Imagine growing up here, knowing no country but the United States, going to elementary school, junior high, high school—but never belonging. Knowing you’ll never be able to drive, never be able to work and always fearing deportation to a country you don’t remember.
This is the situation of many Assembly Bill 540 students and members of the Dream Team Latinos club.
AB 540 allows undocumented and under-documented immigrant students who have met certain conditions-completing at least three years of high school in California, receiving their diploma or equivalent in California and agreeing to apply for legal residency as soon as possible-to attend UCs, CSUs or California Community Colleges at in-state tuition rates, according to the California Student Aid Commission’s Web site.
However, AB 540 students are not eligible for Cal Grants or FAFSA financial aid, according to The College & Financial Aid Guide for AB 540 Undocumented Immigrant Students, making it hard for these students to afford college.
“It’s so difficult for AB 540 students on an everyday basis.” says Learning Resource Division Dean Rhonda Rios-Kravitz, who advocates for AB 540 students “What we try to do is really talk about what those barriers are for AB 540 students so people will begin to understand.”
The club seeks “to assist, support and advocate for AB-540 Students in Sacramento City College, in the community, and beyond,” according to its mission statement.
“We’re all like family,” treasurer Dalila Pérez says with a smile to a new member at their meeting Oct. 27.
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Recently the club has been fundraising—mostly selling food on campus. The group plans to use the funds to provide scholarships to AB 540 students and create a textbook library for members, according to Pérez.
The club supports the federal Dream Act, which, if passed, would give undocumented students a chance for immediate temporary and eventually permanent residency if they meet certain requirements, according to club adviser and counselor Mauricio Gonzalez.
Dream Team Latinos Club also does outreach events at local high schools, encouraging undocumented students to pursue a college education, even though they won’t be able to work after graduation since they don’t have proper documentation.
“It’s just to give them information and kind of show them there is support for them—if they do go to college,” Pérez says. “Because many of them are just like, ‘No, I’m undocumented. I wouldn’t make it,’ even though they want to study, even though they do want to pursue a career.”
“These students, they need advocates,” says Gonzalez. He encourages students of any documentation to join the group.
The club meets every Tuesday in Rodda Hall South 174 at noon.
