Individuals and groups support an issue because they understand the effect the issue has on society. By acknowledging that “it would be more entertaining to joke about the issue,” Bruin Republicans took the issue of higher education for immigrant students and outwardly ridiculed it in their so-called debate of the DREAM Act.
By posing as members of MEChA, a historically Latino student organization, and showcasing immigration as a “Chicano issue,” they based their arguments on racial stereotypes and generalizations.
They failed to acknowledge that higher education for immigrants affects students from all ethnic backgrounds. More importantly, Bruin Republicans failed to admit that the DREAM Act directly affects a significant and ethnically diverse percent of the UCLA student population. Without acknowledging a genuine position on the DREAM Act, Bruin Republicans failed to show a level of integrity, common respect, and professionalism expected of UCLA students.
The crucial debate of access to higher education for undocumented students and the DREAM Act will continue. As a student who cares about the equal and respectful representation of both sides of the issue, I openly challenge the Bruin Republicans and others to take a legitimate stance in favor of the DREAM Act, one supported by facts and not personal prejudice.
Montes is a fifth-year physiological science student.