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Proposition 300

Class of 2010's lost Latino student generation

Silvia Rodriguez had a dream to graduate from Arizona State University, but after Proposition 300's passage in November, her only chance may be another DREAM.

The 20-year-old is a double-major sophomore. Two days after state voters passed the Public Program Eligibility referendum, Rodriguez and about 75 other ASU students demonstrated in front of Sen. John McCain's Phoenix office to ask his support for the Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act in Congress. Such a law would provide a process for legalization of undocumented college students, and provide for in-state tuition.

The students say Arizona's congressional delegation - which now includes newly elected Democrats Gabrielle Gifford and Harry Mitchell - should become Congress' top advocates in a Democrat-controlled House and Senate for a cause whose time has come.

"They need to stand up for us, they need to represent us, because we are part of Arizona as well," says Rodriguez, an undocumented student whose parents brought her here when she was two years old. Officials estimate that as many as 100,000 students could be affected.

In addition, the college students say, Proposition 300 will have a devastating impact on younger undocumented students in state high schools. They say that the undocumented junior and high school students will be discouraged from striving for college.

"My brother says his friends are saying, 'Why bother getting good grades? We aren't going anywhere anyway', " commented one student at the protest.

Proposition 300 was sponsored by Republicans Dean Martin, newly elected state treasurer, and state Legislator Russell Pearce.

If enacted, the measure would stop undocumented students from getting in-state tuition rates and state scholarships at community colleges and universities. At ASU, for example, in-state tuition is $4,591; out-of-state tuition is $15,750. Undocumented students who got state-funded scholarships and currently attend Arizona universities would lose those scholarships.

Prop. 300 backers argue that allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition means state taxpayers are subsidizing non-U.S. citizens.

"The undocumented may keep U.S. citizens who want to go to an Arizona university from attending," Martin adds.

However, even in the Latino community some don't agree with the students' demands.

"I support Prop. 300 - 100 percent," says Al Rodriguez. Rodriguez lives in Scottsdale and is national chairman of You Don't Speak for Me!, a group of Hispanic citizens who oppose illegal immigration.

Rodriguez says that "illegal" students shouldn't benefit from a special legalization process in a DREAM Act, but should return to Mexico. "If they want an education here, they should get in line and wait to be legalized, like those in line before them who are abiding by the law."

Immigrant advocates are starting a call to Latino citizens to contribute to scholarship funds earmarked to help undocumented students.

Rosemary Ybarra-Hernandez is head of an education organization called AGUILA. The group trains high school students to attend college, and raises funds for their scholarships. She says she has some high school and university students in the AGUILA program who are undocumented. Ybarra-Hernandez says her group will seek private donations to provide financial help to her AGUILA students.

Roberto Reveles, a leader in the Somos America organization, says that citizen Latinos need to form coalitions with the undocumented immigrant community to address this issue.

"I do feel that we have not yet seen evidence that the more comfortable and established Latinos are stepping into the fray in any significant numbers," Reveles says. "And yet this is a possible source of much needed resources in preparing for the post-Proposition 300 period."

Reveles adds that the citizen Latino community shouldn't just stand by and watch a significant part of a generation of Latino students vanish from Arizona college campuses.

"Somehow we must find a way to convince our established Latinos that this whole immigration issue affects them, and, if left unchecked, will affect their children and grandchildren."

In addition, re-elected Gov. Janet Napolitano told Latino Perspectives during an August interview that her response to Prop. 300's passage would be to seek non-taxpayer funds to help undocumented students.

"...we want to make sure that particularly students who have no responsibility for how they got here, to make sure they still have access to universities. We'll have to go to the private sector," she said.

Immigrant advocates say they will probably file a lawsuit asking for an injunction against Proposition 300 early next year.