Passersby supported student “Dreamers” by signing postcards outside of Fountain Hall on Feb. 22.
Students Chris Luczywek and Arisay Diaz were running the booth and have been heavily involved in the United Universal Dreamers club on campus, Moorpark’s club for DACA students.
“This program is so important,” said Arisay Diaz, club president. “There are a lot of students who are coming here [Moorpark College] and they need money. A job allows for them to continue here.”
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), was introduced in 2012 by then president Barack Obama as an administrative program. It allowed a 2-year but renewable deportation shield for people who were brought into the United States as children. The program grants recipients a wide range of benefits such as work permits and the opportunity to receive a higher education and in some states, financial aid.
“Dreamers” is commonly used to refer to recipients of the administrative program that would have otherwise been beneficiaries of the never-passed proposal called DREAM ACT in Congress. About 260 DACA beneficiaries attend Moorpark College, according to student success and support supervisor Jesus Vega.
Third year student and director of external affairs for Associated Students Chris Luczywek originally came up with the idea for the booth after the Student Senate of California Community Colleges (SSCCC), a non-profit representative organization comprised of California Community College student government associations, brought the DACA postcards to the school.
“That’s where I got the idea from,” Luczywek said. “I wanted to bring the movement out here and I thought the booth would be the best way of doing that.”
Because the SSCCC is involved with all college campuses, the goal for them is to send postcards out to schools, collect them back, and send them to congressional represenatives in support of the DACA program.
“The most effective way of doing this is through the amount of postcards we send,” said Luczywek. “The more postcards they have, the more momentum they’ll have, and the more power they’ll have in persuading congressmen and women around the region.”
According to Diaz and Luczqwek, the best way to learn more and get involved is to get involved with student government and clubs. Things as small as sending your local government a letter explaining how the issue affects you can make a difference.
“It’s just a matter of getting your voice out there through postcards and getting involved with clubs,” said Luzqwek.
If you would like to sign a postcard or learn more, reach out to the United Universal Dreamers club or contact club president Arisay Diaz at [email protected].
