Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Trashing Dreams at IVC

IVC's A-quad this morning. 
What to say about today's news of Trump's decision to rescind DACA, the program designed to assist those brought here as undocumented children on a path to citizenship? Estimates are 800,000 young people qualify under this program with it strict requirements regarding education, employment and criminal records (absence of).  If you work at a community college in California, it is safe to say that you know - whether you know it or not - many students who are dreamers (and perhaps a few who were too anxious and wary to even apply, fearing perhaps what has just happened).  

So this morning, after listening to Jeff Sessions announce this latest policy change (Trump himself was, of course, too cowardly to stand there and throw the kids under the bus himself. No he could pay someone else to do his dirty work and stand in the school house door...), Rebel Girl was inspired to do what she has done before: drape a message on the inexplicable sculpture in the A-quad.  Nothing too incendiary, just positive messages of WELCOME DREAMERS, KEEP DREAMS ALIVE, AMERICA IS FOR DREAMERS, etc. in red, white and blue. Indeed, if you didn't know what was going on, you might mistake her modest protest as a birthday wish or a random act of kindness. But if you were a dreamer, coming to campus after hearing the news, you might see this and feel, well, welcome.  

The simple white paper ribbon lasted a couple of hours. Indeed, just about the time Rebel Girl was talking to a longtime IVC student, a dreamer, giving her information from the ILRC , someone was tearing the ribbon down and tossing it in a nearby trash can. In her twenty-five years at the college, Rebel Girl has seen hair balls in the corners of classrooms or posters touting bygone speech tournaments last longer than that hand-lettered ribbon. She can't imagine a student doling such a thing. Rumor has it was the work of someone who likes a tidy campus. Tidy. 

Trashed.
One could linger there but Rebel Girl would rather travel cross town to UC Irvine where Chancellor Howard Gillman released this statement today about the same time she was dressing up the A-quad. Gillman, you may remember, was IVC'scommencement speaker last May. Here's what he had to say in a message titled "In Support of Undocumented Members of Our Campus Community" -

Sept. 5, 2017
To the Anteater community:
This morning, President Trump’s administration announced its plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, impacting the lives of an estimated 800,000 “Dreamers” across the United States. The UCI community includes hundreds of Dreamers who significantly contribute to our campus and to Orange County’s vibrant cultural fabric.
I am profoundly disappointed in this administration’s action and want to reassure the entire UCI community that we will continue to stand by all of our students, regardless of background, to help them attain their higher education goals. I also reaffirm University of California President Janet Napolitano’s statement and call to action for Congress to pass a permanent solution for Dreamers.
UCI is home to a diverse group of individuals who share the common belief that education has the power to improve and transform lives and who are committed to making the world a better place. All members of the Anteater family – including faculty, staff and students – have a right to engage in their activities at UCI without fear or intimidation, and we will do all that we can to protect and uphold this conviction. We also will continue to follow the University of California Statement of Principles in Support of Undocumented Members of the UC Community. President Napolitano’s advisory committee on undocumented students is currently working to determine how to best support and protect UC students who rely on DACA. In the meantime, UC will continue to allow California residents who are Dreamers to pay in-state tuition; maintain the DREAM loan program for financial aid; offer legal services to our undocumented students; support campus-based student service centers; and direct campus police not to contact, detain, question or arrest individuals based on suspected undocumented status.
As we navigate through this uncertain time, UCI will strive to maintain an environment in which all are included and given a chance to succeed. We remain steadfast in our commitment to support our students in any way possible.
If you have questions or concerns for yourself or a loved one affected by DACA, please contact the UCI Dreamers office, which provides financial aid guidance, legal services, academic consultations and other vital resources.
Chancellor Howard Gillman

Gillman at IVC's commencement
That's true public education leadership - responsive and direct, proud and fearless, advocating in no uncertain terms on behalf of students.

Let's find ways to take action to support and protect those students and others who need us at this time.  The need is real. By this afternoon, all the English language copies of the ILRC's flyer Rebel Girl had left for distribution were gone and the Spanish and Chinese ones were depleted.

As that IVC student told Reb when she relayed all of what UCI was doing for its dreamers: "That's what makes UCI so great."

Indeed.

Dreaming.
California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley’s  Statement on the Trump Administration’s Action to End DACA for Dreamers :  "Ending DACA is a heartless and senseless decision that goes against American ideals and basic human decency. Those who are affected by this decision were brought to this country as children and are pursuing an education and making contributions to their communities. Some have served in the armed forces defending this country. In California, we don’t put dreams -- or Dreamers -- on hold. The California Community Colleges remain committed to serving all students, regardless of immigration status, and to providing safe and welcoming environments in which to learn. We will do all within our power to assist students affected by this decision, and we will advocate tirelessly in Congress for a permanent resolution to this issue.”

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...