Empowering immigrant and undocumented students in a Hispanic Heritage Month event
Senior Gabriela Torres presents about Julia Mejia as part of the presentation's series highlighting Afro-Latine figures during More Than Just One Voice, Tuesday, Sept. 19, in Sarah Opperman Auditorium. Mejia is Boston's first Afro-Latina City Councilor.
In a bid to shed light on the challenges faced by immigrant and undocumented student, the Multicultural Academic Students Services and Empowered Latino Union host a discussion as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at the Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium, located in the Park Library according to Engage Central.
Professor Webb Tomentosa, who specializes in immigration studies, will moderate the event. Then, the students and experts will have an opportunity to share their personal experiences and insights in a panel discussion, Alejandro Gradilla, assistant director of Latinx and Hispanic American Student Engagement, said.
The discussion will touch on the financial challenges faced by immigrant students, including high tuition fees and limited access to scholarships and federal financial aid, he said.
"Financial support is one of the biggest ones that students that don't have legal status, or coming from other countries see as a challenge," Gradilla said. "I know that if you were here as an immigrant student, sometimes you hget charged ... international tuition, because you're not considered a citizen of this country ... therefore, you have to pay these higher amounts of money."
The event aims to provide a platform for students and experts to discuss the hurdles faced by those who come to the United States from different countries, some with legal permissions and others without, Gradilla said.
One of the focal points of the event is the discussion surrounding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was established during the Obama administration, Gradilla said.
DACA provides certain benefits to undocumented immigrant children but does not have a path to citizenship. The event will debunk common misconceptions about immigrants, such as the false belief that they do not pay taxes, Gradilla said.
"It's gonna be a great event," he said. "It's an event that's put together by students for students."
The event is open to public. Sign in to Engage Central to RSVP.
To learn more, visit MASS Facebook page.
