DREAM Act Fast Vigil Newsclips September 19-20, 2004
General Information about the action: http://immigrantsolidarity.org/current.shtml#sep20 Read about the Nationwide September Week of Action: http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=Issues&report=SingleArticle&Article ID=0047 Read the Los Angeles DREAM Team Fast DAILY JOURNAL: http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi?file=Issues&report=SingleArticle&Article ID=0057 The Following Newsclip Are Compiled By: Horacio Arroyo CHIRLA Wise Up! Tel: (213) 353-1333x239 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.chirla.org 1) La Opinion (09.20.2004) Universitarios indocumentados luchan por su sueÃo (College Students Fight for the Right to DREAM) 2) Los Angeles Times (09.19.2004) 'Dream Act' offers hope for Immigrant Students 3) The New York Times (09.19.2004) Immigrants Los in the Din: Security vs. the DREAM 4) Hoy (09.20.2004) Apoyo a DREAM Act en Santa Ana 5) Hoy (09.20.2004) Estudiantes en Huelda de Ambre (Students participate in Hunger Strike[Fast]) 6) USC Daily Trojan (09.20.2004) Demostrators Fast for DREAM ==================================================== 1) Universitarios indocumentados luchan por su sueÃo (College Students Fight for the Right to DREAM) Piden respaldo para que el Congreso apruebe la Ley DREAM y asà poder acudir al colegio o universidad Jorge Luis MacÃas Reportero de La OpiniÃn 20 de septiembre de 2004 Estudiantes latinos y coreanos de todo el paÃs comenzaron a ayunar desde el 13 de septiembre y culminarÃn su protesta silenciosa el prÃximo sÃbado en distintas ciudades del paÃs, incluyendo Los Angeles, Nueva York y Chicago, para llamar la atenciÃn de la comunidad hacia la aprobaciÃn en el Congreso de la Ley de Desarrollo, Ayuda y EducaciÃn para Menores Extranjeros (DREAM Act). De ser aprobada por el Senado, la legislaciÃn bipartidista permitirÃa a casi 65 mil estudiantes indocumentados, pero criados en Estados Unidos, el acceso a la universidad y colocarlos en camino hacia la ciudadanÃa. Ellos no pueden solicitar becas y programas a los cuales podrÃan tener acceso si tuvieran estatus migratorio legal. âCreo que no habrà acciÃn este aÃo y el problema es la oposiciÃn del Partido Republicanoâ, dijo la congresista Loretta SÃnchez. âEl liderazgo no quiere traer la Ley DREAM al voto en la CÃmara de Representantesâ. El ayuno nacional es organizado por la campaÃa United We DREAM, una coaliciÃn de organizaciones locales y nacionales. Ocurre en coordinaciÃn con la semana nacional de la acciÃn, del 20 al 26 de septiembre, que celebra el primer aniversario del histÃrico Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride. La intenciÃn es llamar la atenciÃn del paÃs hacia lo que consideran âuna necesaria y comprensiva reforma de inmigraciÃnâ. âEsto es algo bastante injusto y deplorableâ, considerà la estudiante Angela PÃrez, de 18 aÃos. âPero falta liderato y respeto de nuestro gobiernoâ. En octubre de 2003, la iniciativa de Ley DREAM fue aprobada por el Comità Judicial del Senado con un voto bipartidista de 16-3. Nacida en Pereira, Colombia, Angela fue traÃda por sus padres a Estados Unidos hace cinco aÃos. Cursa la carrera de Estudios Internacionales en la Universidad de la Ciudad de Nueva York. âMiles de estudiantes nos sentimos frustrados porque no podemos pagar las altas matrÃculas de las universidadesâ, dijo PÃrez. Ella concluirà su ayuno hoy. Partidarios de la ley se han reunido tres veces con miembros del Congreso y funcionarios de la Casa Blanca, a quienes han presentado 100 mil peticiones de respaldo a la iniciativa de ley, pero no se ha llevado a votaciÃn. âEs nuestra esperanza que ambos partidos y la AdministraciÃn [del presidente George W. Bush] hagan del DREAM Act un asunto clave para la comunidad latinaâ, considerà Melissa LazarÃn, analista en polÃtica de educaciÃn del Consejo Nacional de La Raza (NCLR). âResulta extremadamente desalentador que estÃn fallando. Los estudiantes no pueden esperar mÃsâ. Una encuesta nacional hecha por la instituciÃn Zogby, publicada por NCLR en junio, indica que 86% de los votantes latinos apoyan los elementos contenidos en la Ley DREAM. El proyecto exigirÃa que, para lograr la residencia legal permanente, los alumnos terminen un mÃnimo de dos aÃos de estudios en un colegio comunitario, un colegio vocacional o una universidad. AdemÃs, la propuesta ofrece la opciÃn de legalizar a los jÃvenes si se vinculan con las Fuerzas Armadas estadounidenses durante