Portland Public Schools Supports Dreams of All Students
By Xavier Botana
It’s a new school year and our classrooms at the Portland
Public Schools – Maine’s largest and most diverse school district – are filled
with “dreamers.” I consider all our students to be dreamers because they all
want to achieve the American Dream of getting a good education that prepares
them for success in college and career. Our school district strives to encourage,
nurture and support the future dreams of all our students, regardless of their
immigration status.
Recent events – such as the racist-inspired violence in
Charlottesville and the decision to end the federal “Dreamers” program that allows
undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children to continue to
live, work and study here – make this a good time to reaffirm the Portland
Public Schools’ values.
At the Portland Public Schools, we recognize that our
diversity is our greatest strength. For that reason, it is important for all of
us to celebrate, respect, and honor our differences; promote practices that
advance inclusion, and affirm our commitment to equity and social justice as
part of the Portland Public Schools experience. We affirm that no one in our
school community should fear for their safety because of their country of
origin, race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion – or immigration
status.
This past March, the Portland Board of Public Education passed
a resolution underscoring that our district is a safe and welcoming community
for all.
The board’s Resolution Affirming its Commitment to the
Education of All Children & Making Portland Public Schools a Safe Haven for
Students and Families stresses that our district is committed to following a 1982
U.S. Supreme Court ruling that no public school district can deny students an
education based on their immigration status.
The resolution states: “The Board declares Portland Public
Schools to be a safe haven for students and families threatened by immigration
enforcement or discrimination, to the fullest extent permitted by law.”
This also is the time of year to recognize and celebrate the
contributions, heritage and culture of Hispanic Americans, during National
Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Hispanics and
Latinos constitute the second largest racial or ethnic group in the U.S.
They also account for the vast majority of Dreamers –
recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. That
2012 program has allowed nearly 800,000 people to live and work in the U.S.
without fearing deportation. Now, Washington plans to stop renewing DACA work
permits. The program ends in March unless Congress enacts a legislative
solution.
Nearly 80 percent of Dreamers come from Mexico, a country
right on our border. Those Dreamers included a young man who recently gave his
life while trying to save fellow Texans from the floods caused by Hurricane
Harvey. News reports say Alonso Guillén, 31, a radio station host, died when
his rescue boat struck a bridge, throwing him into the floodwaters. Guillén had
been in the U.S. since he was 15.
As Maine Sen. Susan Collins recently tweeted, Dreamers were
brought to the U.S. as children and in many cases know only our country as
home. Sen. Collins says Congress must act quickly to protect the Dreamers. I
agree.
The Dreamers’ dilemma resonates with me because I was
brought here as a child from Cuba. My family had to leave our homeland because
of Castro. We were fortunate to enter the U.S. legally. However, as a 2-year-old,
I had no say in the decision to become an immigrant, just like the Dreamers of
today.
When my family came from Cuba, this country welcomed us with
open arms. We've worked hard to repay that welcome. Dreamers also study and
work hard. Their professions include being teachers and nurses, business owners
and employees of Fortune 500 companies, and they also serve in our military.
Dreamers are valuable and productive members of our society. Alonso Guillén serves
as just one example of their contributions to this nation.
Our district’s policies, values and commitments require us
to stand up against those who would intimidate and exclude, rather than nurture
and include. This is what we believe; this is what we teach; this is what we
defend.
