URBAN LA April 27, 2013 Meeting Highlights

This meeting of URBAN LA featured a presentation by Enrique Ochoa about the formation and ongoing work of an initiative called Educators for Immigrant Rights (EIR), discussion of specific examples of connections between research and action, and more!

1.  Introductions

2.  Update on National URBAN

• Summary of meeting held on Feb 28th in Boston with the Co-Chairs of URBAN.  It was agreed at this meeting that the structure of URBAN will be a horizontal network of scholars across localities and disciplines who are interested in social change on campus and in communities.
• There is interest in convening a workshop of all the URBAN Nodes.  The idea was raised to also hold a local workshop or conference to share the common work that has been taking place in our local communities (i.e.: driver licenses for the undocumented community). Is it possible for an organization, like URBAN, to push for policy change? If so, what can be done?

3.  Presentation by Enrique Ochoa – Educators for Immigrant Rights (EIR)

• Educators for Immigration Reform Network (EIR) grew out of dissatisfaction with the way academia works and desire to find autonomous spaces to begin to decolonize the way that we think.
• In this context, how to connect the notion of research and real praxis?
• Teaching immigration in the context of history. Getting students involved. Finding a way to meld these two worlds together.
• Through Enrique’s involvement in the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), the question was how to get educators involved?
• The idea was to provide a space to bring educators together (regardless of institutional hierarchies i.e.: UC, CSU, etc) on a daily basis. How to connect these folks together and open up the space to challenge the notions of those hierarchies.
• Students at Cal Poly Pomona (DE PIE student group) were very involved and organized and challenged the president of the college. As a result, students were able to get the administration on board really quickly and a scholarship was opened for AB540 students (AB 540 was passed in 2001, and it allows undocumented students who meet certain requirements to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities in California).
• Goal of EIR: provide a space and address issues related to immigration.
• There is a good core group of about 35 people in EIR.
• There is an effort to target the California Teachers Association (CTA) and encourage educators to be involved.
• Jose Calderon: How do both groups work together?  Martha: through website, having a living electronic space to start seeing the connections among us.

4.  Examples of Connections Between Research and Action

• Improving Dreams, Equality and Success (IDEAS) at UCLA by Jose Quintero and Carlos Castellanos
• Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference will be taking place on Saturday, June 1st at UCLA and there is also an educators’ component.
• IYEC is the largest convening of its nature, bringing over 1,200 students and educators to talk about the issues impacting immigrant youth.
• Proposal: There are teachers who are attending the conference since they bring their students. We can have a space where these educators, URBAN and EIR folks come together.  URBAN and EIR can co-sponsor a lunch at IYEC and connect with educators who come to the conference. EIR is meeting in the next two weeks and Enrique will get back to URBAN about co-hosting this lunch.

5.  Discussion on the role of research for social change and developing community partnership collaborations.  Update on support efforts in immigrant rights and DREAM efforts

• The work that we are doing on immigrant rights can be brought to the national level.
• Enrique was invited to help us look at how URBAN can take the lead on this work. Maybe we can take the lead in having other nodes take a position on immigration.
• One example is the way that in Pomona, scholars were able to push the issue of drivers licenses. This was done because there was a relationship with schools in the district. Principals, teachers, the district were also supported in this issue of immigrant rights, immigration reform.

6.  Progress in developing overall URBAN website as a means of disseminating the work that is being done, creating different arenas of exchange, and sharing community-based research/teaching results, methodologies, and funding opportunities

• We can use the website to upload the work URBAN LA folks are engaging in. The website could also help engage others outside of the network.  A biweekly digest would help continue communication.

7.  Next Steps

• Have a presence at the AFL-CIO conference taking place in Los Angeles in September.
• Have a presence at the UALE
• Co-host lunch with EIR at IYEC Conference on June 1st at UCLA

8.  Next Meeting date and place

• June 1st 10am-12pm, followed by the gathering with EIR and other educators at the Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference at UCLA (time will be sent out once confirmed).  Everyone is invited to join the opening session of IYEC at Ackerman Ballroom at 9a.m.