Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

On Wednesday, February 28th, campuses belonging to the California DREAM Network launched the DREAM Act Campaign throughout the state of California.

Over a dozen campuses organized events ranging from educational teach-in activities to rallies and marches. The actions were coordinated in anticipation of the announcement within Congress of the re-introduction of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act which would legalize millions of immigrant youth in the U.S. who, because of their undocumented status, have a harder time accessing higher education and pursuing their career dreams.

The actions also served as an official launch of the California DREAM Network, which is made up of students at more than 20 colleges and universities across the state.

Over a dozen groups organized the following events:

 CSU Los Angeles: organized an educational campaign by placing cardboard cut-outs of graduating students to highlight the urgency of the DREAM Act. This effort educated over 180 students.

 CSU Dominguez Hills: organized a symbolic “cemetery of DREAMs” that educated over 30 students on the importance of keeping their dreams alive through the DREAM Act.

 San Jose State: held a press conference and march on campus to highlight the need for the DREAM Act. These events included a representative of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (Chair of the Immigration Sub-Committee in the House of Representatives) and approximately 150 students and faculty.

 Cal Poly Pomona and Mt. Sac Community College: organized a march and vigil to commemorate the dreams of undocumented students which engaged over 50 students and faculty.

 Glendale Community College: demonstrated on campus with DREAM Act campaign solidarity shirts that read “Education for a better nation”, “Justice & Equality for All”, and “Support the DREAM Act.”

 UC Davis: organized a rally and urged the student body to pressure key congressional targets to support the DREAM Act. The event included over 100 high school and college students, faculty, and community members.

 UC Berkeley: held a press conference on school grounds to educate both the media and the student body on the urgent need for the DREAM Act. Over 40 students participated and the event received attention from many media outlets

 UCLA: held a rally on campus to educate UCLA students on the DREAM Act campaign and to urge them to call key congressional targets. The event had over 80 student participants.

 UC Santa Barbara: focused on building allies within the area of Santa Barbara including an alliance with student groups at Santa Barbara Community College and Hermandad Mexicana.

 Greater Los Angeles: Here in Los Angeles, CHIRLA’s youth group Wise UP!, along with allies NAKASEC and the Korean Resource Center’s youth group ORANGE, organized a press conference to close Wednesday’s actions and to highlight statewide student support for the passage of the DREAM Act legislation. The event included over 30 students and a representative of Congressman Howard Berman, author of the DREAM Act legislation.

Other campus groups, including UC Santa Cruz and UC San Diego, are still preparing to launch the DREAM Act campaign and the California DREAM Network on their own campus.

If you would like to get involved or to take action, please click here.

Together we will create change!!!

For more information on the CA DREAM Network contact Maria Rodriguez @ (213) 201-4450 or at mrodriguez@chirla.