Students had the opportunity Friday evening to sit down in the Student Center with documentary filmmaker Anayansi Prado for an intimate conversation with her before the screening of her fourth documentary, “The Unafraid,” as part of the final events of City College’s Undocumented Week of Action. Faculty members and City College students, as well as McClatchy High students, all gathered to share information, stories and support.
“The goal this week was to educate folks about the experience of undocumented students and communities,” said Belinda Lum, sociology professor before the screening. “This is a group that is often invisible, so [this week was] to bring attention to, in very real ways, that their status impacts their daily life. Despite the fact that they work everywhere, they’re our students, they’re our neighbors, so it’s just really trying to highlight that community.”
City College participated for the second year in the initiative started by the state chancellor’s office in 2018 throughout community colleges statewide as an effort to support undocumented students. The events were organized by Alianza, Los Rios College Federation of Teachers, Los Rios Community College District, and Association of Rasa Educators, organizations that provide assistance for undocumented students. They were able to raise around $10,000 for scholarships and application fees with the help of sponsors for undocumented students during this week’s events.
City College regularly provides resources for undocumented students available in the undocumented student resource office located in the Student Center, offering services such as monthly free legal consultations, as well as financial aid and Dream Act application workshops.
Rhonda Rios Kravitz, CEO of Alianza, is one ally who provides unwavering support for undocumented students.
“We need to stand and speak about who our undocumented community members are. What they bring to this country. Why they came to this country,” said Rios. “We are a nation of immigrants, period. Unless you are native or indigenous. Everyone is an immigrant.”
After thanking sponsors for their contributions and chatting with co-producer and co-director Anayansi Prado, the film ‘The Unafraid’ was shown.
“The film follows the lives of three DACA students, three activists, and you really get to see the impact that these laws in Georgia—basically to keep them out of universities and colleges and having access to higher education— you see how those laws impact their quality of life, and how it impacts their families,” said Prado. “And how it breaks hearts, and it breaks hopes and dreams.”
Prado explained that in Georgia undocumented students are banned from applying to top universities such as the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. They are also required to pay international fees, even if they’ve been in the Georgia school system their entire lives, which is about three to four times the in-state tuition, about $350 per unit.
Prado’s other films revolve around similar issues, discussing undocumented workers and children crossing the border.
“This film is different in that these kids are very much American,” said Prado. “They are Americans who happen to be undocumented. They grew up here, a lot of them even speak English better than they speak their home language. They consider themselves Americans. This is a story about young American people who happen to be undocumented. So it’s not even like an immigrant story, it’s an American story.”
