J
Students organize in an effort to educate the communi
student group strives to bring
awareness to the immigrant
experience
Elisabeth Bachmann
Public Relations Coordinator | @lizannbach
“I think we all come to college
sort of hoping to make a difference
and leave the place better than you
found it,” said senior David Duncan,
a member of the Immigrant Realities
group on campus.
After President Donald Trump
rescinded Deferred Action for Child
hood Arrivals (DACA) on Sept. 5,
2017, a group of Elon University
students founded Immigrant Reali
ties. The group works to advocate for
immigrant rights, educate the com
munity, empower immigrants and
eliminate stigmas.
‘As an immigrant myself, I have
a social responsibility to take action
and to use my privilege of being on
a campus like Elon to inform others
who might not be aware or are not
educated on the real impact that it
has on peoples lives,” said senior
Mirella Cisneros, an Immigrant
Realities member.
After President Trumps decision,
former Elon student Ana Silvia felt
that she should do something. On
Sept. 18, 2017, she worked with oth
er students to hold a DACA informa
tion panel.
TTie panel was popular, and it in
spired Silvia and the other students
to do more.
“It must have been over a hundred
students in that space, and I thought
that was very telling of the conversa
ABBY GIBBS 1 PHOTO EDfTOR
Senior David Duncan, a member of Immi^ant Realities, addresses marketing plans for the organization on Thursday, Sept. 20 in Carlton 119.
tion and the need for a conversation
on this campus,” said Tyrone Jean,
the director of the Center for Race,
Ethnicity and Diversity Education
and academic advisor to Immigrant
Realities.
“We decided that there was more
that we could do not just for DACA
recipients, but for other immigrants
on campus and just immigrant com
munities in the US,” Cisneros said.
The students who created Immi
grant Realities went to the Collegiate
Alliance for Immigration Reform
(CAIR) this past February. Immi
grant Realities plans to attend CAIR
this year.
“Its a really cool opportunity for
us to learn more about ways in which
we can implement policy here at
ii
WE DECIDEDTHATTHERE
WAS MORE THAT WE
COULD DO NOT JUST FOR
DACA RECIPIENTS, BUT
FOR OTHER IMMIGRANTS
ON CAMPUS AND
JUST IMMIGRANT
COMMUNITIES IN THE US.
MIRELLA CISNEROS
SENIOR
Elon in terms of improving immi
grant students experiences,” Duncan
said.
Immigrant Realities created a
social media presence on Instagram
and Facebook. Their social me
dia campaigns focus on educating
people about immigrants. They in
clude #FakeNewsFriday, #TakeAc-
tionTuesday and #SuccessStory on
Sundays.
“Thats not enough, right? Its not
just its not enough to just post things
in order to create change. You need
to take action,” Cisneros said.
They organized two additional
panels and co-hosted Civil Discourse
on Immigration with Elon Politics
Forum and Hall for Change, a Living
Learning Community in the Colon-
nades Neighborhood.
Immigrant Realities*
a protest against 287 (Q i
(G) program aHows stafc',
police officers to act ask
and Customs EnforcemM
fleers.
This organization all(„|
the ability to express tha,
and effect change in a jjj
way.
“It is not just about L%
That is a common msn
and actually impacts a lot^
from various countries; las
“Immigrant Realities^
per important to me, anli
what I want to do after
can said. “I want to go into!
tion law now and thatiss
that I could see myself d*
rest of my life.”
The members of
ities expressed appreciati«
administration for
throughout the process t
a full-fledged student
Immigrant Realities
developmental status thisi
In ie future, Immigii
hopes to host more pandi
to educate the public.
ing to host a panel this sa
students who can shared
ences as immigrants on!
pus and how being on M
has changed their perspal
United States.
“Just remember that!
Realities is something ii
said Duncan, “It is sorai
always changing andii
grassroots organizationi
from students who aitj
about something.”
