By Priscella Vega (priscella.vega@langnews.com), LB Press Telegram ~ July 7, 2015
L.B. Press telegram ~ july 7, 2015, http://www.presstelegram.com/social-affairs/20150707/cal-state-long-beach-professor-plans-special-session-course-for-25-dreamers-throughout-los-angeles-area
A Cal State Long Beach Chicano and Latino Studies professor is organizing a special session class for 25 undocumented college students throughout the Los Angeles area this winter.
Professor Armando Vazquez-Ramos successfully took two college students to Mexico in 2014 under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program created by President Obama in 2012 that allows students who were brought into the United States illegally before they were 16 to stay. These students refer to themselves as Dreamers.
CSULB was the first in the California State University system to attempt a program with Dreamers.
This spring Vazquez-Ramos took 15 students, 14 who were undocumented, to Mexico for his California Mexican Policy class. He said he is now organizing a month-long special session course this winter for college Dreamers throughout the Los Angeles area. He said his goal is to create a format that other institutions can follow.
“We’re going to do an instructional and useful documentary that will reflect how it’s done, because si se puede,” he said, referring to the phrase “yes we can.” “I’m hoping participants will be able to take their experience back to their university or community college to implement similar programs.”
The special session class will be worth one unit in an effort to keep tuition affordable, he said. It will take place from Dec. 22 to Jan. 22. He has already received financial support for the program, but students will also need to raise money.
He said he purposely intended for the special session to last one month in order to allow students to spend time with their families during the Christmas and News Year’s Day holidays.
“You’re in this high of connecting with your family and then what? You’re disconnected again because we only have a program of 10 days.
The letdown is that it’s not enough.”
On their recent trip, Vazquez-Ramos invited two students to document the experience. CSULB alumna Lidieth Arevalo and current CSULB student Carlos Mendez created a documentary on their recent trip, showing the emotional struggle students faced.
Arevalo, who is Salvadorian, was detained at the border because she did not have a Visa. Another student had his passport torn up by border officials. Arevalo said she saw students break down, afraid of being stuck in Mexico. Students grappled with the reality of being only temporarily protected under Obama’s executive action.
Both Arevalo and Mendez will help Vazquez-Ramos create the foundation for the class this winter. Vazquez-Ramos said their preparation will begin as soon as next week. While he prefers the entire group of students to be Dreamers, he cannot stop anyone from enrolling into the class. “Other students will go through interviewing and essay procedures for admission,” he said.
Students interested in the special session course can email Armando Vazquez-Ramos at Armando.Vazquez-Ramos@csulb.edu.
Also published by:
1. Cal State Long Beach professor plans special...
2. Rough&Tumble California Policy and Politics
3. Long Beach news - NewsLocker
You can fill out the application form to register for the Winter 2015 program here: http://california-mexicocenter.org/?p=546
