Thursday Dec. 04. 2014 by Daily Titan

The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton

DAILY

TITAN

Thursday December 4, 2014

Volume 96 Issue 49

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NEWS DREAM Act could bring in billions

PAGE 2 DECEMBER 4, 2014 THURSDAY

The DREAM Act is projected to increase revenue by more than $2 billion by 2020

ROSELYNNE REYES Daily Titan With so much discussion about immigration and the DREAM Act, a larger, economic picture can get lost in the constant flow of information. The Pew Research Center found that this year, immigration ranked 16th out of 20 policies in terms of how many people said it should be a top priority for the president and Congress. Of respondents, 41 percent considered the topic a top priority, up 2 percent from last year, compared to the 80 percent who consider strengthening the nation’s economy as the top concern. The Legislative Analyst’s Office found in a 2011 study that by 2016-2017, expanding financial aid program eligibility will cost the state roughly $65 million. The first year, depending on participation, is expected to cost the state $13

million, with an additional $50 million in costs expected by 2016-2017. With the passage of the California DREAM Act in 2011, and its subsequent application in 2012, millions across the country were provided greater access to education. Despite criticism for high initial costs, numerous studies have shown that this legislation will benefit the economy, both directly and indirectly. Many critics have attributed the high number of people living in the United States while undocumented and that opportunities like this will only increase the immigration problem. Undocumented residents accounted for 5.1 percent of the labor force nationwide in 2012. In California, they accounted for 9 percent of the state’s labor force. A study by the Joint Committee on Taxation within the Congressional Budget Office found that the DREAM Act would increase revenue by $2.3 billion between

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5.1 PERCENT OF THE LABOR FORCE NATIONWIDE (2012)

9 PERCENT OF THE STATE’S LABOR FORCE (2012)

11.3 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE IN THE U.S.

2.3 BILLION INCREASE IN REVENUE BETWEEN 2011 - 2020

DAVID MCLAREN / DAILY TITAN

The revenue brought in as a result of the DREAM Act policies would increase tax revenue by $2.3 billion, according to a study by the Joint Committee on Taxation within the Congressional Budget Office.

2011-2020. Pew Research’s Hispanic Trend Project found that the

number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States fell in 2007 when

the recession began, but has since stabilized with 11.3 million residents in 2013. Of that

amount, 61 percent have lived in the country for at least a decade.

Demystifying the DREAM Some students miss out on available resources due to lack of clear information

ALEX GROVES & CYNTHIA PLEITEZ Daily Titan With so much at stake, navigating a complex legal system is a major challenge to undocumented students– and a slew of myths and misconceptions only further complicate the process. Among these laws is Assembly Bill 540, a law passed by the California Legislature in 2001, that changed higher education in California by lowering tuition costs for certain groups of students. The law gives some nonresident and undocumented students the opportunity to pay in-state rates instead of out-of-state rates for college tuition if they meet certain criteria. Students must have attended school at California institutions for three or more years, have earned a diploma or its equivalent from a California high school and must be enrolling or enrolled at an accredited institution of higher learning. They must also sign an affidavit indicating their intent to become legal residents as soon as possible. But there’s a lot more to AB 540 than its basic requirements, said Titan Dreamers Resource Center Coordinator Henoc Preciado. He said the resource center–which opened last spring–has served an estimated 4,205 students, faculty, staff and community members. However, only about 800 of those individuals actually

qualify for AB 540. Preciado said one of his major challenges is disseminating correct information about the law to center visitors. He said many individuals come into his office unfamiliar with how AB 540 works, or whether they are eligible. One of the more common misconceptions, he said, is the interchangeable use of the terms “undocumented,” and “AB 540.” It’s important to remember that not every undocumented student actually qualifies for AB 540 and not every AB 540 students is undocumented, he stressed. Preciado said students also sometimes assume that because they are undocumented and meet minimum requirements, they are automatically eligible for AB 540 without filling out any sort of paperwork, but that is not the case. Mark Hao, a graduate assistant at the center, said many students are misinformed because they were receiving the wrong information from their high school or community college, or that there wasn’t any information disseminated in the first place. “We’ve had students who didn’t even know that there were resources available to them,” Hao said. “Sometimes they just didn’t know, or nobody has talked to them about it.” Hao said an unfortunate difficulty of AB 540 is that it’s extremely restrictive in its requirements and consequently makes it difficult for students to qualify. “We’ve run into a situation where a student was attending two and a half years of high school here in

