History of Support
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” -Audre Lorde
Legacy of Support
The legacy of support for the undocu/undacamented community runs deep. For years, the staff at El Centro Chicano y Latino were the pillars of support for campus and students in the community. They supported, mentored, worked additional hours and helped create community and belonging for this group of students, when there was none on this campus, all in addition to their main job responsibilities. Below is a non-exhaustive list of key initiatives and programs created by El Centro staff.
- Hosting individual and small groups of undocumented/DACAmented students in Casa Zapata
- Creating a space for students to connect virtually
- Enabling student organization Student Immigrant Empowerment Project at Stanford (SIEPS) to be created The student leaders were connected to the center and residents of Casa Zapata.
- Creating a system for Stanford to fund DACA reapplication fees
- Advocating for students’ immediate access to DACA legal aid in the Trump era dissolvement of the program
- Hosting programs with colleagues across campus including but not limited to the Stanford Immigrant Rights Clinic, the A3C and the Black House.
- Benchmarking with peer institutions
In addition to El Centro, staff in the Office of the Dean of Students and Bechtel International Center were key supporters in helping to operationalize web and email communications for students with questions or concerns about resources.
It is without a doubt that the historical work and continued partnership of these units allows support of this community to grow, centering our students ability to flourish and have a sense of belonging.
*This summary of our history is a work in progress. We welcome feedback or updates.
