作者：辛西娅·休伯特

2022年6月17日

As an undocumented elementary school student in Santa Barbara County, Erik Ramirez was determined to excel in his studies, attend college, and “show the world that I deserved to be here.”

然而，拉米雷斯成为一名教育家的梦想，是在多年后“童年来美暂缓遣返计划”生效后才得以实现的。

有了DACA带来的保证和加州梦想法案的经济支持，拉米雷斯在推迟上大学10年后，于2015年进入博彩平台。 He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at 囊状态, and found a professional home on campus in 学生事务.

Ramirez is completing his doctoral degree and works as 囊状态’s director of Equity and Affinity Centers, which include the 梦想者资源中心 for undocumented students.

“DACA has been a very effective program, and it changed my life,” Ramirez said. “It put me on a path that I knew I was going to walk,” allowing him to obtain a work permit and protecting him from deportation.

然而，在该计划本周满10周年之际，美国缺乏永久移民改革，许多无法申请DACA身份的年轻移民生活在不确定和恐惧中。

根据DACA计划，在16岁之前来到美国并符合其他严格标准的无证移民不会被驱逐出境，并有资格在美国工作和学习。 移民当局继续接受DACA受惠者的延期申请，但新的申请已经停止。 该项目没有提供获得公民身份的明确途径。

“DACA has left out a lot of young people, and we still don’t have a permanent fix,” Ramirez said.

据估计，萨克州立大学有800到900名无证学生，萨克州立大学长期致力于帮助他们踏上大学之旅。

梦想家中心成立于六年前，是美国首批此类中心之一，为学生提供学术和经济资源，以及法律和情感支持，帮助他们应对不确定的移民身份。 萨克州立大学和科罗拉多州立大学公开支持无证学生，并呼吁进行全面的移民改革。

“I want our DACA, Dreamer, and mixed-status students, staff, and faculty to know that they are, and always will be, important members of the Hornet Family,” 囊状态 President Robert S. Nelsen said. “We will continue to advocate for their rights and push for a permanent path to citizenship.”

拉米雷斯出生于墨西哥，4岁时随父母来到美国。 他们降落在圣巴巴拉县，在那里他们有亲戚。 年轻的埃里克在学校表现很好，但知道自己没有合法身份给他带来了压力。

“I remember living in fear, worrying that they were going to kick us out of our home and school,” he said. “I felt that if I proved myself worthy, they would let me stay and go to college.”

他靠奖学金上了社区大学，但仍然对自己的移民身份保持警惕，无法负担大学学费。 For the next decade, he “found creative ways to make a living,” working for an auto parts company and a telecommunications firm, among other jobs.

“I was making decent money, but I was not happy,” he said. “I wasn’t doing the work I wanted to do.”

DACA和加州梦想法案打开了大门。 2016年，在可能被驱逐出境的负担被解除、经济援助到手的情况下，他从Sac州立大学毕业，获得了传播学学位。 While pursuing his master’s, he became involved with student government and developed an interest in 学生事务. 这将他带到了梦想者资源中心，在那里他找到了一份学生助理的工作。

“For the first time ever, I started really connecting with other undocumented people,” Ramirez said. “The center is a safe place where everyone can be themselves.”

2019年，拉米雷斯被任命为梦想家资源中心协调员。 Now he oversees several of 囊状态’s Equity and Affinity Centers, including the Serna中心, the 多元文化中心, the 骄傲中心, and the Women’s Resource Center.

作为DACA计划的受益者，拉米雷斯对他所服务的学生所面临的挑战有着深刻的个人理解。

“My undocumented status, my various identities, connect me to this work,” he said.

“But I’m hopeful that one day there won’t be a need for a 梦想者资源中心. 我们的存在是因为一个问题。 That problem needs to be solved, so that we don’t have to worry about undocumented students.”

Sac州立大学将于6月25日星期六上午9点在梦想家资源中心举办一个诊所，为学生、教职员工和他们的直系亲属提供DACA和公民身份申请方面的帮助。 For more information, contact drc@csus.edu, or call 916-278-7734.