dos aÃos o efectÃan actividades de servicio comunitario por 910 horas. Otras organizaciones como el Centro Educativo de Servicios para JÃvenes Coreanoamericanos (YKASEC) de Nueva York, y el Consorcio de Servicios Nacionales Coreano-Americanos (NAKASEC) de Los Angeles se han unido al ayuno de cinco dÃas. âEsperamos tener Ãxitoâ, expresà Katty Chae, vocera de YKASEC, cuyo director ejecutivo, Yu Soung Mun y el coordinador del comità de legalizaciÃn, Jubum Cha, participan en la demostraciÃn que se efectÃa en el Centro Interreligioso de Nueva York, en Manhattan. En cada dÃa hay un mensaje: legalizaciÃn, Dream Act, fin a las redadas de inmigraciÃn, otorgamiento de licencias de conducir y respeto a los derechos de personas detenidas, antes de cualquier proceso de deportaciÃn. âA pesar de todo el esfuerzo, no se ve acciÃn en el Congresoâ, lamentà Jane Chung, asociada en programas de NAKASEC en Los Angeles. âLa Ley DREAM es, en esencia, urgente para los estudiantes, y haremos responsables a quienes no han actuadoâ. En la Universidad del Sur de California (USC), el director ejecutivo del Centro de Recursos Coreanos (KRC), Dae Joong Yon y los estudiantes Jennifer Park, Han Gin Kim y la estudiante latina Noraney Campo concluirÃn su ayuno el 25 de septiembre. Un aspecto fundamental del DREAM Act eliminarÃa la secciÃn 505 de la ley que reformà las leyes de inmigraciÃn en 1996, que hace que los estados cobren a los estudiantes indocumentados el valor de la matrÃcula que se aplica a quienes no son residentes. Bajo regulaciones actuales, los estudiantes indocumentados en Estados Unidos deben pagar cuotas como si fueran estudiantes internacionales. AdemÃs, no reciben el beneficio de obtener becas del gobierno federal o subsidios de las universidades estatales. âCreo que no habrà acciÃn este aÃo y el problema es la oposiciÃn del Partido Republicanoâ, dijo la congresista Loretta SÃnchez. âEl liderazgo [republicano] no quiere traer Dream Act a voto en la CÃmara de Representantesâ. La congresista demÃcrata por el distrito 47 de California en el Congreso, dijo que, ademÃs, hasta ahora no cuentan con los votos suficientes para aprobar la ley. El nÃmero necesario de votos es 218 âSabemos que contamos con 75 votos, que esperamos ayuda del caucus afroamericano, y por lo menos necesitaremos unos 40 votos republicanosâ, indicà la congresista a La OpiniÃn. Y aunque tuvieran los votos necesarios, si Tom DeLay, lÃder de la mayorÃa republicana en la CÃmara de Representantes no coloca el asunto en la agenda, no puede pasar a votaciÃn la Ley DREAM. âHay que esperar a ver si ganamos algunos escaÃos mÃs en la elecciÃn [de noviembre prÃximo]â, indicà SÃnchez. ====================================================== 2) 'Dream Act' offers hope for Immigrant Students Los Angeles Times (09.19.2004) On a good day, 20-year-old Elvia Flores feels she's making her family proud, studying in college to become a nurse while working nearly full-time to help pay her family's bills. But in darker moments, Flores wonders if all the work and sacrifice is worth it. Flores is an undocumented immigrant. And despite the nation's shortage of bilingual nurses, Flores will likely end up after graduation with little more than a low-paying restaurant job, because she lacks a Social Security number and a legal residency card. Flores is one of about 65,000 undocumented students across the United States who graduate from high school each year, according to estimates by the Urban Institute, a nonprofit economic and social policy research organization. For them, a high school or college diploma doesn't guarantee a good job or more money. Because as children they were brought into the country illegally, they face a lifetime in the shadows. And still Flores goes to school, hoping she can have a better life than her parents. Like many others, Flores is hoping for passage of federal legislation that could help her achieve her goal. