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Court rules no in-state tuition for DREAMers
] r e m m u [S DAILYWILDCAT.COM
BY EDDIE CELAYA @DailyWildcat
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 – Tuesday, July 11, 2017 VOLUME 110 ISSUE 95
ARTS & LIFE | PAGE 14
SIMON ASHER/THE DAILY WILDCAT
ALFONZO CHAVEZ DESCRIBES HIS experiences and how HB 2281 has directly impacted his life. Students testify that the empowerment of the Mexican American Studies classes encouraged them to continue their education.
‘Don’t hate, educate’ TIPSY PICASSOS BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER WITH LAID BACK PAINTING CLASSES AND DRINKS
SPORTS | PAGES 18-19 FORMER ARIZONA MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS LAURI MARKKANEN AND KADEEM ALLEN MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE NBA
Dozens of supporters rally against HB 2281 which bans the Mexican American Studies program in place throughout TUSD BY SHAQ DAVIS @ShaqDavis1
Outside of the federal courts downtown students rallied to share their experiences with the Mexican American Studies throughout the Tucson Unified School District during a trial concerning the bill banning the program. The United Non-discriminatory Individuals Demanding Our Studies, or U.N.I.D.O.S., gathered participants near the Evo A. DeConcini Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse to protest against HB 2281. The trial, which began Monday, June 26, will determine if former Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne and former state Sen. John Huppenthal created HB 2281 with discriminatory intent in 2010. Denisse Rebeil, a U.N.I.D.O.S member and former UA student said the purpose of the event was not only to give updates on the court proceedings but to encourage Tucson’s Hispanic community. “We want to empower our community and make sure that they know that we’re going to continue the fight,” she said. “This isn’t the end whatever happens, whatever the results are.” The coalition’s list of demands includes elimination of HB 2281 from the statutes with no copycat laws in the future, restoration of the M.A.S course and expansion of the education. After elimination of the law, the state must also
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release a public statement acknowledging the racial trauma caused by the bill. U.N.I.D.O.S. has worked to gather support from other neighboring states like California by visiting and sharing their stories. “We actually had people who came down from Oakland, San Francisco, Berkeley,” said U.N.I.D.O.S. member Leo Herrera. “People that came down here to support not only what’s going down in the court case but also the community here.” He said people around the country have shown support and understand the struggle they’re going through. U.N.I.D.O.S organized a “chain in” in 2011 where supporters chained themselves to chairs to protest a TUSD governing board meeting. The meeting was set to make a decision regarding eliminating some of M.A.S classes from the districts’ core curriculum. The meeting was ultimately canceled. The law, as stated in the statutes, prohibits promoting the overthrow of the United States government, resentment toward a race or class of people, courses that are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group and advocating of ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals. In 2012, the TUSD school board voted to eliminate the M.A.S courses due to a notification that the district could lose up to 10
HB 2281 RALLY, 3
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In a blow to undocumented students, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival students — also known as DREAMers — do not have legal status in the state and therefore are ineligible to receive in-state tuition rates. For Pima Community College student Erendida (who asked her last name be withheld), the ruling could have dire consequences for her education. “As soon as I heard about it, I started to cry,” she said through tears. As a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant, the ruling will have profound financial ramifications. Erendida is heartbroken over the decision. “I already can’t afford a full schedule,” she said. “This just makes me getting my education last so much longer.” Brought to Arizona by her parents at the age of 3, Erendida has a unique window into immigration policy and its effects. “My younger sisters were both born here, so they are eligible for everything as citizens,” she said. An Arizona Board of Regents survey in December 2016 found that 45 DACA students attend the UA. Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Matt Lubisich estimated a higher number, perhaps between 60 and 70. Lubisich said he was taken aback by the ruling. “Obviously it’s a huge disappointment,” he said. “I’ve been working with DACA students for the last half-semester. This is not the outcome we wanted.” The appeals court overturned a 2015 ruling by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Arthur Anderson, which determined that DACA recipients were lawfully present in the U.S. and therefore
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