How You Too Can Help DREAMers, DREAM

As someone who has spent an entire career working on behalf of underrepresented students, naturally, I was thrilled to see that the U.S. Department of Education had issued a publication entitled, “Resource Guide: Supporting Undocumented Youth” A Guide for Success in Secondary and Post-Secondary Settings. A link to this guide can be found here. http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/supporting-undocumented-youth.pdf.  Let me start by saying, this guide was a long-time in coming.

Given that the DREAM Act at the Federal level has yet to pass, educational institutions across the U.S. have been left to their own recognizance in developing policies in support of this population who are also known as DREAMers. Sometimes, depending on legislation in the state in which you live, the policies actually serve to work against access and completion. As you can imagine, this can translate into a lot of confusion and misinformation among students and educational institutions alike. I don’t know about you, but I often found myself scouring the internet in search of current information in an effort to appropriately serve and direct students.  It is sure nice to know there is a guide that pulls all of this critical information together in one place. As I read, I also couldn’t help but think how the guide will not only serve to inform, but also strengthen the Latino/a educational pipeline. Let me explain.

Although this document is intended to benefit multiple ethnic groups, the fact that approximately three quarters, (76%) of all undocumented people residing in the U.S. today are from Latin-America (Pew Hispanic Center, 2011), means that this resource guide has broader implications for the Latino/a community as well. This is particularly true when it comes to community colleges where, incidentally, I happen to work. Among Latino/as who enroll in college, forty-six percent (46%) attend a public two-year institution (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2013). It then should come to no surprise that community colleges who serve as gateway institutions to higher education for Latinos would simultaneously serve the same purpose for the undocumented.  And it’s with good reason. Community Colleges with its mission of open access, affordability, proximity to home, diverse program offerings, ESL/GED courses and expanded support services, it’s no wonder why they are the 1^st choice for nearly half of all Latino students, some of whom may also be undocumented. 

That said, it still is important that all schools and not just community colleges help undocumented students to “DREAM” by reflecting on existing institutional practices that may impede educational access and completion of DREAMers. After all, making a true impact does require looking at the gaps within the entire educational pipeline and correcting them. This guide is a wonderful resource in helping educators do just that. Nonetheless, if sifting through 63 pages of information and various links seems a bit daunting; and you are in K-12, you may want to simply direct your attention to the section on Tips for Secondary School Educators, Counselors, and Other Personnel beginning on page 9. These tips provide practical ways for schools to develop an inclusive welcoming environment for undocumented youth. Higher education folks can find relevant tips for your industry starting on page 17. 

After reading the entire guide, the recommendations I felt may provide the greatest results in serving undocumented students were in making your intentions visible. I mean, most educators have a big heart and want to help. We wouldn’t be in this business if we didn’t. But unless you make it obvious, DREAMers will not know who or what places are undocumented friendly. By publicly advertising that your institution supports DREAMers through the use of logos and website postings with information about support services and resources, the higher the probability you will not only attract students to your organization, but retain them as well. 

At my institution, we use the logo on the left to alert students that the office they are about to enter is undocumented student friendly. This image is widely used among colleges and universities across the U.S.  Visible imagery is definitely a good start. However, it is only the half of it. If institutions do not have staff who have been trained to sensitively work on behalf of the unique needs of undocumented students, then all the great messaging in the world becomes moot.  It is vital that schools make undocumented student staff training an institutional priority before communicating publically that they are DREAMer friendly.  Once these trainings come to fruition, indirectly, you create safe spaces for undocumented students to feel welcomed and valued. Students who feel they belong, ultimately persist. When this occurs, we as educators receive the greatest reward, empowered students that, with our continued support, will achieve the “DREAM” of a college education. After all, isn’t that the goal? 

Authored by: Michelle Roman-Garcia, Multicultural Student Affairs Director-Joliet Junior College & NASPA Community Colleges Division, Latino Task Force Member