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minorities Act, known as the Dream Act, would give conditional U.S. residency to students who entered the country five years or more before the bill's enactment and before they were 16 years old. Residency would become permanent if, within six years of obtaining conditional residency, the immigrant either graduates from a two-year college, studies for two years toward a bachelor's degree, serves in the U.S. armed forces for two years or performs 910 hours of volunteer community service. Opponents of the measure say the bill would undermine immigration law; its supporters say it would benefit relatively few â but worthy â students. Rallies in support of the Dream Act were held Saturday throughout the country. On Sept. 13, college students accompanied by members of immigrant rights, civil rights, human rights, labor and religious organizations gathered at USC to begin a 12-day fast to draw attention to the bill. And last month, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted to support the bill. In Santa Ana, Flores said of the Dream Act, "It would change my whole life." Entering Illegally Elvia Flores' farming parents abandoned their small village in Mexico when they couldn't afford the tools and field hands to harvest their corn. In 1989, with her mother leading the way, 7-year-old Elvia and three of her siblings ducked into a tunnel beneath the U.S. border, scurried across the desert and hitched a ride to Orange County, where they rejoined her father, who had entered illegally before them. Flores was enrolled in school, learned English by fifth grade and never thought much about her immigration status until friends in 11th grade got jobs. She couldn't, because she didn't have a Social Security card. But because colleges don't review citizenship status, Flores pursued higher education. She graduated from high school and, in her second year of college, won a $1,000 scholarship from the college because of her above-average grades. Flores' counselor knew she wanted to become a nurse, but because she didn't have a Social Security card, recommended instead that Flores pursue a Spanish language degree. Chasing a more career-oriented degree would be futile, the counselor hinted. That made me feel very low," said Flores. "I wondered was it worth it to keep going to school. What's the point?" Her uncertainties worsened during her first year in college when her father, a $7.50-an-hour factory worker who earned most of the family's income, suffered a disabling stroke. The family bought food and medicine with a credit card, amassing $6,000 in debt. To help the family, Flores bought a fake Social Security number and a bogus residency card and landed a job as a restaurant cashier. "I feel guilty going to school," said Flores, tears filling her eyes. "My family needs the money and I'm studying and I don't even know if I will ever get a good job." The 'Dream Act' The Dream Act was introduced by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) in July 2001 with 45 cosponsors from both parties. After delays in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, it has passed through the Judiciary Committee and is awaiting a full Senate vote. Hatch aide Margarita Tapia said she expects Congress to pass the bill this year. The Bush administration has not taken a stand on the act; Sen. John F. Kerry supports it. Congressional observers say the bill's passage could send a symbolic message without upsetting opponents of illegal immigration because it affects relatively few people and has no major fiscal effect. Helping undocumented students is not without precedent. California legislation in 2001 exempted them from paying out-of-state tuition if they had attended three years of high school in California, graduated from a California school and gained admission to a state university or community college. Josh Bernstein, federal legislative director for the National Immigration Law Center, an immigrant advocacy organization, said the Dream Act stalled in Congress because of doubts about immigrant rights in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, but he believes it will ultimately be approved. "A lot of immigration issues are contentious. This one has not been. I guess it's because, how can you really be against these kids?" said Bernstein. The legislation "speaks to a value, that every individual should be treated on their own meritsâ. It corrects a flaw in immigration law, which is not to recognize the good works of these particular kids." Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) disagrees: "This legislation would provide an additional incentive for illegal immigration. If we were to pass this, it would be a statement to the world that we have no intention of enforcing immigration laws." Adolfo Flores, Elvia's father, hopes the act is passed so his children can achieve more than he has. He did not advance beyond sixth grade and never earned more than $8 an hour. "I've suffered and worked so my children can get ahead," said Adolfo Flores. "I don't want them to be like me. I can't even speak English. Why don't people who make laws see that we are just trying to work and get ahead?" Her Family's Hope Elvia Flores feels stressed. She hears her parents' admonishment to "salir adelante" â to get ahead. She is the family's hope and role model for five younger siblings, two of whom are undocumented immigrants. A younger sister graduated from high school in June and is attending a local college with hopes of becoming an architect. Her father encourages Flores and her sister to continue their schooling â even though he appreciates the money Flores earns to help pay family bills. When he taught Flores to drive so she could get to work and pick up her mother, both father and daughter were in tears. He feared she'd be caught driving without a license and be deported; she was scared of traffic. It was a necessary risk, they decided, in order for Flores to earn a diploma. Flores' two older siblings, also undocumented, dropped out of college. One got married. The other became a security guard. "I tell my children to prepare themselves for battle," said Adolfo Flores, wearing a straw hat that makes it seem he left Mexico only yesterday. "Not to fight but to prepare themselves for the challenges, to present themselves in this society, to speak for all of us, to get ahead and be more than I ever could." The encouragement doesn't always sustain his daughter. One minute Elvia Flores is ebullient about helping others as a nurse. The next minute, she tearfully wonders whether the goal is attainable. Young adults in her neighborhood are similarly burdened. Going to college is like saying a prayer, said Eric Leon, 22, an undocumented immigrant who came to the United States at age 6 and works in restaurants. "Are you doing it for nothing or will you get a big reward?" he said of seeking higher education. "You want to give up but you want to make sure you did what you could." Flor Valente, 19, is so focused on her future that she holds a full-time job as a janitor â from 6 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. â while attending school during the day. "I'll feel guilty if I don't at least try," Valente said. Such personal drive among undocumented high school students amazes Adriana Huezo, a higher education coordinator at Century High School in Santa Ana. She cautions students about what their future holds. "For a good portion of our students, there is an immigration [status] issue. I tell them no one will stop you from going to college. But you may not be able to practice your chosen profession," Huezo said. "It can be very discouraging. Some of them let go of their dreams because of it." A Typical Day Because of her father's illness and her family's financial needs, Flores dropped three of her four classes in the spring, then enrolled in the college's summer session to make them up. She is now enrolled in two classes. Most days, Flores goes to school midmorning and stays until nearly 3 p.m., doing homework and reading in the library. There is nowhere to study at home. Eight family members share six beds in a one-bedroom apartment. Driving an 18-year-old family compact car without a driver's license â which she cannot obtain without a Social Security number â Flores returns home from school for a snack, changes into her restaurant uniform and takes her mother to a sewing job and goes to her own job. Flores works until 11 p.m., picks up her mother, then returns home. "One day, I have faith I will be one of those people in the cap and gown," she said. "Other days, I wonder if there's any point." ======================================================== 3) Immigrants Lost in the Din: Security vs. the Dream By NINA BERNSTEIN New York Times Published: September 20, 2004 Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times Chan Hong, 3, of Queens, with his mother and other protesters at the Interfaith Center of New York on Saturday. The group was fasting for improved immigrants' rights. assers-by glanced curiously at the few dozen young people rallying on the sidewalk outside the Interfaith Center of New York on Thursday, immigrant students wearing bright orange stickers saying "Ask Me Why I'm Fasting." But no one stopped to ask, and as student speakers addressed a handful of reporters, their words were often muffled by the roar of midday traffic in Midtown. It was