Upper School Assembly: Make the Road NY

By Amit Ben-Baruch, 7^th Grade
On Wednesday, February 8^th, the MCS Upper School students, teachers, and parents attended an assembly with two guest speakers who work for immigration rights. The guest speakers, MCS alum David Altschuler ‘96 and Natalia Aristizabal work on behalf of Make the Road New York, the largest participatory immigrant organization in the city, serving 10,000 community members.

Natalia shared her story of her coming to New York from Columbia at age 12 on a visa and not leaving when it expired. When Natalia’s mother married an American man, he gave her citizenship and she gave it to Natalia. Natalia explained that for many immigrants who come to the U.S. as children, it’s not nearly that easy.

She explained that 11 million people don’t have paper work guaranteeing their rights. Young people can live their life up to college being undocumented and not even knowing it, but when a college asks for a social security number on a college application that’s when the struggle really begins. If students are undocumented, that means that they are not eligible for financial aid and this is why many kids drop out during or after high school. 

David and Natalia explained the basic details and history of the federal DREAM Act, which was first introduced in 2001. The DREAM (Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors ) Act, if passed, would enable undocumented young people who have lived in the US for 5 consecutive years, since before they were 15and complete 2 years of college or two years of military service to have an opportunity to become citizens of the United States. In addition to these requirements, students have to have “good moral character.” Natalia explained that because of this and the fear of being deported undocumented immigrants have to live their lives in fear of cops, or even getting caught doing things like jaywalking, something that most Americans do all the time. If undocumented immigrants get caught doing actions like these, they can be deported or lose the opportunity to try and get citizenship forever.

While it has passed in the House of Representatives, the DREAM Act has never received enough votes in the Senate to prevent a filibuster, where the Senate can argue forever instead of passing the bill. The bill has been changed many times since it was first introduced to make it more acceptable to opponents. Some opponents of the bill have introduced a competitor that would only acknowledge the military service component of the original bill, not college.

David and Natalia also gave some inspirational stories about students fighting for the DREAM Act. In 2010 a group of immigrant youth decided to walk in protest Miami, Florida all the way to New York City, this was called the Trail of Dreams. In addition, Make the Road, works with its immigrant community doing community organizing, where they work together to fight for their rights. 

State DREAM Acts, such as the New York DREAM act have been newly introduced to the students as a state dream act as apposed to a federal one. The New York dream act states that if a student gets grades of 80% or higher in school, they can apply for the Tuition Assistance Program that can help children pay for college. Some state DREAM Acts have already passed, and Natalia is hopeful that the New York DREAM Act can pass this year.

 At the end of the assembly, the speakers passed out a petition that the students could sign  to engage in some action of our own in support of the NY State DREAM Act. 

Why Youth Immigration?

By Altana and Emma
8th graders 

We, the seventh and eighth graders of MCS, believe that this is an important topic for many reasons. Imagine being a young undocumented immigrant, brought from your country of birth to the United States, not by your own choice, but because your family was seeking a better life. Years later, you have a life in the United States — you have friends, a high school diploma, and ties to your community. Imagine then being deported from the only home you have ever known, because a police officer arrested you because you “look” like an “illegal” immigrant. This is what happens to undocumented youth every day as a result of recent legislation. Around the country, you would be unable to get a driver’s license, receive college loans, or get a job that you are otherwise qualified for.

The fifth floor believes this is unjust and we have decided to try to make a change. We understand that diversity is key in building a future for America, and by deporting these young people we are destroying a vital part of America’s future. By lobbying for youth immigration rights we will learn and teach each other not to not judge people by their immigration status, but, as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, by the “content of their character.”

MCS Students share their Day of Silence Experiences

On Friday April 15th, MCS students joined students from around the country in taking an oath of silence for the day to raise awareness about the impact of bullying and homophobic slurs on the LGBTQ community. They carried cards reading:

Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence (DOS), a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT bullying, name-calling and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the Silence?

Students. Please share something about your experience of the Day of Silence by commenting on this blog post.

MCS Fifth Floor Students to Participate in National Day of Silence

by Kai W. & Kyle

A young woman walks down a school hallway. As she makes her way to her locker, she is whispered about, jeered at, yelled at and threatened. By the time she reaches her locker she is panicked and scared. The word dyke is written all over it. She is a target of bullying because she is being herself. But there are others like her, afraid of becoming a victim like she is. They walk on in silence.

For students all over the country, school, home and life is a battle. To come out and tell the world who they are could result in violence, bullying, homelessness and many other consequences. These students are told that they are freaks, that they are wrong, and that they are dangerous. These students are shrouded in lies and secrets and spend a lot of time in pain because they cannot explain who they are or talk about the things that are important to them without fear of ridicule. But these students haven’t done anything wrong. They aren’t weird or different. They are human beings. They are people with lives and hopes and dreams who might have to hide their identity because society won’t accept them. They are hiding because uninformed, scared people (including parents, peers, teachers and significant community members) act out against them. They are members of the LGBTQI community.

Day of Silence is a day-long nationwide event organized by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network (GLSEN) to draw attention to the LGBTQI students who suffer through the silence and are afraid to come out and share who they really are. This Friday, April 15th, the Fifth Floor Students of Manhattan Country School will join students across the country in pledging a vow of silence for the day. Teachers will plan classes that will respect those taking the vow and students who elect not to be silent will be vocal supporters of their classmates. The silence will begin at 8:30 am and last until advisement when a representative from the New York Civil Liberties Union will come and speak to Fifth Floor students about the legal rights of LGBTQI students in schools. In keeping our mouths shut will we be speaking out on behalf of the students who cannot speak.

MCS’ participation in the Day of Silence is inspired by this year’s activism project SAFE: Schools Are For Everyone, an attempt by MCS Fifth Floor students to become more conscious of the power of our words, to raise awareness within the MCS community about how to take a stand against bullying, and to build partnerships with other New York City schools to create more safe spaces for all youth.