BYLINE: YESENIA POLANCO Columnist

SECTION: NUESTRO PUEBLO; Pg. C4

LENGTH: 1077 words

When I previously wrote about the DREAM Act I said it would open doors to higher education for the 60,000 undocumented students who graduate from high school each year in the United States.

Today I revisit this issue to share that, although the legislation probably will not succeed this year, North Carolina saw more community involvement, advocacy and organizing on behalf of undocumented students in 2004 than ever. Plans for 2005 are already under way.

The DREAM Act was introduced in Congress in 2002. It was revised and reintroduced in 2003. This year, the DREAM Act was reintroduced as part of a Department of Justice Authorization Bill, as bill S. 2863. This was done after a month of grassroots activities around the nation, including in North Carolina, which included fasts, vigils and petitions.

UNC’s CHispA, the Carolina Hispanic Association, participated by collecting more than 1,000 petitions during its Hispanic Heritage Week. The organization has created a “DREAM Team” to focus on advocacy and collaboration around the DREAM Act in 2005. This is just one example of organizing efforts around the triangle alone. Other advocates across the state became excited about the possibility, networking was at high speed, and visions were becoming plans.

Unfortunately, the DREAM Act was not at the top of Congress’ priority list this October. But, now that the leadership of our country has been decided, it is time join forces and get the DREAM Act passed in 2005. Rida Perez-Salazar, a youth organizer at El Centro Hispano, says that El Centro Hispano has already begun making plans for 2005.

“I am passionate about this issue, and I do not want to see it die,” says Rida. “Undocumented youth in our community feel invisible … but they have to know that maybe next year the reality will be different.”

Rida has been organizing youth at Southern and Northern high schools and plans on working with Hillside, Jordan and Riverside students in 2005. He says that dialogue at all of the schools always returns to one issue: students wanting to advance to higher levels of education.

“I feel passionate because the youth feel passionate,” he says.

El Pueblo, Student Action for Farmworkers, El Centro Hispano, the N.C. Justice Center and CHispA are just a few organizations working to increase opportunities for undocumented students. Now is the time for other organizations and institutions to join in a larger campaign covering all of North Carolina. Let’s begin by making sure that our representatives, such as Gov. Mike Easley, Sen. Richard Burr and Sen. Elizabeth Dole know that the DREAM Act — and our undocumented youth — are still fresh on our agenda.

Please feel free to contact me personally if you would like to know how you can become a part of the struggle to make the DREAM a reality.

Yesenia Polanco is from El Salvador and a senior at UNC. Please write to her at ypolanco@email.unc.edu or in c/o The Herald-Sun, P.O. Box 2092, Durham, NC 27702.

Popularity: 2% [?]