Day 2 of a five-day fast that organizers called a National Week of Action for Immigrants' Rights. There were protests in 70 cities around the country. But even in New York, where immigrant concerns have historically been the bread and butter of local politics, it was hard to draw attention to issues that seem, for many, to be stuck on the back burner this election year. Many advocates cited a disconnect between convention rhetoric that prominently celebrated immigrant opportunity in America, and a darkening reality since Sept. 11, 2001. Time is also running out on several immigration bills languishing in Congress, including the most modest bipartisan measure, known as the Dream Act, which would give access to college aid to high-achieving teenagers in families of illegal immigrants. Yet some also see a disconnect between the expansive legislative goals of national immigration organizations, which are busy lobbying for pathways to legal residency and citizenship, and a grass-roots panic over day-to-day shortcuts to criminalization: administrative policies and computer crackdowns that lead to the loss of driver's licenses, immigration arrests at traffic stops, and the detention and deportation of longtime residents who leave their children, United States citizens, behind. The director of the New York Immigration Coalition, Margaret McHugh, said her trips to Washington for immigration meetings were like trips to another world. "Down there, it's about what are the components of a good legalization bill going to be,'' she said. "And here we're frantic, because every day we're seeing the de-legalization and the criminalization of so many immigrants." Scores of community organizations participated in the week of vigils and symbolic hunger strikes, which are to culminate locally today with a community hearing in Harlem, and tomorrow in Washington with a day of lobbying. Among the most active participants are students like 18-year-old Alejandra, who would not give her last name for fear of deportation. Alejandra was 7 when her mother brought her to New York from their native Colombia, and she was valedictorian of her high school class in Queens in June, but she could not apply for government financial aid for college. "These children are de facto Americans," contended Partha Banerjee, director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment, a group taking part in the sidewalk rallies. "But because of all the 9/11 problems, their hopes are being dashed on a daily basis." Despite public enthusiasm for the speeches of Barack Obama and Arnold Schwarzenegger, it is a generation coming of age in a climate of growing hostility to immigration, say those who have supported amnesty programs for illegal immigrants. In the last three years, they say, economic insecurity has converged with national security concerns - and a new influx of immigrants - to revive the immigration backlash of the early 1990's. "At one level,'' said Muzaffar A. Chishti, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, "everyone wants to appease immigrants - mainstream Republicans and mainstream Democrats - because they're seen as a very important voting bloc. "But they don't want to do too much toward moving the ball forward, because they run into this problem of the rest of the country, the feeling of insecurity both on economic grounds and on security grounds," he said. As the specter of job loss to foreigners angers parts of the Democratic base, immigration advocacy, too, may rely on symbols to stand in for substance. The National Week of Action, for example, was billed as the first anniversary of the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, modeled after the Freedom Rides for civil rights in the 1960's. But, Mr. Chishti said, black Democratic leaders acknowledge - only privately - that many of their native-born black constituents are increasingly resentful about illegal immigration. ======================================================== 4) Apoyo a Dream Act en Santa Ana Hoy 20 de septiembre, 2004 Joshua VÃzquez Bernal Santa Ana -- A sus 24 aÃos de edad, Ricardo LÃpez ya es todo un profesional, ya que ha logrado graduarse de una prestigiosa universidad estadounidense con estudios en biologÃa, por lo cual recibià un diploma. Sin embargo, no le sirve para trabajar en este paÃs por ser, dijo, indocumentado. Ricardo, y aproximadamente 200 personas mÃs unieron ayer sus voces durante la protesta âAÃn tengo un