By: Dennise Martinez / The University of New Mexico Senior
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– Last week the University of New Mexico’s Student Senate passed a resolution that showed the student body’s commitment to creating institutional change to make UNM a safe space for all students regardless of their immigration status or any intersectionality.
As a senior at UNM and a member of the UNM Dream Team –a chapter of NM Dream Team– I came to UNM in the fall of 2018. This past year has been full of challenges that have helped me grow, not only as a student, but as a person as well.
I can tell you first hand, as an immigrant, it’s common to feel afraid and targeted in this country right now, but coming to UNM changed that.
The UNM Dream Team has provided me with an environment on campus that has encouraged many like me to embrace our identities as immigrants. The opportunities this organization provides to create positive changes in our campus, to not only benefit us, but everyone, truly shows the power of our voices.
As the UNM Dream Team, we use this power to be able to make statements within the university to show the inclusivity we are working towards. We need student body leadership to be an active part of the conversation. This includes having them be aware and support “Our Dream Campus” campaign.
The NM Dream Team’s campaign seeks to foster freedom, opportunity and inclusion for all students in every campus around New Mexico. No student should fear deportation, discrimination, being singled-out, persecuted or even the possibility of losing their lives simply because of their identity in any intersectionality.
The purpose of this resolution is to align our student body with the efforts being made with faculty and staff towards making UNM a ‘Dream Campus’. The idea of having a ‘Dream Campus’ not only benefits immigrants, but also the LGBTQ community and all POC. It means that each and every student has the opportunity, the freedom, and the inclusion to thrive in their education and be successful.
The passing of Resolution 13F will make sure that we are on our way to secure the ‘Dream Campus’ we want, as well as making sure that every student feels empowered, by creating a safe environment in which we may all thrive.
The administration and the students on this campus are slowly coming together to make institutional and cultural shifts that will make our campus feel welcoming and empowering.
Even though this might just seem like one resolution, we are slowly building a campus in which all students are treated equally and have any resource necessary for their education.
Dennise Martinez is a senior student at the University of New Mexico and a member of the New Mexico Dream Team.