A national issue will be presented on a local level Wednesday as Tehama Lopez delivers a speech about “Immigration and the DREAM Act.”
The keynote speech of Hispanic Heritage Month is being presented by the Ohio University Multicultural Center, Black Student Cultural Programming Board and Student Advisory Committee and will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Baker University Center Theatre.
Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, associate director of the Multicultural Center, said the center factored into account the election year and President Barack Obama’s recent stance on illegal immigration when selecting the speaker.
“Students have taken classes with her; they love her, and so we thought she’d do a good job reaching out to students,” Chunnu-Brayda said.
Lopez, who spoke at the Trayvon Martin rally last year, is an assistant professor of political science at OU. At the event, Lopez will speak about immigration issues and policies such as the DREAM Act — or the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act — which would allow children of illegal immigrants to obtain citizenship.
If it passes, those who live in the U.S. and graduate from a U.S. high school would be eligible for a conditional six-year path to citizenship if they earn a college degree or serve two years in the military, according to Reuters.
Sen. Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) and Sen. Tom Sawyer (D-Akron) presented the Ohio version of the bill, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Different states also have varying versions of the DREAM Act on the ballot.
“This bill is necessary to offer all students the chance of achieving the American dream,” Tavares said, according to the article. “This country was built on the foundation of encouraging individuals to reach their highest potential. We should not penalize young people for striving for success.”
Chunnu-Brayda said that although she does not endorse illegal immigration, she believes the DREAM Act is “a step in the right direction.”
She added that Hispanic immigrants, legal or not, tend to bear the brunt of the arguments against policies such as the DREAM Act and also add some of the best perspectives to these debates.
“The Hispanics are typically the ones at the forefront of the debate and leading it,” Chunnu-Brayda said. “Then everybody benefits, because (things such as) the DREAM Act are for everyone.”
eb104010@ohiou.edu
