At a time of escalating fears of deportation, faculty and administrators should align themselves with undocumented students and actively fight to secure their future in the United States.
That was one of the key takeaways from a recent panel at George Mason University about undocumented students and their struggle for a place in American society.
“Shame on us if we’re not with them,” said Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera, an associate professor of sociology and director of the newly established Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute at The George Washington University.
“Educators, administrators, whether it’s in primary school, secondary school, I don’t care, universities, we need to be their champions,” Vaquera said. “We need to be side by side.”
Vaquera said helping undocumented students is about more than just identifying as a supporter.
“Being an ally is not an identity. It’s an action,” Vaquera said. “Those educators that want to be there and support the students, we need to do the homework, be with them, make ourselves available, and make yourselves available in your university and make it known that you are a person who wants to help, learning, staying up to date and providing support.
“Because it should not be on the shoulders of undocumented students or their documented allies,” Vaquera said.
