DREAM Summer Fund

WA State Democratic Convention

We invite you to join us at the WA Democratic Convention on 

(Friday/Saturday) June 20th and 21^st at Red Lion Hotel at the Park – Spokane                  

303 W North River Drive, Spokane, WA 99201

If you wish to join us and need to carpool please email WADREAMers1@gmail.com

Undocumented Youth Activists are highly encouraged to attend!

The Dream is Now Screening and Panel Discussion

Join us on Friday, April 19th for a special screening of The DREAM is NOW, a powerful documentary about dreamers. 

Friday, April 19 
5:30 pm– 7:00 pm 

Samuel E. Kelly Etninc Cultural Center
University of Washington 
3931 Brooklyn Avenue NE 
Seattle, WA 98195 


The Washington DREAM Act Coalition is hosting a screening of The DREAM is NOW on Friday, April 19th at the Ethnic Clutural Center, University of Washington. We are joining forces with groups throughout the United States for a National Day of Action to raise awareness. 

The film follows the lives of 4 undocumented students in America as they deal with our broken immigration system. DREAMers have put a face on this issue and this thought-provoking film was created to help all understand the need for Congress to act to fix the broken immigration system and provide a path to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented Americans who need to be a part of our economic and cultural future. 

 Davis Guggenheim, Director, is the Oscar winning director of "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Waiting for Superman." “The Dream is Now” tells the stories of undocumented youth and their families who are desperate to earn their citizenship in the only country they've ever called home. Laurene Powell Jobs, an incredibly strong advocate for DREAMers and Comprehensive Immigration Reform, has provided financial backing for this remarkable project. She has been a tireless advocate for undocumented students through College Track, a nonprofit group she co-founded to help under-served high school students access college. 

Our event will be followed by a panel discussion of DREAMers. We invite you to attend this special screening. 

For further information, please contact Krista Jensen at 425-445-3414. Email contact is web_juggler@yahoo.com

How to keep the WA State Dream Act Alive, in ten days

Your action is needed Now!

Our goal is to push our stories on social media and put pressure calling for the next ten days. 

Step one, air war.

Contact the Senate leadership and all Senators to put pressure in order to bring the WA State Dream Act for a vote. Don't forget to post on Facebook, email and call. 

Start with Senate Republicans'  Facebook and Twitter 

Then, move to calling the Senate leadership:

Tom, Rodney       (D) (360) 786-7694
Bailey, Barbara   (R) (360) 786-7618
Mark, Schoesler  (R) (360) 786-7620
Joe, Fain              (R) (360) 786-7692   
Full list of senators, HERE

Step two, organize!

The push is not over and we must mobilize our communities. Create a group with friends, student clubs, church organizations, etc. Find a action network to help you push for the WA State Dream Act.

Step three, take action!

Own the fact that you are a fierce/strong person. Whether you are documented or not, you have a voice and a story, make sure you use both. The time is now. 


Some action ideas

Call-a-thons: set up a time where all your action network can meet and sit down and call* the Higher Education Committee and the rest of the Senate. (make it fun, play some music and let the calling begin)

Email Senators: personalize  your letter, write why this bill matters to you.
You can start the email like your phone call.

*Hello my name is _____________. I am calling in support of the WA State Dream Act, HB 1817, which passed the house with a large bipartisan support of 77-20.

I personally am impacted by this bill because....[write something short on why this bill matters to you] I urge Senator [Senator's name] to bring the WA State Dream Act to a Senate vote  and vote Yes. We must provide and equal opportunity for all Washington Students and we must secure Washington's Economic Prosperity.

Thank you for your time. 

So, what exactly happened?

Wednesday, March 14, 2013 was a great day for many of us Washingtonian Dreamers and for all those that believe in us. Why you ask? Well with many great efforts from a multitude of individuals, and various organizations and groups, we where able to get the WA Dream Act passed in the House. What is best is that we passed it with huge Support from both Democrats and Republicans turning the vote to 77-20.  I witnessed how Republicans and Democrats would rise like warriors defending the future of our state and of our dreams.

Why is it important?

But, all thought Washington was ready for the Dream Act, the communities where ready for the Dream Act, our Senate leadership seemed to not fully understand the importance of the bill not only for our state but for our communities. This bill did not just only extended the eligibility for state-need grant for Undocumented & Unafraid Aspiring Citizens, it went further than that. It showed that Washington State was ready to take on as a State leader to push for Immigration Reform and even further than that, it showed that we were united as a state. It meant that any child that work hard for their education, would have a equal chance to obtaining it.

What the Senate did

On April 2nd, the Senate Higher Education Committee was schedule to meet before the dead line for the state Dream Act to come out into the floor. Senator Barbara Bailey, choose to not only cancel the meeting, but to not move forward with the State Dream Act. In every single event in regards to the Dream Act, hundreds of community members showed their support for the bill. So the concern is not with Washington or the community, but instead is with the fact that we must hold our Senate leadership accountable. 

