ,community colleges and community agencies to assist students and parents

Educate students and their advocates about their post-secondary options.

Educate students about how to correctly complete the college and scholarship application processes.

FUNDRAISINGFUNDRAISING

Provide students with useful scholarship lists and applications and assist them as they apply for scholarships.

Work with scholarship providers in your area to encourage them to offer funding to undocumented students.

Help students develop a portfolio to use when soliciting donations.

Create own fund for your students

Start a book loan system for students

Ask professors to donate books to students

Help students find other creative ways to fund their education (e.g., family members, teachers, parents’ employers, local business, large companies).

NETWORKNETWORK

Sponsor meetings for students to meet faculty, staff and administrators

Connect students with advocates and resources on your campus and in the community.

Create opportunities for students to begin a support network.

Connect families with the parents of undocumented students to begin a network of support.

Connect students/families with reputable agencies offering free or low cost immigration services.

BUILDING A SUPPORT BUILDING A SUPPORT NETWORKNETWORK

University or College Campus Resources: Identify official campus representative(s) Identify campus allies (faculty, staff, &

students-Create SAFE Zones) Establish student organizations Find community organization referrals Seek reputable legal assistance Conduct campus and community

educational forums regarding the DREAM Act or state bills

Encourage and demonstrate to students how to become politically active.

Contact local, state and federal organizations, advocacy groups to support and assist their efforts.

Contact local business to educate them about the benefits to their bottom line of educating these students

Contact National Associations to encourage them to prioritize this issue for their federal advocacy

Contact your elected officials to show support for proposed legislation at the state and national level.

Advocate with established scholarships to remove citizen or residency requirements and establish local Scholarships.

CALL TO ACTIONCALL TO ACTION

SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCESSCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES

Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund www.maldef.org/pdf/Scholarships.pdf

Latino College Dollars www.latinocollegedollars.org/DIRECTORY.pdf

• Paying for College Student Resource Guide http://www.house.gov/roybalallard/

2007_Student_resource_guide.pdf

Salvadoran-American Leadership and Educational Fund http://www.salef.org/

Scholarshipsaz.org (non-profit organization based in Arizona)

Nakasec.org

INFORMATIONINFORMATION

National Immigration Law Center – Adey Fisseha www.nilc.org

MALDEF: Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund www.maldef.org

DREAM Act Websites www.DREAMActivist.org www.DREAMAct2009

Religious Organizations

ALLY CONSCIOUSNESSALLY CONSCIOUSNESS

Acknowledges that AB 540 and other undocumented students have a legal right to be enrolled in the university

Becomes informed about the rights afforded by law to AB 540 students

Finds legal alternatives

Acknowledge the privileges of citizenship and legal residency

Listens openly, yet does not interrogate the student on their immigration status

Do not “out” them to others, without the student’s permission

ALLY CONSCIOUSNESSALLY CONSCIOUSNESS

Do not encourage students to act on matters that may compromise them when they have the opportunity to adjust their status

Handle student’s emotions with reserve, empathy, and support

Creates a climate of trust that allows the student to reveal their situation at their own pace

Makes referrals and follows up to assess the effectiveness of the referral

Is clear about his or her own personal motivation in becoming an Ally

Is committed to maintaining confidentiality and respecting the privacy of people who are undocumented

Thank youThank you

“Equality among students is the first step to achieve equality in the world” -- “anonymous” student

Santiago BernalSantiago BernalAssistant Director Assistant Director

UCLA Center for Community PartnershipsUCLA Center for Community Partnershipssbernal@college.ucla.edusbernal@college.ucla.edu

Angela Chuan-Ru ChenAngela Chuan-Ru ChenDoctoral Candidate, UCLA Dept. of EducationDoctoral Candidate, UCLA Dept. of Education

achen@college.ucla.eduachen@college.ucla.edu

Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources

Link to Journal: www.nacacnet.orgThe special winter issue of the Journal of College Admission featuring

undocumented.

Link to Short Documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI7J2b3t4WUThe story of Stephanie, a DREAM Act Student