[artinfo] Undocumented activists crash conference on higher education

[Andy Bichlbaum]

Dreams of attending college dashed for many undocumented students
Undocumented activist takes credit for fake announcement that would have ended discrimination in college application process

New Orleans -- The Common Application, Inc., the college application service accepted by 488 colleges, has been trying to contain the news of a fake announcement that claimed they would begin ensuring that undocumented Americans are not discriminated against in the college application process.

When reached for comment by a reporter, Executive Director Rob Killion said he did not know who was behind the false statement, but that it did not come from the Common Application: “There is nothing to share with you that is new about the way the Common App has approached undocumented students compared to how it has done so in the past.” Killion explained that undocumented students can use the application but are not included in the Application’s non-discrimination clause.

The hoax began last Thursday in New Orleans, when “Daniel Vargas, Communications Director for The Common Application,” took the stage at the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education. “Vargas” is really David Ramirez, an undocumented activist with the Immigrant Youth Justice League from Chicago, who took credit for the fake announcement Tuesday afternoon. David/Daniel announced that the organization was (1) apologizing for “years of discrimination against the undocumented community,” (2) including the category ‘undocumented American’ in the upcoming application, (3) adding “undocumented status” to the organization’s non-discrimination clause, which legally binds over 400 private colleges that
were discriminating.

“I did this because I am undocumented, my community is undocumented, and my community is under attack by the Common Application, which is stealing the hopes and dreams of my undocumented brothers and sisters across the country. I made the announcement because it needed to be said. I hope the Common Application repeats it word for word in the coming days.” said David.

The announcement was welcomed by the 2,000 conference attendees, representing hundreds of colleges across the country, some of whom took to Twitter to echo David/Daniel’s statement that “equality is not radical but common sense.” A fake press release led to coverage by Cuentame, Colorlines, and other media outlets. On Twitter and Facebook tens of thousands welcomed this announcement as a historic stand for equality including national immigration groups, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, the President of Barnard College, and many from the undocumented community.

Mitzy, an undocumented student at Freedom University in Georgia, commented: "The Common Application oppresses our community, segregates our nation's higher education system by immigration status, so our community is fighting back. I feel like the headline should read 'Brown v. Board retracted: Supreme Court Blames Activists for Hoax Ruling.’"

David, born in Mexico, has been undocumented since he was one year old. He has been openly undocumented since he was 17. A long time activist, David was arrested in a civil disobedience in Atlanta in 2011 in opposition to the Georgia’s ban of undocumented students from public universities. David participated in the Undocubus in 2012 that protested the Democratic National Convention. David’s recent act of political theater is a continuation of the undocumented community’s struggle for college access.

David and Freedom University students have extended an invitation to Rob Killion to meet with them at Freedom University, a volunteer-run project offering free college-level classes to undocumented students. Because of Georgia’s ban, for most of the students their only option is to apply to private colleges- unfortunately over 400 of the Common Application’s members are private colleges that routinely discriminate against undocumented applicants by labeling them “international,” which guarantees them a separate and unequal admissions process. According to one study (http://bit.ly/16JNXgr), as few as 5% of undocumented students ever attend college. Rob Killion has not responded to their offer to discuss the hopes and struggles of
undocumented students.

For more information, please contact:
Daniel Vargas/David Ramirez
daniel.jvargas72 at gmail.com
(202) 430 - 6048


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