JIFM And Others Target Dream Act for CIR
I received an update from Ivonne Moreira, Executive Director of Jovenes Inmigrantes Por Un Futuro Mejor (JIFM). The update made mention of a newer strategy that they will employ in which they plan to promote the Dream Act as part of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, as opposed to a stand alone bill.
Ivonne, who is employed as a student advisor, says she has been very active in speaking with high school students about the potential benefit of the Dream Act. Many times, she says she was asked by the students, “what about my parents.” Sadly, she has had to respond that there is nothing in the Dream Act for most of their parents.
For this, and other reasons, she is now of the opinion that “the DREAM Act must be attached to a comprehensive immigration reform bill.”
Some people have commented that the DREAM Act places the interest of potentially middle class immigrants against those of the working class, by assuming that college-bound students are more valuable or worthy than other youth. I also raised my own concerns that a stand alone DREAM Act will give politicians the opportunity to do reform halfway and to stop there.
“Personally, I would not like to see the DREAM Act pass as a stand alone bill,” she commented.
I asked her about the military provision of the act, which groups like the Association of Raza Educators say would create a “de facto draft” for an imperialist force, since the military is the only alternative to higher education under the current proposal. Community service and a work requirement is not currently an option, but should be.
To my happy surprise, Ivonne said that she was not extremely familiar with the military provision of the proposal. Why? She has not had much use for the information. Out of the hundreds of students that she has spoken to, not one has asked about the military provision. All of them are interested in going to school. (Unfortunately, if this military provision remains as the only alternative, the on-campus recruiters will make sure that everyone of the students know about it).
So, if the DREAM Act is going to be “pushed” as part of CIR, will JIFM stop promoting the DREAM Act altogether? No.
Ivonne says that the DREAM Act should be promoted as a way to catch the attention of the students. When talking details, however, they will frame the act as part of a broader reform measure that will incorporate everybody, not just the college or military bound.
They will be sponsoring a symposium on September 12, 2009 at UH Downtown. I support their efforts to include more and more people in their proposals, and I hope that the broader political body will consider pushing for a community service and work alternative! With youth working on the demiliatarization, it may now be politically possible to remove the military provision completely.
Ideally, we would all push for no requirements. I don’t like the word amnesty, because it implies that our people have done something wrong, but I do like the policy tenets of amnesty. I still don’t understand why this is such a bad word, when the father of modern conservatism, Ronald Reagan, approved total amnesty a couple of decades ago. Now Dems control everything, and supporting amnesty is a supposed kiss of death. If we, the people, don’t push for it nobody will.
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The military option is not the ONLY option as you so put it, it’s ONE option. Through DREAM a student can adjust his/her status through 2 years of military service OR TWO YEARS COMPLETION OF COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY thus military is not the only option and clearly shows your intention to misinform people. Students have two options, as compared to none which is better in so many levels. Having no requirements really lowers the standard, merit and the purpose of the DREAM Act. If passed it’s up to the people, Ex-DREAMies, educators and so forth to inform the students of the opportunities. Just like you mention military personnel will jump at the opportunity to recruit for their own agenda, so can the community and educators jump and inform students that military service is just an option. Lets stop placing blame take step backwards with this great proposal; lets help push it to pass as it stands and continue to educate our youth that the doors are open out there, we’re our own worst enemies when we leave to the education system to open the eyes of our youth, its our youth so its our responsibility. The DREAM Act is good as it is and it is up to us to make it work to our advantage.
I think that my phrasing is pretty clear: “since the military is the only alternative to higher education under the current proposal.” I don’t see anywhere that my piece says that the military is the only option. It says it is the only alternative. I could be wrong, but I couldn’t see anything that said it was the only option.
Regardless: 2 Years Military OR 2 Years of College is quite the jump from today and nothing to complain about. The complaint should be with the educators (teachers/councilors) , parents and leaders within our community to inform our youth of the alternatives. The military does well to promote and recruit for their purposes, if we so disagree with such alternative when DREAM passes, its our job to inform the youth that that is all it is, just an alternative to college. Pass the DREAM Act as it stands today.
I have always been in admiration of the ganas that the DREAM Act students have had, even if I have had concerns and questions. DREAMERS have worked very hard for what they believe is just, and I think we can all learn a big lesson from that. I have. I regret that you think I would intentionally mislead Raza. Pretty big swipe against my character, carlos.
It is our responsibility to promote education vs. the military option. I hardly ever speak about the military option…in one occacsion, I fowarded a friend to google DREAM ACT, and the military provision was a fit for her. She wan’t to serve…
Thanks for your thoughts…
Thank you for YOURS, DR
PS. I respect how hard you and others have worked DR.