by Jackie Guzmán
Sworn in the new District 9 Supervisor David Campos, next to Mayor Gavin Newsom, after he was sworn in as a San Francisco supervisor Thursday, Dec. 4 in front of a large, boisterous crowd at San Francisco City Hall. (Photo by Jorge Luis Garcia)
More than 100 students, parents and teachers protested Nov. 20 what they consider a discriminatory policy of denying scholarships to undocumented students at Hispanic Scholarship Fund headquarters in San Francisco. Similar demonstrations had been held earlier this year in San Diego and Los Angeles.
HSF, the nation’s largest Hispanic student scholarship provider, made awards totaling $26.5 million during the 2006-2007 academic year. Undocumented students are ineligible because of their legal status, according to HSF communications director Chino Chapa, who states the scholarships are for “Hispanic-American” students only. Undocumented students do not qualify as they comprise only half of that designation.
The California-based Association of Raza Educators says it plans, with more than 20 other groups, to pursue additional strategies to press HSF to change its policy.
ARE co-chairs José Lara and Eilene Cruz met with Chapa prior to the demonstration. Lara told Weekly Report that Chapa challenged ARE’s contentions that undocumented students are the most needy and a “safer bet” than other scholarship recipients to complete their schooling.
Chapa maintained that legal-resident students are 2008better prospects when it comes to completing their education, have greater opportunities and are more likely to contribute to the workforce.
Lara said that undocumented youth, “who are some of our brightest and hardest working students, are being thrown out in the cold. They are the ones with the greatest need because they are not eligible for state or federal financial aid.”
The press has reported many instances of students, brought to the United States without papers as infants, who went on to become valedictorians of their graduating high school classes or who lost college scholarships because of their status.
Kristan Kirsh, HSF’s public relations manager, told Weekly Report that the exclusion of students who could not prove legal U.S. residency was an HSF board decision.
When Weekly Report requested details, including a copy of the board minutes when the action was taken, Kirsh responded by email, saying, “We are not required to give out board meeting minutes, but we thank you for your interest.”
Lara stated that HSF does not “want to jeopardize its funding” from donors, including many major corporate givers, and wants to avoid any controversy that could result.
His group and its affiliates see their next step involving a campaign to contact HSF board members for re-consideration, if the board has taken formal action on the matter. Hispanic Link.