El exito de ELHAN un ano
despues de su comienzo
Como ha crecido el
programa de ex alumnos
de Elon
Ariana Reyes
Elon News Network | @elonnewsnetwork
Elon Latinx/Hispanic Alum
ni Network, conocido como
ELHAN, es una red de ex-alum-
nos latinos e hispanos que se
dedican a proveer apoyo a la
comunidad de estudiantes lati
nos e hispanos en Elon una vez
se graduan. ELHAN le da una
oportunidad a los estudiantes
de establecer relaciones para
que ampHen sus oportunidades
en el ambito profesional. La or-
ganizacion trabaja mediante la
implementacion de programas
que permiten la conexion entre
los estudiantes y los que ya se
han graduado.
Maity Interiano ’07, presi-
denta de ELHAN, habla sobre
la necesidad que habia de crear
una red que conectara a todos
los ex-alumnos y estableciera
una relacion con los actuates es
tudiantes.
“Esta es una organizacion
que se hizo pensando en todos
los estudiantes y ex-alumnos de
Elon que son latinos e hispanos,”
dice Interiano. “Yo me gradue
hace once anos. No habia nada
que mantuviera a los latinos e
hispanos unidos como ex-alum
nos, entonces se creo ELHAN.”
ELHAN tiene como proposi-
to vincular a todos los ex-alum
nos latinos e hispanos para
mantener relaciones duraderas
que scan de apoyo tanto en lo
profesional como en lo person
al. La organizacion busca estas
relaciones con los estudiantes
tambien, y asi logran el objetivo
a traves de su departamento de
participacion con la comunidad
(Internal Outreach).
Nikki Morillo ’12, vicepres-
identa del departamento de
“Internal Outreach”, se encarga
de trabajar en los programas y
eventos que tienen lugar en la
universidad e involucran a los
estudiantes.
ii
NOTENGASMIEDO
DESERQUIEN REAL-
METE ERES. DONDE
SEA, SIEMPRE HABRA
UN LUGAR PARATI.’’
ERIC HERNANDEZ
GRADUADO'16
“Yo trabajo con alumnos lati
nos muy dedicados,” dice Moril
lo. “Nuestro grupo esta encar-
gado de planear los eventos de
ELHAN durante Homecoming,
con el apoyo de Deidra, Sylvia,
Maity y los demas del grupo de
liderazgo de ELHAN.”
ELHAN tambien planea
conectarse con los estudiantes a
traves de su programa de tutoria
el cual se creo recientemente.
Este programa conecta a estudi
antes de penilltimo y ultimo ano
de universidad, con un miem-
bro de ELHAN como mentor o
mentora.
Deidra Smith, Directora
Asociada de Alumni Engage
ment y Sylvia Munoz, Directora
Asociada del “Center for Race
Ethnicity and Diversity Educa
tion" y Directora del Centro de
Espanol, facilitan las actividades
que conectan a los estudiantes
con ELHAN.
“Mi mayor enfoque con
ELHAN es servir como el en
lace entre los estudiantes y el
alumni network,” dice Munoz.
“A1 estar yo a cargo de los es
tudiantes aqui, se me hace un
poco mas facU tener contacto
directo con ellos y saber cuales
son las necesidades y yo traigo
esas necesidades a los oidos del
grupo.”
ELHAN esta al servido de
los estudiantes latinos e his
panos en Elon para facilitar la
transicion de la vida universitar-
ia a la vida profesional. Mas alia
de eso, ELfiAN es una comuni
dad enorguUedda de sus miem-
bros latinos e hispanos que han
logrado sobresalir en diversos
aspectos, y espera lo mismo de
los que estan estudiando en la
universidad ahora.
Eric Hernandez ’16 habia de
la importancia del orgullo en la
identidad individual, y motiva
a la comunidad de Elon a creer
en su papel como latinos e his
panos.
“No tengas miedo de ser qui-
en realmente eres. Donde sea.
siempre habra un lugar para ti,”
dijo Hernandez.