August 17, 2020

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The Chronicle

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The independent news organization at Duke University

MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2020 ONLINE DAILY AT DUKECHRONICLE.COM

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH YEAR, ISSUE 3

For DACA students, the fight continues

Matthew Griffin| Contributing Photographer Duke students, including Salvador Chavero Arellano, left, and Ana Ramirez, second from left, went to Washington, D.C., in November 2019 to rally in support of DACA. (Students pictured here with actor Bambadjan Bamba, center.) Now, despite a June victory at the Supreme Court, questions remain about the future of the program.

By Leah Boyd University News Editor

Amid new policies, actions and court decisions, life has been uncertain for many undocumented students for the past few years. Members of the Duke community spoke to The Chronicle about their experiences and what previous policy changes could mean for the future of DACA activism.

‘People forget that we’re human, too’

Senior Salvador Chavero Arellano was born in Mexico, but his sisters were born in the United States. He came to the United States in 2000, when he was one-and-a-half years old. He didn’t learn of his undocumented status until he was around eight, when he begged his parents to let him travel to Mexico with his sisters. “After some time, they actually sat me down and explained very briefly—the best way you possibly could to an eight- or nineyear-old—what it means to be without papers,” he said. The concept didn’t hit Chavero until he was around 13, when former President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which offers renewable two-year periods of relief from deportation and work permits to undocumented individuals who came to the United States as children. Chavero would be able to apply when he turned 15. “I was really excited because I thought, ‘Wow, my future could actually be different,’” he told The Chronicle. For a while, Chavero wasn’t sure he would even attend college and “never thought” he would be at Duke. This was until he received the Golden Door Scholarship his senior year of high school, which helps undocumented students afford a college education. He intended to study at Wake Forest University, one of the scholarship’s top partner schools, and even forgot that he had applied to Duke. “The day the application was due, my mom was like,

‘Did you apply to that school in Durham that people say is really good?’ The application asked me if I wanted to apply for Trinity or Pratt, and I just clicked Trinity because it was the first option,” he said. However, he fell in love with Duke during Latino Student Recruitment Weekend. “I knew it was going to be a way that I would be able to put myself out there in the world,” he explained. “Given my status, I had so many barriers. All of that combined and finishing as valedictorian in my high school was a huge motivator.” Chavero said that his efforts in high school to become valedictorian and make a name for himself were not for a medal–– in fact, he doesn’t even know where his medal is.

“There are also people that do so well or are such good people and work so hard but aren’t part of this narrative that everyone wants the perfect undocumented person to be”

work so hard but aren’t a part of this narrative that everyone wants the perfect undocumented person to be.” Rebecca Ewing, lecturing fellow of romantic studies, said that advocacy should focus on all undocumented individuals in America, not just those in academia. “If you’re only advocating for reform or legalization of status for students who are undocumented, you’re ignoring all the sacrifices and challenges that their parents face who brought them here,” Ewing said. ”I think we need to move beyond just celebrating students. They deserve their celebration, but I think it’s also important to just validate people generally who are living in this country and contributing, regardless of how they got here.” She also noted that families with mixed statuses, with some members being citizens and others holding DACA status, can experience tensions, especially because “certain people that have status are afforded more rights than others.” Ana Ramirez, Trinity ‘20, was born in Ecuador and came to the United States in 2001. She lives in South Florida with two See DACA on Page 4

INSIDE

Salvador Chavero Arellano

Senior and DACA recipient

“The only reason I wanted it was because I knew it would make me very competitive for those maybe one to two percent of scholarships available to people like me,” he said. In 2017, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis proposed the SUCCEED Act, which would award green card status for undocumented students based on merit. Chavero called the act the “green card Hunger Games,” noting that having to compete against each other only added to the stress of trying to get legalized. “People will always say, ‘Oh, they shouldn’t send you back to Mexico because you’re so smart and you do so much for this country,’” Chavero explained. “And while yes, that’s great, thank you, there are also people that do so well or are such good people and

INSIDE — Some pretty cool events to check out (page 6) | Serving the University since 1905 |

Classes to consider during drop-add Check out these four possibilities, covering topics from outer space to inner despair. PAGE 3

Durham storyteller guides a new generation Through her socially aware storytimes, Amy Godfrey is guiding a new generation to grow into emotionally intelligent adults. PAGE 8

Cutcliffe discusses football season In a Friday press conference, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe discussed the challenges COVID-19 presents for football—but said he’s confident his players can stay safe and responsible. PAGE 14

@dukechronicle @dukebasketball |

@thedukechronicle | ©2020 The Chronicle


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August 17, 2020 by Duke Chronicle - Issuu