Author: Shilpa Bhongir
Thirteen students participated in this year’s Alternative Spring Break program to learn about the political, social and cultural issues of immigrants across different ethnic groups in Los Angeles. Students stayed on campus for the week, taking daylong trips through Los Angeles to work with community partners.
Partner institutions included the Mayor’s Office and the student-based organization Dream Team L.A, an activist group that works to support undocumented immigrants through community building and immigration reform.
Alternative Spring Break operates under the theme of exploring citizenship. In the program’s first year, students learned about Japanese-American immigrants by visiting an internment camp in Manzanar, Calif. In the second year, students studied the Muslim-American experience in San Francisco, Calif.
“All of our spring breaks so far have been under this umbrella idea of exploring citizenship and what it means to be a citizen,” White said. “Each year we have looked at a different people group, and a different way that citizenship has been affected.”
The Alternative Spring Break program started three years ago as an initiative by Associate Director for Residential Education Juls White, Assistant Dean for Community Engagement Ella Turenne and Director of Religious and Student Life, Susan Young.
According to Turenne, Alternative Spring Break stemmed from a desire to have Occidental students use their breaks productively by taking a hands-on approach to learning about complex societal issues.
Turenne also worked with similar spring break programs at other colleges.
“As administrators, we wanted the students to get a better understanding of some of the complexities of citizenship and have a chance to connect with community partners and see how they can get involved in the future,” Turenne said.
“Community partners are also excited to build off the students’ energy as well.”
The trip coincided with National Coming Out of the Shadows week, a campaign which aims to bring the stories of undocumented immigrants to the forefront of public discourse, according to their website. Students assisted with Dream Team L.A.’s campaign work as part of the week.
To support the campaign, students dropped banners calling for immigration reform over a freeway overpass at 7 a.m. the Monday of break.
“One of the banners read: “There’s No Line: Clear the Immigration Backlogs Now! #11Million Dreams,” physics major Everest Law (sophomore), an international student from Hong Kong, said. “There was solidarity and also a sense of accomplishment when drivers down on the freeway honked in support.”
Turenne saw potential for the activities of Alternative Spring Break to be brought back to Occidental.
“This is about movement building,” Turenne said. “The Dream Act, immigration reform, it’s all about movement building. This is what students are getting a glimpse of and hopefully this is something they will be able to continue at Oxy.”
Students also learned about immigration issues through watching documentaries, visiting cultural museums and meeting with Los Angeles residents, including a woman who has been living in sanctuary at a local church for six years. Participants engaged in a workshop to discuss the changes in the immigration experience since the 1980s, and to learn about immigration reform campaigns and ways to get involved. Many shared their own experiences with immigration.
“Telling personal stories is a potent way to affect the discourse on immigration policy, win empathy and eventually support,” Law said.
The experiences were compiled into reflection pieces by the students. According to Karen Romero (first-year), her group will underscore the commonalities of Mexican, Japanese and Chinese cultural museums through compilation of quotes gathered from these museums.
The break has given some students a resolve to participate further in immigration reform.
“I hope to start a nonprofit organization or grassroots organization with a couple of other students with the purposes of creating awareness on immigration, but more specifically targeting undocumented students and families in schools around L.A.,” psychology major Jessica Hernandez (first-year) said.
According to White, the Alternative Spring Break program has room for expansion, but will not offer any international trips in the coming years due to funding constraints. Despite this, students stated that they benefit from assisting with issues at a local level.
“This experience made me realize that I can do something to contribute,” Hernandez said.”I may not make tremendous changes, but by investing a little of my own effort, I may be changing someone’s life.”
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