For Immediate Release
Thursday July 29th, 2010
Media Contacts:
Ernesto Zumaya (323) 594-7107, Spanish and English
Educators in Support of California Hunger Strike for the DREAM ACT
For 10 days, immigrant youth and allies have been involved on a hunger strike, in support of the DREAM Act as a stand alone bill, in front of United States Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Los Angeles office. The participants are requesting Senator Feinstein for a statement in which she agrees actively supporting the DREAM Act when is brought forward to the Senate floor and also having a meeting between her district office and their group, The DREAM is Coming.
WHAT: Press conference with educational leaders in support of the 10 students currently engaging in the hunger strike, in an effort to achieve their DREAMs, in Los Angeles to urge Senator Dianne Feinstein to champion the DREAM Act as a stand alone bill.
WHEN: Friday, July 30, 2010
10:30 AM
WHERE: In front of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Los Angeles office
11111 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles CA90025
WHY: In order to continue to pressure Senator Feinstein to champion the DREAM Act, students and allies are willing to make a physical sacrifice in order to push the DREAM Act forward. Joining the hunger strike participants at the press conference there will be several educators speaking in support of the DREAM Act. Ernest Morrell, Ph.D., professor at UCLA, William Perez, Ph.D., professor at Claremont Graduate University and author of “We Are Americans” and UCLA Student Body President, Jasmine Hill, participating in the hunger strike, will be speaking.
At least 65,000 undocumented immigrant youth graduate from high schools every year, and many of them struggle to attend institutes of higher education. The DREAM Act will grant youth who traveled to the United States before the age of 16 a path to citizenship contingent on continuous presence in the country, good behavior, and the attainment of at least a two-year university degree or a two-year commitment to the armed forces.
The DREAM is Coming project is a collaboration between multiple organizations, including the New York State Youth Leadership Council, the Immigrant Youth Justice League, Dream Team Los Angeles, Kansas Missouri Dream Alliance, Arizona Dream Act Coalition, the Orange County Dream Team, University Leadership Initiative of Texas, Virginia DreamActivist, and DREAMActivist.org.