Dream Centers: Paving the Road to Success

A campaign by the California Dream Network and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

Problem

Each year there are 65,000 undocumented immigrant students that graduate from high schools in the United States. California has passed multiple laws that provide educational opportunities for undocumented immigrant students which include in-state tuition and college financial aid for immigrant youth who meet a certain criteria when they graduate from a California high school. What good are these laws though, if administrators and support staff in our educational systems are not trained on how to help immigrant students?  The truth is that many are unaware that these laws even exist. Without proper guidance and information, immigrant students’ educational futures have remained in limbo.   

Due to the gaps that exist in services for immigrant students, many of them fall through the cracks and do not pursue a higher education simply because they were not shown the way. Even though AB 540 students are paying the same amount of tuition as their U.S. citizen peers, they are receiving unequal amount of resources and services (or none at all). 

Solution

To level the playing field, Assemblywoman Patty Lopez (D-San Fernando) has authored Assembly Bill 1366, a bill which encourages that California Colleges and Universities establish Dream Resource Centers. Dream Centers serve as safe, inclusive spaces, where students can support each other academically and emotionally, regardless of immigration status. AB 1366 is currently in the State Senate and we are confident that it will soon get to the hands of Governor Jerry Brown. AB 1366 requires that all California Community Colleges and California State Universities, and request the University of California to assign an immigrant student liaison that is knowledgeable about issues facing AB 540/undocumented students. In addition to providing resources to students, the AB 540 liaison could provide financial, academic, and career counseling.

Take a minute to sign the petition and make a difference! By signing this petition, you will let our Governor of California know that this bill is a priority for our community. With its passage, you can ensure that all students have equal access and opportunities in education in our Great State of California.

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Bill Sponsor: California Dream Network (CDN)*

Bill Co-Sponsor: Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

Supporters:

ALIANZA, Berkeley City College, California Immigrant Policy Center, California Faculty Association, California LULAC, California Student Aid Commission, Central American Resource Center, Los Angeles (CARECEN), DEPIE at Cal Poly Pomona, DREAMS at UC Irvine, Sacramento City College Dreamers, Dreams to be Heard at CSU Northridge, Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC), Espiritu De Nuestro Futuro at CSU Dominguez Hills, Fullerton Dream Team at Fullerton College, IDEAS at UCLA, IDEAS at San Francisco State, IDEAS at Southwestern College, Keeping Dreams Alive at CSU Channel Islands, LEAD at Sacramento State, National Association of Social Workers, Peralta Community College District, RISE at UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University Undocumented/AB 540 Equity Task Force, Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN), SPEAK at UC Davis, Voices at Glendale Community College

Opposition: None on file

*The CDN (founded in 2003) is a statewide network of over 30 AB-540/undocumented immigrant student organizations in colleges and universities across California. The CDN is an immigrant rights advocate and the college youth branch of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (for more information, visit www.chirla.org).