AB 540 • Passed in 2001 • Allows qualifying non-resident and undocumented students to pay in-state tuition

Changes • AB 130: Allows AB 540 students to apply for non-state scholarships • AB 131: Allows AB 540 students to apply for select state funded scholarships California and because she was fast-tracked for graduation in high school, she’s not able to utilize the AB 540 status,” Hao said. But Preciado remains hopeful for the future of California legislation. He pointed to recently passed changes to AB 540 that will now allow the state to consider time spent in elementary school and middle school for qualification purposes. He said the passage of AB 130 and AB 131–two parts of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act–is another important development that will pave the way for helping undocumented individuals. The changes allow undocumented and non-resident documented students who meet certain requirements to apply for scholarships at colleges and universities. AB 130 is the section of the DREAM Act that allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to apply for non-state funded scholarships for colleges and universities.

AB 131 allows students who meet AB 540 criteria to apply for state-funded financial aid, institutional grants, community college fee waivers, the Cal Grant and the Chafee Grant. Students interested in applying can access The California DREAM Act “Dream Application,” which is available at CSAC.gov. Completion of the application is required for the California Student Aid Commission to process and determine financial aid for AB 540 eligible students. Preciado said he’s happy that AB 540 and its later counterparts have made the educational process for some students easier. However, he said he still sees a system that is problematic, where educational barriers still exist. “When we think about laws and policies, we need to think about the intent; what is the purpose?” Preciado said. “In my ideal world, if students–regardless of immigration status–want to pursue higher education, we should let them.”

Resources make college a reality CSUF and community college students benefit from legislation and executive action

DARRELL KING Daily Titan A combination of California legislation and an executive order from President Barack Obama have made college a more reachable reality for many students. In June 2012, Obama signed an executive order enacting “Deferred Action for Early Childhood Arrivals,” which grants temporary residence to immigrants who came to the United States before the age of 16. Students in California who qualify for DACA can

then go on to apply for the California DREAM Act. “(DACA) has allowed me to be more independent and help my family out,” said Miriam Lopez, a sociology and engineering double major. “I can now purchase my school supplies, clothes and other necessities. I can help out my parents in case they need something.” Lopez receives financial aid through the California DREAM Act, and as a DACA recipient, was able to get a paid internship. The legislation has opened doors for students who previously were forced to defer their college experience. Louis Ramirez was accepted to CSUF in fall 2013, before the California

DREAM Act was enacted. He did not receive financial aid and declined the acceptance. Now, however, he reapplied to CSUF, and if accepted again, he plans on attending. Some scholarships are designated for specific expenses. The CSUF AB 540 Book Scholarship grants $500 to assist with the cost of books for AB 540 students. At the community college level, AB 540 students are eligible for the Board of Governors Fee Waiver, which allows qualified applicants to waive enrollment fees. In addition, individual colleges provide their own funding assistance to qualifying applicants.

At Fullerton College, the Dream Team Scholarship is a $2,500 scholarship offered to both continuing and transfer AB 540 students. The scholarship is offered through the Fullerton College Foundation and was awarded to seven students last semester, said Claudia Stone, Fullerton College Student Services specialist. Stone works in the EOPS office and serves on the selection committee for the scholarship. “We do look at GPA, but a big part of what we look at is what the student has done to be involved with the community,” Stone said. “We also want to see what challenges they’ve faced and successfully overcome.”

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NEWS

PAGE 3 DECEMBER 4, 2014 THURSDAY

Trio of laws aid undocumented students CSUF students share stories of how California laws factor into their daily lives

JAMIE CORPUZ Daily Titan More than a month before Obama’s executive order on immigration accountability was announced, Gov. Jerry Brown signed three bills into law designed to aid

undocumented residents. The trio of laws allow undocumented residents to apply for government funded student loans, earn professional licenses and expanded eligibility for students to waive non-resident fees at state universities. “While Washington waffles on immigration, California is forging ahead,” Brown said when he signed

the bills. “I’m not waiting.” The political ramifications of these bills may still be up for debate, but the real life implications for undocumented individuals is more obvious. “These people, our neighbors, our classmates, our friends, they did not come here in search of a free ride or an easy life. They came to work and study, to

serve in our military and above all, contribute to American success,” Obama said during his Nov. 20 announcement. That sentiment was echoed by Daniel Bravo, a junior business administration and computer science double major at CSUF who is undocumented. To Bravo, immigration legislation is more than just politics–it’s

personal. “It’s not about reading it and seeing it in the news. It’s about my life. I have to live through this every single day,” Bravo said. “This dictates if I go to school, how I go to school, how I get to work and where I work.” Bravo works for Orange County Congregation Community Organization. The

nonprofit trains and mobilizes communities for various issues, including immigration. Bravo said his work inspired him to share his story and he encourages others to do the same. “Outing yourself as undocumented could pose legal risks, but if we don’t, people won’t understand,” Bravo said.

