Education, once considered a right, has become a privilege.
It’s time the playing field be made more equal. This is why
the Dream Act, a piece of legislation that would offer undocumented
students a chance at legal residency, financial loans and in-state
tuition, stands as an important and timely bill. Currently pending
in Congress, the Dream Act makes vital education more accessible to
millions of people. Admittedly, and predictably, the Dream Act
incites disagreement on campus. But, though the act certainly
won’t polish American higher education into a flawless
system, it is a step in the right direction. And it’s
deserving of nationwide student support.
In every modern, civilized society, education must be considered
a basic right. The same applies to higher education, which explains
why the Dream Act has accumulated national bipartisan support. Our
American values speak loud and clear: Denial of knowledge is wrong.
Accessibility to knowledge must not be determined by nationality or
citizen status. Instead, public universities must seek to empower
all Americans, regardless of their documentation status.
The Dream Act proposes a realistic goal — undocumented students
should be allowed to attend a university if they arrive in the
United States before the age of sixteen, graduate from high school,
and live in the United States for at least five years before the
date of the bill’s enactment.
Here is a law with profoundly positive effects. The Dream Act
assists students who already have made a firm commitment to their
education and to this country. In other words, this bill targets a
population that already lives, in broad terms, as Americans.
“There are certain people who have embraced what it means
to be an American,” said Scott Gerber, spokesman for Sen.
Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.). “And they should be supported
instead of being pushed out of the system.”
Here at UCLA, undocumented students can already receive their
diplomas thanks to AB 540 — an Assembly bill passed by former Gov.
Gray Davis in 2001. Essentially, AB 540 opened the doors for
undocumented students to receive a more affordable college
education in California. Upon meeting certain criteria, these
students receive in-state tuition. Best of all, AB 540 strengthened
the UC’s mission to “serve society as a center of
higher learning, providing long-term societal benefits.”
Adding another segment of the population into the UC community
provided for the social and cultural education of many more
students.
The Dream Act extends liberties already guaranteed by AB 540 on
a larger, national level. Despite AB 540’s presence on the UC
campus, not all Bruins support the Dream Act. Why?
For one, these opponents argue the Dream Act renders college
admissions less accessible for American citizens. For every
undocumented student accepted to UCLA, one documented student loses
a well-deserved place at the school.
Second, there’s the issue of legal residence. Since
undocumented students don’t legally reside in the United
States, some people think they therefore don’t deserve
programs promised to legal residents. Many resent that the act
would provide amnesty to undocumented immigrants ““ something
other immigrants legally wait decades to receive.
“The opposition (to the Dream Act) does not deny the
humanity of these individuals but recognizes that these people have
cut in line in front of thousands of people who are waiting to
enter the country through proper and legal means,” said Kevin
Williams, a graduate student in microbiology, immunology and
molecular genetics, in a recent letter to The Bruin.
But the debate doesn’t end there. Plenty of Bruins do
support the Dream Act. June 2, approximately 165 students gathered
for a pro-Dream Act rally in front of Janss Steps. Even at this
rally members of different political stances extended their support
for the act. Nick Luow, vice chairman of the Bruin Republicans,
attended the rally. Additionally, John Vu, external vice president
of the Undergraduate Students Association Council and Students
First! representative, also showed his support for the act.
“I support the Dream Act,” he said. “I believe
that the Dream Act is part of a larger campaign to increase access
to people who have been here for a while and show potential to be
provided education.”
Many Bruins don’t want to support an exclusive educational
system. Rather, they’re advocating that all people,
regardless of their documentation status, be served their basic
rights.
So, here’s the bottom line: Education simply can’t
be denied to some students and guaranteed to others. Legal
immigrants definitely suffer in regard to obtaining a chance at the
American dream, but this does not mean other Americans should be
pushed aside. Instead, the United States should offer educational
assistance to myriad students, including undocumented ones. This
sense of equality and the belief in educational rights are values
shared by our country. They are, in every sense, American.
Fried is a first-year history student. E-mail her at
ifried@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.