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Discuss a potent video made by the children of immigrants about how it’s tough for the children of immigrants to get a decent education .. and perhaps figure out how the rest of us can help.

When: Saturday, November 03, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Where: Indianapolis Museum of Art 4000 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46208

Presented by We Have A DREAM Committee (An initiative of El Puente Project)

Language difficulties, precarious family finances, low parental expectations, legal restrictions, lack of guidance from high school counselors . . . all can be obstacles to the children of immigrants trying to secure the education they desire, require, and deserve. Underlying these challenges is a sense that they are unwelcome here—at best grudgingly tolerated, at worst unwanted altogether. Join Latino high school and college students to hear about their goals, challenges, and special assets. Watch a video exploring the dreams and realities facing several students in Indianapolis, learn about the organizations and programs that are trying to help them, and discover what these young people have to share with us. Donations requested. Presented by El Puente Project; FIRME; Indianapolis Museum of Art; IU School of Education, IUPUI; and Provocate.

Questions? Call 317-278-6819 or e-mail WeHaveADREAM2006@gmail.com

“We Have A DREAM” is a youth-led initiative of El Puente Project, which seeks to mobilize and empower immigrant and non-immigrant Latino/a youth to achieve their potential. Translated to “The Bridge,” El Puente creates bridges to knowledge, opportunity, and resources to increase accessibility to post-secondary education. El Puente Project is committed to social justice. We know that the development of social and human capital depends on fair and equal access to educational opportunity. We recognize that access to this opportunity is embedded in a complex narrative of social and material conditions shaping family and community life. We believe that parents, schools, and communities share a special responsibility for supporting Latino/a youth as they struggle with that narrative to choose a path and make something of themselves.

“We Have a DREAM” was formed in 2005 when three George Washington High School learned about the DREAM Act and wrote a grant to raise awareness among their peers. Since then it has grown into a statewide movement and continues to be the only formal group in Indiana organizing around the DREAM Act. “We Have A DREAM” activities include presentations at schools, community organizations and conferences; legislative visits; participations in regional and national youth trainings; the DREAM quilt and a voter registration concert.

You might want some background before the event. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (”DREAM Act) would provide a path to legality for persons brought illegally to the United States by their parents as children, or whose parents attempted to immigrate legally but were then denied legality after several years in application, and whose children thus derived their legal status solely from their parents (the child also becoming illegal upon the parent’s denial). To qualify, the immigrant student would have to meet certain requirements such as:

• Proof of having arrived in the United States before reaching 16 years of age;
• Proof of residence in the United States for a least five (5) consecutive years since their date of arrival.
• Having graduated from an American High School, or obtained a GED.
• “Good moral character,” essentially defined as the absence of a significant criminal record (or any drug charges whatsoever).

An estimated 65,000 immigrant students who meet these requirements graduate from high school each year.

For more information about the DREAM Act itself … Check out what the good people at Wikipedia have to say; visit the DREAM Act Portal for a collection of information; and in the interests of seeing all sides, read why the Federation for American Immigration Reform oppose the DREAM Act.

This will be a special event. If it sounds interesting, you should check out some other events examining immigration in Indiana:

• September 14 — Michael Snodgrass examines the effects of immigration on the Mexican state of Jalisco
• September 22 — “In and Out of the Pfalz”: A conference on German migration
• October 3 — Giles Hoyt explores the history of the German Hoosiers
• October 3 — The International Center releases the book “New Faces at the Crossroad”
• October 12: Sagamore Institute reports on the educational needs and possibilities of immigrant communities in Indiana
• October 15 — Carlos Fuentes, Mexico’s greatest writer, discusses immigration as a problem on both sides of the border
• November 7 — John Clark asks: Can Indianapolis be a World Class City without being a Global City?
• November 10 — English as a Second Language: Become a Volunteer Tutor
• November 13 — Sharing the Journey: Immigrants’ Stories
• November 17 — Indiana Opens to the World: Making a Map, Seeing the Connections
• December 5 — “Immigrants Are Here. Now what? Challenges of Immigration in Indiana”

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This entry was posted on Monday, September 3rd, 2007 at 2:48 am and is filed under Events, Mexico, Crossing borders, Race, Film, Education, GLOCAL-ization, Poverty, Taking action, Kids, Latinos, Provocate Event. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.