DREAMers Resource Conference

DREAMers Resource Conference

On January 30th, 2016, Syeda Raza, an E3! Ambassador for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAPPI), organized a DREAMers resource conference to support undocumented immigrants, in collaboration with various community organizations such as the Asian American and Arab American Coalition for Deferred Action and the South Asian Deferred Action Coalition, of which SAAPRI is a part.

Millions of undocumented students who wish to pursue higher education must navigate processes such as college applications, personal essays, and finding the funds to finance their education without legal status. During the DREAMers conference, various community leaders and organizations answered common questions held by undocumented immigrants from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnicities.

The conference addressed important issues such as the college application process for undocumented high school students, strategies to finance college, healthcare options for immigrant families, and a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) information session. In addition, the conference had a College and Resource Fair in which several community organizations presented their services and in which several college representatives spoke to students and families.

The conference brought together 200 attendees and pan-Asian, Arab American, and Latino organizations in solidarity. It is important to remember that undocumented immigration is not a Latino-exclusive issue, and community leaders must work together in order to adequately support the needs of undocumented community members who come from various backgrounds.

  • Access the Facebook event page here