Assembly Bill (AB) 21 was passed yesterday, according to a tweet sent out by State Assembly Member, District 27, Ash Kalra. AB 21 was supported by California State University Stanislaus’, (Stan State), own California Faculty Association (CFA) during the process of the bill’s creation.
AB 21 was put forth to “protect undocumented students in higher education,” according to Kalra’s tweet. This last assembly vote releases the bill to be voted on by Governor Brown for final approval by the end of September, according to Steven Filling, president of Stan State’s California Faculty Association (CFA).
The involvement of Filling with other CFA members of the campus on the steps of the California Capitol represented the university on behalf of students and faculty during the lobbying process.
Filling stated that AB 21 “put into statute” protection for the release of undocumented students’ information on California State University (CSU) campuses “unless [California authorities] have documentation to do so.”
Part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) approval process, according to Filling, is that students, known as Dreamers, must list their own residence as well as their parents’ residence.
“We know who our students are,” Filling said, and added that all students deserve to be treated fairly.
Dr. Ann Strahm, Vice President of the CFA and a Sociology Professor at Stan State, stated that AB 21 would be “an added layer of protection for our undocumented students in terms of their right to privacy when it comes to them being on campus.”
According to Strahm, CSUs are complex in that they are “state entities that receive federal funding,” which complicates the issue of President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the DACA program.
“CFA’s purpose is to support faculty’s support of students because the CFA believes that our working conditions are your, meaning students, learning conditions,” Strahm said. “If one or the other isn’t working out, then neither is working out.”
She encouraged students to “channel their anxiety into activism” in hopes of seeing the next set of community leaders making serious demands for equality and justice.
Martha Curiel (freshman, Nursing) felt that many CSU campuses do not focus on the issue as much as Stan State does, and found it encouraging to know that the Stan State CFA was supporting their students and faculty.
“It’s very hard and it’s very frustrating for students that are really trying to make a better life for themselves, and he [President Trump] just decides to cut it off without any notice,” Curiel said. “There are so many people on the waiting list that are just hoping to be able to receive help from DACA.”
Filling stated that thousands of students in the CSU system are affected by this legislation. He added that undocumented students have jobs and are participating members of society.
“Our success of society is our success of our students,” Filling said.
There will be a Students for Quality Education (SQE) rally today at 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. to stand in solidarity with Dreamers in accordance to issues related to the DACA program. The rally will take place in the Stan State quad.
Click here to know more about AB 21, and here for more information on the CFA.
