Faculty, graduate students and community leaders came together to discuss the DREAM Act and the impact of immigration policy on higher education Thursday at an event sponsored by the School of Transborder Studies.
The event had more than 150 people in attendance.
The DREAM Act seeks to allow students who are illegal immigrants to obtain temporary legal status and pursue a degree if the student entered the U.S. before 16 years of age and has lived in the country for at least five years. Congress has discussed the proposal since 2001.
Graduate student German Cadenas said the event was organized to bring DREAM Act supporters together to discuss the challenges and accomplishments of “DREAMers,” degree-seeking students who are illegal immigrants.
“It's great to see people coming together,” Cadenas said. “That is so important not only for the University, but for the entire state.”
Senior Vice President of Educational Outreach and Student Services James Rund told the crowd that ASU has been committed to serving all people in the state of Arizona.
“During President Crow's tenure we have been aggressively making sure that we're providing (education) access to the full demographic of the population of the state of Arizona,” Rund said.
He said putting time and resources behind all demographics in higher education has had its challenges in Arizona.
ASU alumna Angelica Hernandez shared her immigration experience at the event. Hernandez, her sister and her mother emigrated from Mexico to the U.S. when she was 9 years old in an attempt to be reunited with her father.
She said she remembered crossing the border into the U.S.
“I still remember walking those long miles,” Hernandez said. “I remember having to sleep in the desert with my mother holding my sister and I in each arm.”
She said she focused her efforts on achieving an education.
“(My sister and I) always knew education was a core value in our family,” Hernandez said. “I've always tried my best in school. Even though I was coming from Mexico and learning a new language, I was still able to succeed.”
Hernandez was the salutatorian of the 2007 Carl Hayden High School graduating class.
Following her graduation, Hernandez had to face challenges after the passage of Proposition 300.
Passed in November 2006 and implemented in 2007, Proposition 300 denies merit-based scholarships, state funding and in-state tuition rates to students who cannot prove their American citizenship.
Hernandez said she was confused and shocked when the proposition passed overwhelmingly.
She said she was ultimately able to secure funding to attend ASU. Hernandez graduated in 2011 as valedictorian.
“I’m standing here with a degree I obtained with the mechanical engineering program and can't put it to practice,” Hernandez said. “I can't because of my (immigration) status.”
She said she was excited to see further discussion regarding opportunities for students who are illegal immigrants in higher education.
“I'm really excited to get that conversation going,” Hernandez said. “There's a lot of students coming out of high school that don't have the same opportunity that I had. We need to help those students.”
Reach the reporter at dgrobmei@asu.edu
Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified Angelica Hernandez's affiliation with ASU.
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