Thread: Pro-illegals sign petition forcing HSF to aid illegal aliens

http://media.www.dailylobo.com/media/st ... 5261.shtml





A controversial petition is circulating through UNM's Latin American Studies department.

The appeal asks the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to grant scholarships to undocumented Latino students.

The national petition, which can be signed online, has more than 1,500 signatures and was started this year by the Association of Raza Educators.

Donna Licano, co-president of UNM's student chapter of Amnesty International, said she pulled the petition off the Internet and began sending it to Hispanic-based organizations around campus because she believes college education should be available for everyone who lives in the U.S.

"Being part of Amnesty, personally I think it's a human right to be educated," she said. "During slavery, that right was taken away, and now that right is being taken away from those that are undocumented."

Chino Chapa, vice president of communications for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, said the scholarships are competitive and that the group will not likely agree to the petition's request.

"Currently, we turn down two out of every three applicants," he said. "And those are students with GPAs of about 3.5 - 90 percent of the Latino students. We would not risk what we do for the greater good to support 10 percent of the population that is not here legally."

Chapa said providing scholarships to undocumented students would not only take resources away from Hispanic-American citizens but could also be a breach of federal immigration policy.

"It is considered to be encouraging residence in the U.S., which is a potential violation of federal law," he said.

Lisa Burns, president of UNM's Student Organization for Latin American Studies, said she supports the petition because getting a scholarship might be the only way undocumented students can go to college.

"They should have opportunities as well for higher education and scholarships," Burns said of undocumented high school graduates. "I don't think their status as citizens should interfere with that, especially when they've been living in the U.S. for five or more years and they've graduated from (high) school."



Chapa said HSF has never seen a petition like this and that the Association of Raza Educators should concentrate on amending federal law instead of petitioning a nonprofit organization.

"That's what makes sense," he said. "It doesn't make sense to come after us."

Licano said the upcoming presidential election might provide HSF with an opportunity to change federal policy.

"I think that they should take a risk, especially with a new administration coming into Washington," she said. "They should step forward and take a stand and say Hispanics do need this kind of support, even if they are undocumented."

Chapa said Hispanic students who receive scholarships from HSF also receive federal financial aid that isn't provided to undocumented students.

"We can't help everybody as it is, and it doesn't make sense to open it up to additional people that have less of an opportunity for other financial aid," he said. "It's a safer bet to support someone that is also eligible for other federal aid as opposed to (an undocumented student), where that might be the only financial assistance they get."



Please contact Chino Chapa and thank him for taking a stand against illegal aliens:



Chino Chapa, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, (415) 808-2350, cchapa@hsf.net

Chapa said providing scholarships to undocumented students would not only take resources away from Hispanic-American citizens but could also be a breach of federal immigration policy.

"It is considered to be encouraging residence in the U.S., which is a potential violation of federal law," he said.

Bravo Chino! Way to go!

This is what he says, but is this also what he does? Is he just blowing smoke?