By: Santiago Leon
All around Dominican, there are paper cutouts of monarch butterflies. These butterflies serve as more than mere decoration for many students. They are beacon of cultural identity.
Their unique migration pattern resonates with immigrant students who found themselves undergoing a similar journey. The meaning of these butterflies has been amplified by the current political climate.
Under the current administration, there are questions surrounding the validity of protection for free speech under the first amendment. There have been threats of retaliation from the president that have created a created a tricky predicament surrounding political activism.
Yessie Hernandez, advisor for the Dream US scholarship and director of the Center for Cultural Liberation acknowledges the challenges of having to be cautious about the language used in equity programs in order to steer away negative attention from the media or government.
“Yes, it can be harder in terms of language, but that doesn’t necessarily change the work we do,” She said. “The way I put out statements is going to be very different to ensure that students have safety and a sense of support.
Hernandez was aware of the potential challenges a second Trump presidency would pose and she was prepared to combat them.“After our president was elected, I knew that the rhetoric around our communities was going to start up again, because of of what we had previously seen in their campaign. We have to do legal clinics, we have to do these ‘know your rights’ workshops,” she said.
Anna Kelsey-Powell, associate director for for Black Student Initiatives encourages students to find a place where they feel like they belong and their voice is heard. “I think that I’m very fortunate that my job allows me to advocate for students. Students know that my door is always open and I’m here either as a sounding board or as a resource. My real job is to empower students to use their voices and their power to make change where they feel it’s necessary,” Kelsey-Powell said.
Despite her ongoing efforts to advocate for her community, Kelsey-Powell acknowledges the tense political climate, and how it may affect her community in and out of Dominican University. “I often tell my students that free speech is not free from consequence,” she said.
“But constitutionally, you’re meant to be insulated from government persecution. We’re seeing some things that maybe indicate that we’re veering away from that particular constitutional protection.”
Even though there are challenges surrounding political activism, Kelsey-Powell doesn’t want to inhibit students from advocating for their communities. “It’s not my place to tell students when or how to use their voices. That is a very personal choice and decision. I would hope that students feel empowered, but I aslo don’t know anyone’s situation and why they may choose to speak up or not in a given scenario,” she said. “I also believe that silence is strategic and I think it’s okay for us to make choices either personally or intercommunally about our long-term goals.”
Leila Robinson, a senior and President of the Black Student Union, believes that the first step in being an ally is to learn. “I feel like it’s good to hold space for people. I feel like it’s good to have conversations with people. I feel like it’s good to go to meetings or events,” she said, “ Another big step is also having those hard conversations of realizing whether or not you have unconscious bias towards certain groups…It’s a hard conversation to have, but it’s an important one if you want to not only correct yourself, but also build a community. This is because you can’t really have an intersectional community if you also have bias within yourself.”
Darely Martinez, sophomore and vice president of the Undocumented Immigrant Alliance, hopes that the efforts her organization takes to support immigrant students are noticed and taken advantage of. “We have an emergency fund. It is meant to be used for things like legal fees. I hope students feel empowered to use that fund so their load can be lightened at least a little,” she said. “If a student finds themselves in a position where they might need that financial support, they can reach out to any of us board members and we can connect them with the right person. I hope they know that there is no judgement and that it will remain completely anonymous.”
A recipient of the Dream US scholarship, who would like to remain anonymous, explains that he finds comforts in the little signs of solidarity around campus. “They have had to repaint the Coughlin elevator a few times now because of the graffiti. I don’t want to make it seem like graffiti is okay, I just found it sweet that most of the markings were anti-ICE messages,” He said, “It makes me feel like I have a community who backs me, even if they don’t know me. It is also nice to see so many monarch butterflies around campus. I didn’t know the meaning behind them at first, but now that I do, I find it beautiful that so many people take the effort to show their support, even if its just some butterflies.”
