Our Panelists will address the struggles, concerns and issues of the undocumented community during election season. They will discuss what revolves around your vote and possible alternatives for civic participation, when you are unable to vote due to your immigration status.
“WHATS AT STAKE: Immigration, the National Election and Beyond"
Panelists:
Raul Alcaraz-Ochoa, (National Deportation Defense Organizer, United We Dream)
Oscar Hernandez, (DACA
Recipient and Lead Organizer for United We Dream)
Citilalli Alvarez Almedariz, (Houston Organizing Fellow for United We Dream)
Dr. Pamela Quiroz, Ph.D (Director, Center for Mexican American Studies, University of Houston)
Jeronimo Cortina, Ph.D (Associate Professor, University of Houston)
Moderator: Veronica Bernal, J.D., (Immigration Director at Carrigan, McClosky, Roberson LLP)
When: Oct. 27th – 6:30pm – 8pm
Where: L.O.C.C.A (Law Office Center for Citzenship and Art), 7016 Canal Street, Houston, Texas 77011
In collaboration with the Center for Mexican American Studies, University of Houston, Veronica Bernal and Mikaela Selley.
United We Dream is the organization started by those who are known as the “Dreamers”, the large community of young, undocumented immigrants living in the United States. LOCCA’s first program invited them to talk about their experiences of life living in the shadows, and then courageously out in the open and without fear of their status as residents. Our event was hosted by Veronica Bernal, an attorney representing this community in south Texas. Invited to the panel were Oscar Hernandez, Raul Alcaraz-Ochoa and Citlalli Alvarez Almendariz all organizers for UWD. Not only did we hear about their accounts of living in fear and being discovered by the authorities, but their transformation to decide not to succumb to this condition. Due to President Obama’s executive action, children who are under 31 and without resident documentation qualify for the Deferred Action for Children Arrives (DACA). DACA allows them to get a driver’s license, have a job with benefits, get a social security number, permits them to help their family financially, etc. This program has permitted this section our U.S. undocumented community to come out of the shadows to push for immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship. LOCCA’s partner the University of Houston’s Center for Mexican American Studies was represented by its director, Dr. Pamela Quiroz.