sueÃoâ, llevada a cabo en el parque Sasscer, en el corazÃn de Santa Ana. Durante la manifestaciÃn estuvieron presionando a senadores y congresistas para que aprueben la iniciativa llamada âDREAM ACTâ (Acta del SueÃo). Esta propuesta busca permitir que estudiantes indocumentados obtengan una residencia permanente condicional. Bajo el DREAM Act, la residencia condicional se convertirÃa en residencia permanente, si los estudiantes beneficiados se gradÃan de un colegio, estudian dos aÃos para un doctorado, se enlistan en las Fuerzas Armadas de Estados Unidos o trabajan 910 horas de servicio voluntario para beneficio de la comunidad. Todo esto, dentro de un periodo de seis aÃos. âA todos nos conviene que estas personas sigan con sus carreras, ya que es un gran beneficio para nosotrosâ, dijo AmÃn David, activista comunitario, quien estuvo presente en el evento realizado este fin de semana. âVeo una comunidad que despierta, y que puede lograr sueÃos que parecen ser imposiblesâ, agregÃ. ========================================================= 5) Estudiantes en huelga de hambre (Students participate in Hunger Strike[Fast]) Hoy 20 de septiembre, 2004 Francisco Castro LOS ANGELES -- Han Kim, un estudiante coreano de la Universidad del Sur de California (USC), apenas habla. DespuÃs de siete dÃas de ayuno, el alumno esta dÃbil, pero dice que seguirà sin comer hasta el final de esta semana. Kim es uno de decenas de estudiantes de secundarias, colegios comunitarios y universidades que en seis diferentes puntos del paÃs empezaron el lunes un ayuno de dos semanas en apoyo al âDREAM Actâ (Ley de Desarrollo, Alivio y EducaciÃn para Menores Extranjeros). La ley permitirÃa que jÃvenes indocumentados obtengan la residencia legal, con lo que podrÃan conseguir ayuda financiera para pagar sus estudios universitarios y obtener empleos. Alrededor de 20 estudiantes se unieron ayer al ayuno de Kim frente a USC, donde piensan quedarse hasta el domingo. Una de ellos fue Alma CatalÃn, una estudiante de 20 aÃos del colegio comunitario Santa MÃnica (SMC), que ve su futuro incierto por ser indocumentada. âEstoy como en la lÃnea porque lo Ãnico que puedo hacer es seguir yendo a la escuela. Cuando ya obtenga agarre mi licenciatura o mi maestrÃa tendrÃa que esperar para que una ley como el DREAM Act pase para que yo pueda empezar a trabajarâ, dijo CatalÃn. Ni siquiera la continuaciÃn de su educaciÃn esta segura, ya que las becas que le han permitido asistir a SMC no son suficientes para pagar su colegiatura en una universidad. â[El DREAM Act] me ayudarÃa obtener mi residencia para que yo pueda trabajar y pueda pagar por mi educaciÃnâ, dijo la originaria de MÃxico. Sus padres trabajan en fÃbricas y no pueden pagar su escuela. El DREAM Act fue aprobado en el Comità Judicial del Senado en octubre pasado, pero desde entonces no ha habido ninguna acciÃn sobre la ley. Los jÃvenes piden al pÃblico que llamen a Bill Frist, lÃder de la mayorÃa en el Senado, y al presidente George Bush para pedirles que se apruebe la ley este aÃo. De no ser asÃ, CatalÃn teme que el problema siga afectando a buenos estudiantes que verÃn sus sueÃos truncados. âPara que los jÃvenes de secundaria cuando se gradÃen no tengan que estar igual que nosotros ahorita: con problemas de cÃmo vamos a pagar por los libros y por la educaciÃnâ, dijo. ============================================================= 6) Demonstrators fast for DREAM Activists have set up camp across the country to urge passing of DREAM Act. By Anna Jewett USC Daily Trojan Published: Monday, September 20, 2004 Media Credit: Rachel Elias (Daily Trojan) In protest. Supporters of the DREAM Act gather at Hoover Street and Jefferson Boulevard to raise awareness for immigrant student rights. Peaceful demonstrators have set up camp at the corner of Hoover Street and Jefferson Boulevard in an attempt to bring awareness to the DREAM Act, a measure that would allow undocumented immigrant students to receive legal status and higher education. About 15 supporters of immigrant rights are protesting and fasting at the site each day, one of many demonstrations across the country, said Han Kim, a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles. The event seeks to urge the general public to contact elected officials in an effort to bring the DREAM Act to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a vote before Sept. 30. The site at Hoover Street and Jefferson Boulevard has been set up since Sept. 13 and will