California one step closer to the DREAM Act

On Monday, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation allowing undocumented college students to access private financial aid. While the governor said he’s not ready to provide public funding for such students, his signature brings the state closer to passing what’s known as the California DREAM Act.

Democratic Assemblyman Mike Davis, from Los Angeles, spoke in support of the DREAM Act.

ASSEMBLYMAN MIKE DAVIS: This is an important issue because students who have done everything that they are supposed to do, who have completed what they have started, academically deserve to have an opportunity for higher education in this country. It is in fact, the “American Dream.” The dream is an American Dream. And just a few years ago, we never anticipated that a little black boy from Illinois could overcome a herculean challenge to become for the first time that the earth has ever known the president of the free world. His name is Barack Obama, and the same dream that he has achieved, he has and you will as well.

While President Obama has spoken out in support of a national DREAM Act, it’s still being debated in Congress.

To discuss the ins and outs of the DREAM Act and how it fits into the overall push for immigration reform, KALW’s Holly Kernan sat down with Eric Quezada, executive director of Dolores Street Community Services. 

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ERIC QUEZADA: Well, the DREAM Act would be a first step towards a comprehensive immigration reform. We're talking about 11 million people or more who are living in the shadows and living as second-class citizens across the country who are participating in civil life and religious life and educational life and cultural life – all across the country, contributing, and we are forcing them further and further into the shadows. And the DREAM Act would be a first step forward. And, what we would see is that the sky wouldn't fall. You know, if you passed this, it's not the end of the world for the United States.

HOLLY KERNAN: But I think that you've said that you shouldn't let "perfect" stand in the way of getting some sort of immigration reform. Why are you packaging the DREAM Act along with the 11 million people who are in this country without legal status? Why not separate it out?

QUEZADA: I think what's important at this point is that the politicians understand, or are beginning to understand, the importance of the Latino vote and the immigrant vote across the country. I mean, you saw here – unfortunately it took a scandal like the Meg Whitman housekeeper scandal for Jerry Brown to begin to realize that. And now he's beginning to move in a direction that we want him to move in, which is to be outspoken and more of a champion around immigrant rights instead of being someone who is trying to play it both sides of his mouth.

KERNAN: You mentioned the Latino vote, but Latino communities are not monolithic. They run the gamut on this issue as well as others. There's a lot of people who feel that especially in this economic recession, folks who are here without documents and who are working are maybe taking jobs away from other people who would like that work. What do you say to that argument?

QUEZADA: I think that there's no empirical data that proves that. In fact, immigrants provide jobs. If we were to pass immigration reform, just by the very fact of, according to the process of legalization and bringing those workers into the workforce, we would actually be stimulating the economy in ways that would create jobs. So, I think what we're talking about is a part of society that is not allowed to fully integrate, to fully participate in the economy, you would see a great deal of benefit. Now, if you keep them in the shadows, keep them working for less and less and less, then that brings down all workers. And I think that's correct. But we want to lift all workers. We don't want to just lift some workers and not other workers. There might be some out there that that's what they want, but certainly we believe that everybody deserves a living wage, and everybody deserves health benefits, and everybody deserves a good education. So, immigrant rights really is about worker rights and human rights.

Listen to the full interview with Eric Quezada here.