By Rami Mansi
Through the collaboration of the Dream Team and the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), Brooklyn College’s Immigrant Student Success Office (ISSO) celebrated its fourth year in business on Thursday, Sept. 14, in the Student Center’s Gold Room. With a mission dedicated to helping undocumented and immigrant students achieve a fulfilled college experience while ensuring their voices are heard, ISSO viewed this event as an opportunity to celebrate their past accomplishments and prepare for the work ahead.
This collaboration of organizations blossomed through the partnership of ISSO and the Dream Team’s shared mission. The Dream Team is an organization on campus that focuses on advocacy and the upliftment of undocumented and immigrant students. Both teams want to create safe spaces for these students, as well as for advocates for immigrant students called “UndocuAllies.”
BC sophomore and Dream Team President Sergio Leon Hidalgo explained that this event was more than just a birthday celebration. “It’s not just celebrating ISSO’s birthday and it’s not just the Dream Team collaborating with them. It’s ensuring that everyone knows that although ISSO and the Dream Team are here, there is still a need for support. There are still ways we can ensure that [undocumented and immigrant] students aren’t left out of the picture or ignored,” he said, noting that this party was a melting pot of different events and reasons for celebration that all came together for an afternoon of communication, support, and solace.
The rights of immigrant and undocumented individuals have been attacked relentlessly on a federal level. Recently, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an organization created to protect undocumented students from deportation and provide them with work permits, has been deemed illegal, according to The New York Times. This has resulted in the complete refutation of new applicants and a bleak outcome for protection for the undocumented.
With fewer safeguards and the continual fear of deportation, it can be unclear how the BC community can provide support to their immigrant and undocumented peers, not only as fellow students but as passionate UndocuAllies. ISSO’s program coordinator, Leslie Ramirez Carbajal, discussed the importance of recognizing your privilege. “Whether it’s being an ally or part of the community, knowing your privilege […] Making sure that once you become an ally, you take responsibility for the privilege you have to create awareness but most importantly uplifting the voices of those that are not being heard.”
Brenda Bravo, who is a part of ISSO’s fellowship program and is a junior at BC, highlighted that by turning events into helpful resources, we can open doors and bring awareness to the issues at hand, helping immigrant and undocumented students find a place of peace where they can feel uplifted and supported by their peers. “Being able to be here for students, and really make yourself accessible to them,” Bravo said. “I feel like for immigrant students, it is uncomfortable to speak about it and have a conversation about it to say ‘This is the help that I need.’ But this event is a way to give them this help and be here and support them.”
With some notable figures from Brooklyn College taking their turn at the podium to welcome everyone and endorse ISSO’s outreach, such as USG President Carrie Ebbin and Assistant Dean for Student Life Dean Moraima, the program was centered around amplifying student voices. The event featured a vision board table made for dreaming big and working towards those aspirations, a DIY pin-making station with messages of support for students, and a table where everyone was encouraged to paint, color, and write messages on a poster titled “We Support Immigrants.” While promoting transparent conversations about pressing subjects, these activities gave people a chance to connect and discuss not only the nitty-gritty of the issue but everyone’s feelings as well.
The ability to express oneself without fear of judgment is a rare privilege seen in recent times, but this is something that ISSO maintains for the entire student body. By bringing the community together through meetings and various events, ISSO is building a foundation of support and joy to all who walk through its doors.
“Most of our students were supported online, so to make the in-person transition and making sure they know who their community is […] letting them know that it’s not always about school and the hardships that we face, but we can also experience undocu-joy,” said Carbajal, supporting the message of the event.
In alignment with ISSO’s mission statement, both the Dream Team and ISSO are committed to extending their support to undocumented and immigrant students beyond the confines of Brooklyn College. This event served as the launch for ISSO’s future endeavors as the office enters its fourth year with ambitious plans to be its most active year yet.