Bill allows for professional licenses California State Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) proposed a bill which prohibits the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs from discriminating based on citizenship or immigration status when issuing professional licenses. The new law allows workers to submit individual tax identifications numbers in lieu of social security numbers. The fathers of both Zevallos and Bravo were professionals in their native countries–Zevallos is an electrical

engineer in Peru and Bravo’s a contractor in Mexico. Zevallos’ parents both had degrees and professional licenses, which were not transferrable to the U.S. When her family’s visa expired, they stayed and took what ever work they could find. It was better than what they could find in Peru, Zevallos said. Her father worked for years in a manufacturing plant until he was injured. Since then, he has been unemployed for four years, but does not qualify for disability. Bravo’s father is an

electrician, but could not qualify for his contractor’s license. His father was working when the recession hit and was laid off. Soon, they couldn’t afford to live in their house anymore. Unable to find work, he began using another contractor’s license illegally for hundreds of dollars a month in order to qualify for jobs. Since the new law applies to the Contractors State License Board, Bravo’s father will now be able to qualify for his own contractor’s license. Bravo’s mother, a

hairdresser, could also benefit if she receives formal training. With the 40 job sectors in the consumer affairs department now able to grant professional licenses, new possibilities for undocumented people have opened up, Bravo said. “It gives me a little more hope and motivation to continue going to school because it’s difficult knowing that once you finished you still can’t do what you wanted to do,” Bravo said.

Professional licenses (SB 1159) • Can register with tax ID instead of Social Security number • Forty sectors open to undocumented people

Presidential executive order impacts millions Executive order • Additional resources for border security • Court reforms to speed up deportation backlog • Prioritize deportation of criminals • Expand DACA relief to three years • Deferred action for parents of citizens and legal residents.

The executive order passed by Obama is broken down into three parts. Two sections in one of the latter segments of the order expands Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to include any immigrant who arrived before Jan. 1, 2010 and extends DACA relief from two to three years. It also offers a new deferred action program for parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The programs are

expected to impact nearly 4.4 million individuals, including Bravo. Bravo has benefitted from DACA since 2012. His younger brother, however, is a U.S. citizens meaning Bravo’s parents will qualify for the new deferred action program. For some, however, the program does not go far enough. The parents of Katherine Zevallos, an undocumented student studying human services at

CSUF, do not qualify for DACA. Zevallos and several other undocumented students gathered at the Titan Dreamers Resource Center to watch Obama’s announcement. “It was disappointing. We thought Obama was going to give some kind of relief to DACA parents,“ she said. “There were a lot of tears, because we knew that (Obama’s) message was not for us.” Joy Hoffman, director

of Diversity Initiatives and Resource Centers, and Henoc Preciado, resource center coordinator, were both present and plan to be involved. “We want to explore what we can do to continue the conversation, because the conversation doesn’t just end with President Obama’s announcement,” Preciado said. “Obama’s announcement recognized that it’s not just youth who are undocumented.”

Law allows loans to students Because they both met requirements of either three years in an American high school or an American GED certificate, Zevallos and Bravo both qualified for the non-resident tuition fee waiver when the California DREAM Act first passed. Now that the eligibility has been expanded to include elementary school experience, more undocumented individuals will be exempt from paying thousands of dollars in international student fees. Zevallos and Bravo both use scholarships to help pay for their tuition, but must pay out of pocket for the amount the scholarships don’t cover. Until Senate

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Bill 1210, undocumented people could not qualify for government-funded student loans. The law allows CSUs and UCs to issue loans of up to $4,000 per academic year to students who are eligible under the California DREAM Act. It’s not much compared to the cost of graduate school, Zevallos said, but she’ll take advantage of the funds available. She hopes to pursue a graduate degree in student affairs and is currently considering two programs that offer full rides if she works on campus. Zevallos’ father just finished his GED certificate and recently received

notice that he has qualified for the AB 540 waiver. This means that the Zevallos family will include three college students: Katherine, her father and her brother. Bravo works full time to earn enough to hopefully graduate debt free, while his parents help pay for his tuition. Commuting to work every day is risky for his father because, as an undocumented person, he is unable to get a driver’s license. This becomes a particular issue when his father’s work calls him out past San Clemente through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. A law passed last year that goes into effect in