Sen. Bailey's choice of not moving forward with the Dream Act means that dozens of students will loose hope because all though it seems the being a Dreamer is like the new cool thing to be around the block, our lives are full with daily struggles, and barriers. Our families go through economic, physical and mental health obstacles due to the intense pressure set on us by society.

What we must do

We must continue to push for the WA Dream Act. We know that the Senate has the power to bring it to a floor vote!

Our dream is close. We must continue fighting and being these strong people we have always been. We must be the agents of the change we wish to see.

UNAFRAID, UNASHAMED & UNITED!

How to pass the Washington State Dream Act - for Students and Allies

The WA Dream Act will allow DACA holders to qualify for state financial aid. Read Luis' story to learn why it matters. 

So the Washington State Dream Act passed the house with historic bipartisan support 77-20 in favor. But now what?

We need to do the same in the senate. For that, we need you to contact your senator to make sure we actually get a senate vote. We can only do it if undocumented students and their allies themselves share their stories.

To reach your senator, you will need your physical address.

1. With your address, find your district here. 
2. Then, click on your senator's name on the map. 
3. On your senator's profile there is an "email".

Here is our demand that you can easily copy and paste:

Dear Senator [Senator's last name],
I am writing because I want you to vote YES on the Washington Dream Act. 
The Washington Dream Act would allow aspiring citizens to be eligible for State Financial Aid.

[Personalize your message here, you know, all the emotional stuff about why higher education is important to you] 

I am also writing to ask you to contact Higher Ed Committee Chair, Senator Barbara Bailey to support HB 1817 and schedule a senate vote as soon as possible.

Thanks,
[Name, so they can be friendly]  [Address, so they can send you a thank you letter]  

Thank you for supporting Washington Undocumented students and allies. Don't forget to join our mailing list to stay updated 

Parliament - Featuring DREAM Act

The Washington Bus, One America, and the Washington DREAM Act Coalition Present:Parliament: featuring the Washington State DREAM Act!

GET TICKET HERE!

Details:
+ALL AGES
+FREE EVENT
+ACTIVISM
+SURPRISE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
+BUS-STYLE PARTYING

When: March 15th, 2013
Where: The VERA Project @ Seattle Center (305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA)
Time: 7 to 10pm

GET TICKET HERE!

Parliament is an annual event put on by the Washington Bus that engages youth with the issues that are important to them! Come help us support the Washington State DREAM Act, a bill that would extend state-based financial aid to young aspiring citizens in Washington, helping to make higher education affordable for all.

As Our DREAMs come close to becoming reality and having one step closer to equality, we must make sure we continue to advocate for it.

And you can advocate for this rockin’ bill while listening to performances from awesome local artists, participating in DREAM themed activities, and SO MUCH MORE!

GET TICKET HERE!

TuDecides - Walla Walla

Momentum is building up and so is our DREAMS.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

More and more House Republicans are Championing the Washington State DREAM Act, which if passed, would allowed DACAmented DREAMERS from the state of Washington to receive state financial aid to attend college. 

Our fierce Representative Maureen Walsh (R) (LD 16 - WALLA WALLA) took a public stand on why this bill (H.B. 1817) matters not only to her but to her constituency. Republican Walsh had an editorial today written by our WDAC strong ally, Ben Crowher (Washington Student Association) on TuDecides where she said,

“The reality is these are kids who have grown up in our communities with our kids", says Walsh.

“Is it wise to punish the children by not allowing them a chance to compete for an opportunity to attend college? What does that accomplish for society? I believe rewarding excellent students who are from low-income families an ability to obtain the State Need Grant is the right thing to do.”  

                                                                Rep. Maureen Walsh (R) LD 16-Walla Walla

WA DREAMERS TAKING A STAND!!

Rep. Walsh hit it right on the point on why this legislation makes sense.The most important thing in this article in my opinion is that another great DREAMER's story was herd and with that the voice of his community. Juan Eduardo Villegas is a 19 year old DREAM WARRIOR that struggles every day to make it school while helping his family. He says that the reason that he keeps fighting for his dreams is because he acknowledges all the sacrifices his parents made for him and he won't stop until they are all in a better tomorrow, and most importantly, TOGETHER as community! 

Juan Villegas has taken the challenge of working along with many other great dreamers from the state to make Immigration Reform for 11 million people a reality.

TAKE ACTION:
Please share, comment and like this articles. Say why this bill is important to you and let your voice along with your communities voice be herd. Thank Rep. Walsh for taking a stand on behalf of our communities.

Links are here:
English: YouDecide
Spanish: TuDecides

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can DREAM it, you can  

become it"  

                                                                                                          William Arthur Ward

Financial Aid for Washington State DACA Applicants

Do you need help to pay for your DACA application?

A program called Lending Circles for Dreamers will assist 500 students over the next two years in Washington State with a $105 grant and a $360 loan to help pay for the cost of the DACA application.

An informational session about this program will be held on Wednesday, February 20th at El Centro de la Raza at 11:30am. We highly encourage Dream Act candidates and supporters to attend this event to learn more about this resource and share with your network.

Registration ends tomorrow at 10:30am, so register before it's too late.