A Missed Opportunity to Lead on Immigration and Education: The Veto of the California Dream Act

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Fabiola Inzunza

As a witness to the diverse struggles, achievements, and potential of undocumented students, and as a student advocate who worked tirelessly on this campaign this year, I was disheartened upon hearing the veto message from the Governor's Office this past weekend regarding Senate Bill 1, the California Dream Act.

As a leader of a student organization that works closely with undocumented students and their supporters, each day I see the great need for a bill like the California Dream Act. Low-income undocumented students who have impressive GPAs must juggle multiple jobs in order to pay the $2,500 price of tuition every ten weeks, they must also endure long commutes from distant cities because they cannot find affordable housing near their campus, they are forced to turn away research opportunities, private scholarships, more quarters in school,..

In short, Thousands of students across the state were looking for Governor Schwarzenegger to increase their chances of achieving their educational dreams.

Now that the California DREAM Act has been vetoed, I will again receive the too familiar phone calls from many bright students at UCLA, who will be forced to drop out of school for yet another quarter because of a lack of financial support from the STATE they call home. Again, I will have to tell them that their Dream Act, OUR Dream Act has been vetoed. Again, I will watch as my colleagues get turned away from their educational aspirations.

Our governor had the opportunity to lead the nation on this issue, by enacting a law that had the potential of voicing loud and clear that we must place policy before politics when dealing with the education of our nation's future leaders. This issue is not going away soon. It will be back.

The California DREAM Act is a low-cost and sensible way to open up the doors of higher education to more students without taking money away from other students. This is why it won such broad support from the UC Student Association, California State Student Association, community colleges, UC Regents, The California State University Board of Trustees, Los Angeles and San Francisco Chambers of Commerce, as well as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the editorial boards of several of the state's largest newspapers.