January will allow undocumented individuals to apply for driver’s licenses. This provides more stability for both families. Their status has allowed both Zevallos and Bravo to have driver’s licenses, although their parents have been driving illegally. Despite these new laws, Bravo believes that longterm solutions still need to be addressed. “We need comprehensive immigration reform at the national level that includes a pathway to citizenship because that’s the just thing to do,” Bravo said. “We pay our taxes and contribute to our communities; we should be protected from deportations.”

DREAM loans (SB 1210) • Undocumented students qualify for state loans • $9.2 million for new state-funded loan program • Up to $4,000 per semester per student

DREAM Act amendment (AB 2000) • Elementary school experience counts toward qualification for fee waiver

FEATURES

PAGE 4 DECEMBER 4, 2014 THURSDAY

Advocating for equal education As an undocumented student, Alexis Guzman tries to make a difference for other students.

ALEX GROVES Daily Titan

MARISELA GONZALEZ / DAILY TITAN

Alexis Guzman founded Hermanos Unidos to provide Latino students with a resource where they could find support and help.

same as a student who was documented?” Despite the setback, he didn’t give up. “At that time, it hit me really hard and I was like, ‘I don’t care where I end up going, but I’m going to go somewhere,’” he said. That’s when Guzman decided to go to CSUF. As a first-time freshman, he looked for resources that could help him prosper at the university and discovered Alliance of Students for an Equal Education, a club dedicated to helping students who were AB 540 by designation. “They would help me not only with scholarships, but also with study tips,” he said. He said he really enjoyed

being part of the club so much that he purposely scheduled his math classes in a way that would allow him to attend its meetings. Through that club, Guzman found EOP, the early education opportunity program at University Hall and

“

Based on my merits, why couldn’t they treat me the same as a student who was documented? ALEXIS GUZMAN Hermanos Unidos Founder

tutoring centers on campus. Using those resources, he earned two scholarships. However, he still struggled to make ends meet just to pay for his schooling since he couldn’t apply for

Cyberbullying was found to have catastrophic effects upon the self-esteem and social lives of up to 70% of young people. studies found in http://nobullying.com/cyber-bullying-statistics/

It is necessary?

Is it helpful? Is it kind? Is it inspiring?

I could pay for tuition,” Guzman said, adding that he did both jobs for four years as tuition continued to rise. Today, things are much different for him. He is reaching the end of his

college career as a double major in Spanish and mathematics at CSUF. He’s made great friendships and his financial burdens have been lightened thanks to AB 131. But Alexis is still actively involved in campus organizations and his community. He created Hermanos Unidos and works as a leader within the club because he wants to provide Latino students with a resource where they would be supported and helped, much like what he had when he was a member of the AB 540 club. He said he works to inform students about AB 540 at his former high school because it’s important that undocumented students are aware of their resources.

Dreamers center creates security for students

BEFORE YOU POST Is it true?

institutional aid. AB 131, the law that would allow him to do that, hadn’t gone into effect yet. “So that’s when I started with my tutoring job that I have over in Ontario and then I was selling food also to people that I know so that

“

Cal State Fullerton student Alexis Guzman spent much of his time dedicated to making students on campus feel welcome and informed. He has spent countless hours involved with Hermanos Unidos, the Association for Intercultural Awareness and the Alliance of Students for an Equal Education among other clubs on campus. He has also spent a lot of time outside of campus teaching undocumented students about the resources that are available to them when entering college. Guzman said he knows a lot about the struggles incoming college freshmen and undocumented students face. He came to CSUF as both of those things, when the odds were stacked against him and resources were scarce. He lost the opportunity to go to Stanford, his dream school, when officials there discovered he was undocumented and rescinded the full-ride offer they had originally offered him. It was a crushing blow for Guzman, an “A” student with a 4.6 GPA at Ontario High School, who checked the mail every day to see whether he got accepted into Stanford. “I was really devastated because all of my hard work to the community, to my studies, my GPA, my honors,” he said. “Based on my merits, why couldn’t they treat me the

