SEHS

South East High School Students Take Action


By Vicky Cuellar

News Editor



Arizona law SB1070 has created tension in the Latino community as well as among states, causing students to protest.



“There were a lot of people protesting. The evening protest had many high school students, but the afternoon protest had many parents, workers and even undocumented people. Everyone was pumped up as emotions ran high.” Jerry Guevara, a former student at South East High School, and current student at Cal Poly Pomona added after being asked to describe his experience at the Arizona protest.

On Thursday April 29 students from California State Polytechnic University, UC Santa Barbara, Cal State University Northridge, and UC Irvine, along with other schools and members of CHIRLA (The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles) protested law SB1070 in Phoenix.

Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed Senate Bill 1070, now known as The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. The law makes it illegal for undocumented people to reside in the state of Arizona. It also increases both state and local law enforcement of federal immigration laws. This means that if a police officer who, in the course of any law enforcement act, reasonably suspects that a person is undocumented can verify the person’s immigration status with federal government. Furthermore, the law prohibits the sheltering of undocumented people.

This law has not only sparked controversy among the powers of federal and state government, but also among the people of the Unites States. While some see this law as a necessary step to control our nation’s problem with immigration, others see this law as unconstitutional giving the state leeway for racial profiling in the Latino community.

Andrew Buckman, a senior at SEHS, said, “I think that the Arizona law is wrong. I feel it’s against our constitutional rights. It’s unfair to stop anyone based on their race only to [clarify] assumptions [about] their legal status.”

Pablo Aguirre, a senior at SEHS, had different thoughts about the law. Aguirre said, “In a sense I understand what this law is trying accomplish. I personally think it will help reduce [Arizona’s] crime rate. I don’t think people understand what this law is trying to do; police are not just going to stop you because you look Hispanic. What the law means is that officers must have another reason to stop you in the first place before he [or] she can question your immigration status.”

Following the protest at Arizona, the annual May Day protest took place in Los Angeles on Saturday May 1. Irene Reyes, a senior at SEHS, attended the protest and said, “It was a great atmosphere because many people attended the event and were all motivated and dedicated. Many were there with their organizations and many were also there individually. Everyone was chanting and had flyers and posters. It was really motivating to see how serious everyone felt about the march.”

Buckman who supported the protest added, “I think the protest on May 1 was great. If no one takes action for what they believe in then their voices will not be heard.”

With resident’s help 2010 Census can relieve today’s economic crisis

By completing the 2010 Census form, taxpayers would save up to $1.5 billion dollars.

           

            Mr. Adams, an English teacher of the Tech and Media Academy at SEHS and former President of Norwalk, La Mirada School District said, “If we can get an accurate count of the people who we try to service, it gives us a better plan to use money accordingly, for instance, if we find out the number of kids born in South Gate, we realize how many kids we need in new potential schools.” 

            In March, every resident in South Gate, as well as the United States, received a census questionnaire to complete.  Under constitutional law, the census is to take place every 10 years in order to estimate the number of seats your state occupies in the U.S House of Representatives. The government uses the census data to advocate for causes like rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research market, as well as locate the number of skilled workers.

            The census will also help communities receive more than $400 billion dollars in federal funding each year for things such as: hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, and every day services.  The census is being mailed to every resident and is composed of 10 questions that determine the number of members per household. Any personal data provided is protected under federal law. 

            In order to truly benefit from the census, each city resident must turn in their completed census form. Mr. Jordan, a photography teacher in the Tech and Media academy at South East High School said, “I feel the census keeps track of the always changing population, because the population changes the structure of how things work, the census helps the country make a lot of decisions that shouldn’t and should be done.”

             Mr. Jordan also expressed how he felt the census will not only benefit communities but also schools. Mr. Jordan added, “Because the census gives a more accurate count of people, ethnicity, and our social economic status, it can very well bring more of an accurate count of what schools in particular need the most.”

            Students as well as teachers understand the importance of the census. Genesis Rodriguez, a sophomore at SEHS said, “If everyone fills the 2010 census, government will know how to improve society, they will know how many schools, classrooms, and books are needed to educate our generation as well as future generations.”