(616) DVC Puente Plática w Dr Leisy Abrego and Dr Raúl Moreno Campos 10/18/2023

Event Overview

  • Title: "The Puente Plática"

  • Speaker: Anthony Gonzales (Mr. G), English teacher and co-coordinator of the project

  • Purpose: Part of the Undocumented Student Week of Action; collaboration between Puente Project and the Dreamers Alliance

Introductions of Team Members

  • Maria Dorado: Puente Counselor and Co-Coordinator

  • Brenda Gonzalez: Puente Counselor and Co-Coordinator

  • Patrick Leong: English Instructor, Puente project co-partner

  • Brianne Guerra: Program Assistant for DVC Puente Project

  • Kristina Gomez: Counseling Intern with the Puente team, also part of the Dreamers Alliance

  • Professor Albert Ponce: Political Science Instructor, emphasizes equality for all

  • Juan Huerta: Professor in Early Childhood Education, tri-chair of the Dreamers Alliance

Upcoming Events

  • Tomorrow: Speaker Flor Sario discussing pursuing higher education, 1-3 p.m. in Diablo Room

  • Friday: Student panel featuring current and former DVC students on higher education experiences

Student Experiences Shared

Jesús Orozco

  • Current student in the Puente project, majoring in Allied Health

  • Discussed reading "Solito" by Javier Zamora, highlighting:

    • The realities faced by migrant children

    • Personal connection to migration stories and struggles

    • Importance of understanding the challenges behind migration decisions

    • Emphasis on migration as a quest for better life opportunities

Keydi Perdomo

  • Student in Mr. G's and Maria's class

  • Reflected on her mother's migration journey

    • Connection between her experience and Javier's story in "Solito"

    • Recognized the emotional sacrifices and hardships endured by migrant families

    • Importance of sharing diverse migration stories to raise awareness of immigration impacts on families

Guest Speaker Introduction: Dr. Leisy Abrego

  • Position: Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies, Central American Studies at UCLA

  • Background: First wave Salvadoran immigrant to Los Angeles in the 1980s

  • Research Focus:

    • Central American immigration and Latina/Latino family dynamics

    • Gender inequalities and immigration laws

  • Notable Publications:

    • "Sacrificing Families: Navigating Laws, Labor, and Love Across Borders"

    • "Immigrant Families" (co-authored with Cecilia Menjivar and Leah Schmalzbauer)

  • Current Research: Studies mixed-status families and their relationships with immigration policies

  • Advocacy: Supports refugees and immigrants through expert declarations in asylum cases