“He’s very eager for change, which is what I love about him,” said Christina Guzman, a friend of Guzman. “He sees a problem and tries to figure out a way around it and says, ‘hey, how do we fix this?’” Christina said Guzman was instrumental in helping her during one of those high school sessions, when he explained to her that she was AB 540 and saved her thousands in out-of-pocket expenses that she would have had to pay otherwise. “He’s helped me in so many ways when it comes to college applications and even paperwork,” she said. “In other words, he’s been the type of guy that I can really trust.” Eddy Giron, one of Hermanos Unidos’ general members, said Guzman is a leader, motivator and hard worker. He said that as cochair for the club, he regularly checks up on members to make sure they’re up to date on club paperwork, but also that they’re doing well. When Giron was struggling academically, it was Guzman that offered him advice and encouraged him to try his best in school. “He was motivating me not to give up; to keep working hard,” Giron said. “Right now, I’m doing way better.” As Guzman continues his educational journey, he is looking to take on new challenges. He said he wants to go to grad school to get a master’s in student affairs in another state. After that, he says he would like to be involved in higher education to make it more equitable. “I want to make sure that everyone gets the same opportunities; the same education,” he said.

Then why post? SPONSORED BY THE

Frequent users come to the Titan Dreamers Resource Center for support

TROI MCADORY Daily Titan Since its opening in April, the Titan Dreamers Resource Center has been a haven for students to turn to when they need to connect with those who share similarities in their lives and upbringing. The center is a place where students can laugh and cry together without any reserve. They are able to speak out against injustices that personally affect them or others they know. The walls of the center are covered with their artwork, expressing their interpretations of what it is like being or knowing an undocumented person. What these students feel in their hearts is displayed for all to see, to show they desire the same opportunities as documented students. The Dreamers Center is not only for the undocumented. Students of various races and ethnicities are welcome. Students who use the Dream Center are highly appreciative of what it has to offer for them. Gladys Cardenas, a frequent user, finds that the center has a positive impact on students because of the coordinators who work together to aid students and their experiences at Cal State Fullerton. “You ask for any help and they do their best, even if it’s not their subject,” she said. “You can talk about different majors and I like that they are very hands on.” Cardenas continued to come to the Titan

MARISELA GONZALEZ / DAILY TITAN

The Titan Dreamers Resource Center opened in April and has received positive feedback from the students who use it.

Dreamers Center because she saw the relationship between students and coordinators. She admired the way coordinators took the initiative to create a family environment. “I have that feeling that I’m at home with people I can trust and they trust you,” she said. Titan Dreamers Center Coordinator Henoc Preciado makes sure students continue to feel a sense of comfort while using the center. He also uses his position to help direct students where to go for forms, financial aid and more. “Navigating our community, searching for scholarships and getting connected to different groups (are some of the things students look to me for in terms of help),” he said. Preciado is aware of the sensitivity surrounding the backgrounds of some students stemming from his own personal interactions during his childhood, and feels passionate about the topic. He grew up in an environment where the majority of the people he knew

were undocumented. Some of the students who use the center are like Preciado and do what they can to assist students and their families, like freshman Miriam Lopez, who works off campus in a community group called Orange County Immigrant Youth United. Lopez is involved in a lot of activism in her city of Santa Ana and quickly found herself as a member of the organization. “I thought it was pretty cool how there was organizing around undocumented people’s rights,” she said. She even brings in some of her community work to the Titan Dreamers Center by informing others of events her group is holding and other beneficial information, such as new laws. “We are knowledgeable about programs such as AB 540 and the Health for All campaign,” she said. She hasn’t been to any programs at the Dreamers Center because of class conflicts, but now as a continuous user, she plans to attend some in the near future.

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FEATURES Professor gains American citizenship

PAGE 5 DECEMBER 4, 2014 THURSDAY

Professor’s journey as an undocumented student motivates students

MARISELA GONZALEZ Daily Titan Cal State Fullerton Education Professor Julián Jefferies became a United States citizen this summer, marking the final step in his long journey as an undocumented immigrant. Jefferies, who has been an ally of immigrant students for more than 15 years, said he faced many obstacles as an “on and off” undocumented student. It was these obstacles that gave him a new perspective on how immigration status affects everyday lives and increased his approachability as a professor, he said. Titan Dreamers Resource Center Coordinator Henoc Preciado said it is important to be supportive and helpful to immigrant students. It can be difficult for students to disclose their immigration status because of the legal nature of such a designation, Preciado said. “When they’re seeking that support, when they’re trying to find those folks on campus, how do you know someone is safe? How do you know that someone is able to support you?” Preciado said. CSUF graduate student

