Undocumented students at Stanislaus State share stories of struggles, ask for support
A crowd of 30 people shouted "¡Sí, se puede!" through the quad Wednesday morning. The area was decorated in butterflies, poems and signs. On them were calls for action and support of undocumented students both at Stanislaus State and throughout the country.
Ana Perez, a student who helped organize and spoke at the event, said the event was to help promote the Undocumented Student Services program and acknowledge this demographic on campus.
"The event came into fruition from the desire of undocumented students and mixed-status families to raise awareness about these struggles and to challenge educators to help remove those obstacles that pose hurdles along our path to graduation," Perez said.
The event had poetry from undocumented students, art pieces, and a wall for students to write their dreams.
Perez said many of her peers question whether to attend college to obtain a degree if afterwards they won't be able to find a job due to their legal status. She also added that undocumented students often lack access to graduate school loans, post-graduate opportunities and paid fellowships and hopes more higher education institutions will work to improve these aspects.
She hopes local high school counselors will work and implement Stanislaus State's "Undocu-Ally" training for those who may not understand or know the experiences undocumented students face in higher education.
"It should be a priority for high school counselors to be fully equipped — mentally, physically and emotionally — to be supportive and active allies for individuals who have just disclosed their status while trying to pursue higher education," she said.
At the university, there are an estimated 200 students officially identified as undocumented, however, Guillermo Metelin Bock — the Undocumented Student Services' program coordinator — believes there might be more who won't announce their status due to fear of being detained or deported.
"For example, there's some students that don't apply for any financial aid through the California Dream Act and if the student doesn't apply, then there's no real data points where we can identify whether the student is AB540," Bock said.
California Nonresident Tuition Exemption , also known as AB540, exempts certain students from paying nonresident tuition, which is typically higher than resident tuition, and allows them to apply and receive state aid at certain California public and private colleges. One way a student can obtain this status and apply is if they attended California public schools through elementary, middle and high school.
The Undocumented Student Services program hosts career programming, financial aid workshops, and brings in guest speakers.
Bock said the group also connects students with free referrals for immigration and legal consultants. They have a partnership with Immigrant Legal Defense, a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, that offers services to students, students' family members and alumni up to two years after graduation.
The program is also looking for donations for its emergency fund which can go assist students struggling with emergencies like medical bills or if they need to renew their DACA documentation.
Bock added that Undocumented Student Services is also working to establish an easier pathway with local schools and community colleges. This spring they plan on hosting workshops about how to apply to the California State University systems and financial aid with admissions counselors guiding students and families through the process.
He aims to have bilingual staff to answer all questions families might have.
"We have a lot of immigration and legislation presentations, especially now with the uncertainty that lies ahead and the political uncertainty," Bock said.
