United States Student Association Supports Undocumented Peers

Last week, the country's oldest and largest student-led organization, the United States Student Association (USSA), passed a resolution in support of Representative Luis Gutierrez's (D-IL) comprehensive immigration reform bill, CIR ASAP.

In the debate over the rights of undocumented students, people too often overlook the the importance of fellow students' perspective. These are the youth who grew up side by side with undocumented students, before they ever understood what it meant to be "undocumented." These students were their equals, their teammates, their study buddies, and their friends. This equal relationship lasts usually until senior year in high school, when the undocumented students are forced to watch their peers happily start new chapters in their lives, while they are left behind.

Left behind, but not forgotten. The USSA's Board of Directors is composed entirely of college students from across the country, and the organization has an active presence on over 400 college campuses. And this broad coalition of students chose to make the DREAM Act, along with Student Aid Reform, one of its key legislative priorities for 2009 and 2010. It's recent decision to support CIR ASAP stems in large part from the fact that the legislation includes a DREAM Act provision to address the plight of undocumented youth brought to the U.S. at a young age.

The student voice -- whether that of an undocumented student, citizen student, LGBT student, student of color, minority student, or veteran student -- is awakening in America. In the words of Mary McLeod Bethune, a civil rights leader, "We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends."

Each year, at USSA's annual Grassroots Legislative Congress, or LegCon, students are empowered to live up to this message, take lobbying into their own hands, and make their voice heard on the Hill. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) spoke at LegCon 2009 regarding the DREAM Act and stated that, "We need justice for the young people in this country who want to give back to America."

In these times when we're constantly reminded of American students falling further behind in education levels in comparison to other countries, it is vital for students join the fight to increase education accessibility and affordability -- and, when it comes to undocumented students, to simply be allowed the chance to pursue higher education in the first place. The students of USSA agree, and they are building a powerful youth movement calling for true change, fighting for the deferred dreams of their peers.

Photo credit: takomabibelot