Nancy Gonzalez, who is working to get her master’s in social work, said that Jefferies constantly supports her. She attended a graduate studies workshop for a mentorship program and met Jefferies, who spoke briefly about his research on undocumented students. Gonzalez approached Jefferies and told him that she was interested in conducting research, but that she would need a mentor. He eagerly obliged and offered his mentorship. Even though many professors care for the struggles that undocumented students go through, Gonzalez recognizes that it is difficult for them to actually understand the situation. However, she said Jefferies is one of the few who can empathize. It all began in Argentina, his native country. Twenty-year-old Jefferies dreamed of studying abroad at a New York University because he was inspired by the ones he saw in the movies. He quickly learned his dream was more complicated than what appeared in Hollywood films. “I couldn’t afford it,” Jefferies said. Despite the monetary discouragement, he did not give up his ambition of studying abroad. He

discarded the idea of New York and decided to apply to more affordable institutions. He landed a scholarship in a Boston university that would pay 75 percent of his college tuition. Before embarking on the educational journey he longed for, he had to obtain a student visa that would allow him to study in the United States. To do that, he needed to prove he had enough money to support his stay during the two years he would be studying. His father had his bank write a letter that stated he had enough resources, even though he didn’t. With that letter, his visa was approved. Two years later, Jefferies earned his degree in journalism. However, he was no longer a full-time student and his visa expired. “I had entered legally, but I was undocumented,” he said. While he was in graduate school, the only type of jobs he could find—because of his legal status—were in manual labor. He was able to keep a full-time job painting houses and decided he would dedicate his whole summer to this job so that he could have enough money to apply to a master’s program in the winter.

He was accepted by the University of Massachusetts and went back to school full time, his student visa reactivated. With the visa, he was able to work at the university, but only 20 hours per week, which was not enough to sustain him and pay for school. “I had to work under the table,” Jefferies said. As an undocumented worker, Jefferies came to a realization. The people he worked with were like him, except not as privileged. They all painted houses, but some were not as fortunate to attend school. He finished his doctorate program and obtained his Ph.D. in education from Boston College. As a researcher, the focus of his career has been the impact that schools have on youth who have been historically underserved in education. He is particularly interested in the lives of immigrant youths and their involvement in school. Recently, Jefferies was part of a panel hosted by the Titan Dreamers Resource Center along with senior Eloisa Amador, a double major in human services and ethnic studies. The focus was on misinformation given to undocumented students. While Jefferies emphasized the importance

MARISELA GONZALEZ / DAILY TITAN

Born in Argentina, Education Professor Julián Jefferies, struggled to pay for college as an undocumented student.

of educating staff, Amador shared one of her experiences. When she asked her high school counselor what she needed to do in order to attend college, her counselor responded, “You’re undocumented, so even if you make

it, it will be hard to pay because you don’t get financial aid,” Amador said. Jefferies has published extensively on this issue. “I am scarred by my experience,” he said. “I will be talking about these issues for a long time.”

Mother works to be integrated into society An undocumented person gains citizenship after years of back-breaking labor

CIARA GUTIERREZ Daily Titan Click. Click. Click. The sound of her heels on the tile was all the audience could hear but within she was screaming with excitement. Her bronze skin beamed with joy and peace circled in her eyes. She worked tirelessly for 27 years with the hope of one day calling herself a United States citizen and her body shook with eagerness as she raised her hand for the pledge. ***** “I said I want nooo tomatoes, nooo onions, and nooo lettuce,” the impatient customer dragged out her sentence over the phone. Evangelina (Eva) scurried frantically to find her list of vegetables in English and in Spanish. “I’m sorry, one time more please,” Eva repeated back to the customer. The customer repeated her order extra slow this time. Oh si, no lechuga. Eva thought to herself as she found lettuce on the list. “Okay, thank you. Your order for to go,” said Eva as she hung up the phone with a proud smile. Evangelina and Salvador (Sal) Gutierrez laid on either side of their one-yearold son and stretched their jackets to cover him with warmth. The cement floor frosted their cheeks as they laid on the floor of a friend’s garage who promised them a place to sleep in America. When they made the decision to come to the United States, the promise was a blessing from God. But their minds raced with doubt as they pushed cotton in the ears of their 1 year old to protect him from the ants, rats and cockroaches that shared the icy floor with them. Thankfully it was not a difficult task for the Gutierrez to find work. Their first job was cleaning up homes that had been burned in fires. The task of packing up the belongings of others was not difficult, but facing the constant reminder of the clothing, blankets, mattresses and food they

