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Promoting Social Justice
Growing up in a single
parent, low-income
household taught me as a
young child that I was
responsible for my
mother and our future.
The durable hours that
my mother endured as she
worked 21/2 jobs became
the base of my success
as a child. I had to
grow up fast to survive,
for both of us, and it
was at this point that I
became my mother’s
partner as I was held
accountable for daily
tasks and errands. My
educational success was
our only way out and
pursing a higher
education was our path
towards success.
Being a first generation
college student has not
been easy. Graduating
from high school with a
full ride scholarship
had been an achievement,
yet retention and a
support system is a
necessity for any
student of color to
survive on a
predominately white
college campus such as
the University of Utah.
There was no room for
failure and no time to
waste as the reality
clock ticked with every
class and semester that
passed, and life only
seemed to get harder for
my mother and I. However,
no matter how difficult
I believed life to get,
I realized how blessed
and privileged I was to
be where I was and it
became my passion to
help other students
achieve the same equal
status as I had.
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My first year in college
I began to work for the
Office of Student
Recruitment where I
worked at a local high
school with first
generation, low-income,
underrepresented,
prospective college
students. This
experience gave me the
tools necessary to
volunteer for the
Chicano Scholarship Fund
Committee where we
recruited Latino youth
in a variety of high
schools and invited them
to various workshops in
which we aided in the
process of applying and
paying for college. My
participation in
volunteer opportunities
only increased with time
and left me with a
desire to do more.
I became a student
activist not only for
underrepresented
students but for
undocumented students as
well. Utah is one of 10
states who offer
qualified undocumented
students the opportunity
to pay in-state tuition
for college. Although
this legislation was
enacted in 2002, there
have been many attempts
to repeal this law. My
passion for social
justice and equitable
education has extended
to lobbying for
undocumented students
and their rights.
Through organizations
such as: Utahns for the
American Dream Coalition
and M.E.Ch.A.
(Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicana/o de Aztlán), I
have the opportunity to
organize community
meetings to inform the
immigrant community of
anti-immigrant proposed
legislation. College
students come with
laptops to these
meetings to assist
community members email
their representatives
and be civically engaged
in the legislative
process. We have also
organized candle light
vigils and protests to
provide the community
with a variety of spaces
to express their
thoughts on these anti-immigrant
tactics proposed by our
state and national
government.
By participating in
academic programs such
as Honor’s Think Tank on
Immigration, I have
studied immigration from
the U.S. and México
perspective.
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The students involved in
the think tank were
given resources to
create and co-author a
publication on
immigration which was
given to all Utah
legislators to broaden
their knowledge and
create dialog around
these issues.
I became an
undergraduate research
assistant to the Growing
Up in Salt Lake City
Project.
I collaborated with high
school students in a
documentary which
focused on the struggles
of undocumented students
in pursuing a higher
education. This
documentary was also
distributed to Utah
legislators. I am
currently working on a
college guidebook which
will assist
underrepresented and
undocumented students to
successfully navigate
high school and pursue
higher education. The
book will be printed in
both Spanish and English
so that students and
their families can use
the valuable information.
All the work that I do
in academia and in the
community is essential
in creating dialog in
regards to undocumented
and underrepresented
students and the
struggles they face in
pursuing their academic
aspirations. An
education is invaluable
for the knowledge gained
can never be taken away.
I am the product of my
community for I would
not be who or where I am
without their support
and encouragement. My
education at the
University of Utah has
opened many doors of
opportunities to give
back to my community and
make a difference. I
must use this position
and my privilege of
being a U.S. citizen to
be a student activist
and promote social
justice.
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By
Denise Castañeda |
