California Gov. Jerry Brown’s signing of AB-130 has advocates for undocumented students wondering if and when AB-131, the second part of the legislation, will be approved.
AB-130 means progress for undocumented students in California, who can now apply for private financial aid. However, critics argue that nothing will change until AB-131, which would extend to state financial aid, is signed as well.
“[Brown’s AB-130 signature] really doesn’t do anything groundbreaking,” former California State Student Association President Chris Chavez said. “It just specifically allows for currently employed practices.”
Chavez, known for his advocacy of undocumented students, said he believes the students are valuable assets the state is overlooking.
“Ultimately, in the state of California and at the national level, we need all the educated people we can get to maintain our economy and continue being competitive in the world,” Chavez said.
California’s struggling economy remains the primary reason for Brown’s reluctance to sign AB-131. Even with the support of the Latino and Asian voting blocks, he sees California’s lack of funding as a major obstacle.
“It relates back to the budget,” Chavez said. “At the legislative level, that’s been the primary roadblock. [But] if he wants to continue enjoying support from those communities, he’s going to have to sign that bill.”
Evelyn Hernandez, a senior mechanical engineering major at Cal State Long Beach, is an undocumented student.
She is the first person in her family to attend a university and earns top grades in most of her classes.
“AB-131 would help me a lot,” Hernandez said. “First of all, I would be able to focus on school more. My family would be less stressed and there wouldn’t be so much pressure on me to look for jobs or look for money.”
According to Chavez, many opponents of AB-131 perceive the bill as one that grants money to undocumented students, when in reality it merely grants them the chance to access it.
“It allows them to be competitive,” Chavez said. “They have to meet the same requirements as every other student.”
Hernandez reiterated the importance of the bill from her first-hand perspective.
“It definitely would help a lot of students finish school because cost of college is increasing and these students don’t have the money to afford it,” Hernandez said. “I’m lucky enough that my parents barely scrape by to pay for my tuition. If a family had three kids and my parents’ income, it would be much more difficult.”
Those critical of AB-131 often argue that allowing undocumented students access to state financial aid would take away resources from natural American students, who they feel deserve priority.
“I can see their point of view sometimes,” Hernandez said. “California doesn’t have enough money to spend on everyone, but I think the entire country should support education. I think everyone has the right to an education and [the Dream Act] is just America giving them that right.”
Hernandez pointed out that citizens can get part time jobs to help offset the cost of college.
Still, she said immigrant students who lack Social Security do not have that luxury and, therefore, need the state’s help more.
“There’s a risk for everything,” Chavez said. “But we still have immigration laws and polices. This bill, in my view, will not circumvent that.”
Proponents of the bill argue that California needs to educate as many of its residents as possible regardless of citizenship, and that the money they’ll generate when they enter the workforce will be well worth the cost of education.
“Not only are we missing out on their ability to work for the economy, but also the money they put back into it is going to be gone too,” Chavez said.
Many undocumented students were brought to America as children and have been in the country for most of their lives.
It comes as a shock to many when they grow old enough to realize that they are not considered citizens in the place they’ve come to call home.
“I’ve lived here all my life,” Hernandez said. “I have no recollection of Mexico, where I was born. So I guess I would be American because I grew up and was raised here.”
Chavez said these students gain such allegiance and nativity that the additional aid makes most sense.
“For all intents and purposes, [undocumented students] are Americans, culturally and allegiance wise,” Chavez said. “We’ve already invested in them at the elementary, junior high and high school levels. It would be a waste to pull the plug at the college level.”
Though Brown’s signature of AB-130 is only half the battle, it still serves as a symbol of hope for undocumented students in California and represents Brown’s commitment to helping immigrants.
“I think it will have an impact,” Chavez said. “Even if it’s a symbolic victory, it’s still an accomplishment. It will inspire kids to want to go to college when they previously didn’t see it as a possibility.”
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