lacked was excruciating. However, many of the home owners donated items to Eva and Sal. After endless months of working, the Gutierrez family finally saved enough money to rent a room in their friend’s home. They both found a second job at a carniceria where they could again work side by side. The sound of the butcher saw was excruciating and lifting tons of meat was a struggle for Eva, but the greatest challenge she faced was leaving her son with a recently new friend so that she could work. The sacrifice of not seeing her son for such long hours was almost enough to make Eva abandon her “American Dream”, but their hard work was paying off. Just a year after living in their friend’s home, the Gutierrez family was able to save enough money to rent their first one-bedroom apartment. And, just after signing the lease, their supervisor at the carniceria offered Eva a serving position at his new Mexican restaurant. She beamed at the opportunity to leave the meat business behind, but the restaurant would be an accelerated push to learning the English language. Shortly after, they heard about a late amnesty being offered to immigrants who desired to obtain citizenship. But the cost for a lawyer was daunting. With the help of many new friends and coworkers, they were able to apply for a loan, hire a lawyer and obtain their first work permits. Their hands burned with excitement when their first work permits were handed to them. It wasn’t until they received their first social security cards that they felt they had truly struck gold– something shifted with this new achievement. They were no longer unknown, they had a number. In celebration of their achievements, Sal and Eva decided to use their tourists visas to take a vacation to Acapulco. After they returned, Eva soon learned that she was pregnant with her second child. Although many fears about money and the ability to work immediately bombarded Eva, the first feeling

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CIARA GUTIERREZ / DAILY TITAN

Evangelina Gutierrez worked at a butcher shop and as a housekeeper before she became a citizen of the U.S.

felt was excitement. This child would be the first U.S. citizen in the family. Eight months after Stephanie Gutierrez was born, Eva became pregnant with her final son. After Andy Gutierrez was born, Sal picked up a third job at Bimbo Bakeries, all while attending community college in order to learn English and earn an education. Sal began working for the company as a janitor and because of his dedication and hard work, he got expedited through the ranks to HR manager. With this uncanny promotion, Bimbo offered to move the Gutierrez to Temecula and assist them in buying their first new home. It felt as though Eva’s American dream had surely come true with the purchase of this five-bedroom, three-bathroom home. It came complete with the big, beautiful kitchen Eva had always dreamed of and the gigantic one-acre back yard that the kids could have only dreamed about. The only part of Orange County that Eva missed dearly was the group of friends that she had established, for they had become the family that she didn’t have throughout her journey in the U.S. Therefore, in order to assure they would never lose contact,

the Gutierrez decided to continue the thanksgiving tradition they had started while living in Anaheim. This tradition consists of 30 friends and family members and begins around 11 a.m. with appetizers and drinks. Everyone spends the day drinking, eating and teaming up to play soccer, volleyball and volley soccer in their backyard. Then around 6 p.m. everyone rushes to the bathrooms, elbows their way around the mirrors, skouers the counters for makeup and finds a corner to slip on their best attire. Once everyone is looking their best, they find a seat around the table. But, just before the knife can meet the turkey, each loved one stands and states what they are thankful for. After dinner, the night usually ends around 5 a.m. with the children begging their parents to turn down the karaoke machine and stop dancing. “Everybody is saying that this is going to be the last Thanksgiving here at this house, but I don’t know. I trust in God and we are leaving everything in his hands. Maybe it will be the last time in this house, but we are always going to have Thanksgiving. No matter what place because a place didn’t make us. We made the place,” Eva said as she raised her glass as a newly

single woman. ***** When Eva’s documents of citizenship were handed to her she no longer possessed the perfect home, the comforting marriage or the big backyard and yet, she beamed with pride. Her journey to becoming an American citizen was not one of acquisition

but of triumph. The American dream isn’t really what it has been painted to be. In reality, it is only an ideal. An ideal so fierce that it causes warriors to rise in the midst of the most challenging circumstances. An ideal that forced Evangelina to stretch her strength beyond borders. An ideal that left her empowered.