last until Sept. 25. The bill has already passed through all committees and has bipartisan support, but it must be brought to the floor and be voted on by Sept. 30 otherwise the Senate will go into recess and the bill will die. Banners hanging on-site urged the public to call Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) Currently, immigrant students who came to the United States as young children are disadvantaged because they have neither legal status nor any means of receiving the financial aid necessary to pay for higher education, said Carlos Flores, a community college student majoring in history and British literature. The passage of this bill would benefit the 65,000 undocumented immigrant students graduating from high school each year that are unable to receive higher education because their illegal status makes it impossible for them to receive any financial aid, he said. While undocumented immigrant students may be admitted to universities, their "socioeconomic status makes it highly difficult to seek higher education," Flores said. Flores himself immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was 10 years old. Although he currently qualifies for AB540, a measure which allows undocumented California immigrants to receive the same in-state tuition as legal residents, he said that he is directly affected by the outcome of this bill. Currently, the immigrant students who would benefit from the passage of this measure contribute more to society than they take, and higher education would allow them to contribute even more, Kim said. "For society as a whole, the bill should be beneficial long-term. We have to put pressure on the politicians to do something," he said. Those opposing the passage of this bill are concerned that it will "create more competition in areas of financial aid," Flores said. Supporters have been working on this campaign for two years. However, if the bill is not passed in time, the process of creating a bill to become a law will start all over again. "We need to bring awareness to the general public. (The bill) just has to be heard and has to be voted on," Kim said. Individuals have chosen to do different lengths of fasts, including some individuals that are fasting off-site, he said. Kim has been present at the site and plans to do a weeklong fast. "I'm on day five. I feel tired, but optimistic. It's going to happen," Kim said. By restricting themselves to juice and water and sleeping outside on the ground, the demonstrators are trying to impress upon the general public the importance of this act, he said. "I love food. I'm willing to give it up for a week to show how I support this," he said. A site near a school was chosen because the bill is about education, he said. The exact impact upon either students or the general public, however, is unknown. Some students have been responsive to the demonstrators but there is no way to really know how effective the fast is, Kim said. DREAM Fast Vigil Campaign September 13 - 25th In front of the University of Southern California (USC) - CORNER OF HOOVER AND JEFFERSON What you can do to participate! 1. Call Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), 1-800-369-0315, and urge him to support the DREAM Act! 2. Call the White House and urge President Bush, 202-456-1111, to pass the DREAM Act! 3. Endorse the campaign as an organization or an individual! (For more information, contact Jane Chung at 323-937-3703) 4. Fast for 24-hours! (For more information, contact Horacio Arroyo at 213-201-4449) 5. Come out and support the fasters! 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM CORNER OF HOOVER & JEFFERSON (IN FRONT OF USC) Fasters Needed for Los Angeles DREAM Fast Vigil 9/13-25! ActionLA and National Immigrant Solidarity Network had endorsed the fast and will provide faster for the DREAM Fast Vigil, we are encourage APALA members to support as well! Suggest fast date: Sept 21st, 2004: 24 Hr. Labor Supporter Day Fast and Immigrant Convention 9 AM - 12 PM at Korea Town Sept 23rd, 2004: March and Vigil Day Sep 25th, 2004: Closing Fast and Ceremony For more information, or to get involved, please call us at (213) 201-4449 or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lee Siu Hin ActionLA National Immigrant Solidarity Network ======================================================== National Immigrant Solidarity Network No Immigrant Bashing! 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