OPINION

PAGE 6 DECEMBER 4, 2014 WEDNESDAY

Devil’s Advocate Obama’s plan will help address the immigration issue MEGAN TAMBIO for theDaily Titan America has an immigration problem and on Nov. 20, President Barack Obama gave a speech announcing his comprehensive plan concerning the nation’s current state of immigration. The current system is a passive half-measure that leaves millions living in the shadows, with a fraction of its population unable to fully participate and build the economy. Obama’s plan, while controversial, at least opens the door for this to change. It will allow around 4.4 million immigrants to stay temporarily in the U.S. and not be deported, but it’s important to recognize the current system is not working. The United States has close to $3 billion worth of resources and surplus military equipment and 19,000 agents employed on Border Patrol, yet illegal immigration is still an issue. Obama’s plan, which has drawn a lot of unnecessary criticism, is designed to fix this broken system. Critics also fail to note that, while controversial, Obama’s executive order is not only legal but commonplace. Former President Bill Clinton even argued this point, saying Obama’s actions weren’t a unilateral grab for power, but rather one in a long line of actions on immigration. “As far as I can tell, every president in the modern era has issued some executive action on immigration,” Clinton said, at a gala for The New Republic. “So I imagine he’ll be on pretty firm legal ground.” Clinton is right. Even Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush both used executive action authorities for the purpose of

immigration reform. When the U.S. Senate aimed to expand the capabilities of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the senior Bush implemented the Senate bill’s provisions himself. Beside the nonexistent legality issues, another common fear is that the plan is basically a “get out of jail free” card for all undocumented people. Obama’s new plan does not grant citizenship to anyone who has ever snuck across the border. It instead re-prioritizes which immigrants to deport. The order involves full criminal background checks. There has been a history of misuse of executive orders, so the criticism is not unfounded. Still, other criticisms of the plan are less refined. There is no plan that would please both sides, which is definitely apparent from watching deliberation in congress. Inaction in Congress, particularly the House of Representatives, has arguably caused more problems than it’s solved. Republican Senator Ted Cruz argued on Fox News Sunday that his party should pass bills that would withhold funding to Obama’s latest executive order. He referred to the order as “Obama’s illegal amnesty,” making the title sound official. Cruz was also the man who led the government shutdown last year in an attempt to block funds to another controversial executive plan, Obamacare. Depending on how Cruz and other Republicans choose to respond to the order, another government shutdown is a real possibility, according to Reuters. An executive order may be extreme, yes, but it is legal and seemingly one of the only options left when this is the climate of our Congress.

Obama’s plan will not solve the immigration issue KRISTINA HILLIARD Daily Titan President Barack Obama has taken the matters of immigration into his own hands. After six years of unsuccessful advances in immigration, the president laid out his plan to combat America’s immigration issues. His three-step order will build on border enforcement and resources in order to reduce the amount of illegal crossings and speed the return of those who do cross over. Furthermore, he claims this plan will help skilled immigrants to stay in the country, contribute to society and take the steps needed to deal with undocumented residents. Obama failed to think about the future reaction this broad executive action will have on the future of America. The president mentioned that this plan would be the most fair way of taking action against immigration, but he failed to take into account a number of things regarding his “fair” plan. For one, by taking executive action, Obama has set the precedent for the presidents that will take office after him. Somewhere down the line, a Republican president will order the suspension of a law that would impact the entire U.S. No matter how unpopular or excessive the law is, that president could just point to Obama’s immigration order as precedent to his or her own actions. What the administration also failed to take into account is just how fair the action actually is for undocumented immigrants. In his speech, he brought up families often, and his plan promises that families who have resided in the

U.S. for more than five years can take steps to assume safe temporary stay in the U.S. What about families of immigrants who have made root here, but have not been in the states for the stated five plus years? These families will still have to live in fear of deportation and lurk in the shadows as stated many times in his speech. Obama’s plan was heavily concentrated on not breaking up families, but the fact of the matter is if your family hasn’t been in the U.S. for more than five years, the fear factor is still there. Another problem is the total fairness of this plan. To go through the process of registering, contributing to the country, paying taxes and being a member of the society only to have the fact of temporary stay lurking over them cannot feel that great. “It does not grant citizenship or the right to stay here permanently, or offer the same benefits that citizens receive,” Obama said, in his speech. So, you can get right with the law and contribute to the country by paying your dues as citizens do, but you are still not one. This plan comes with a lot of fine print. Just as there was with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, immigrants who apply will have to take the responsibility of getting an understanding of how it all works, a criticism CNN’s Ruben Navarrette pointed out. Obama’s approach and plan in dealing with immigration treats these individuals as the ugly stepchild; you’re here, but you’ll never fully be part of the family. If immigrants are a part of American life, why not embrace them in a way that helps them truly feel a part of American life.

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PAGE 7 THURSDAY DECEMBER 4, 2014

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