Mission Statement
Change the Subject was an important moment for student activism on Dartmouth’s campus. The movement began with one student, Melissa Padilla, who recognized the derogatory nature of the phrase “illegal aliens” and, in conjunction with many other students and actors, took direct action to change the subject headings not just within Dartmouth’s library system, but nationwide.
Change the Subject was not an isolated movement. Many factors created a historical moment perfectly primed for the fight to remove “the I-word” from library subject headings, not least of all were the historic student activist projects of Dartmouth’s past. Thus, we are shedding light on the historical events preceding and paving the way for the Change the Subject movement. We are also highlighting some of the student activist projects and organizations which benefited from the precedent of Change the Subject and were created in its wake.
Social Activism At Dartmouth
Because of Dartmouth College administration’s failure to address the voices of students, student-activists passionately took up more active and intense roles on campus. Manifesting their sentiments and experiences into powerful protests, the student-activists brought greater awareness to continuously ignored issues on campus such as immigrant rights.
During the fall of 2010, amidst the nationwide debate surrounding the DREAM Act, undocumented students at Dartmouth anxiously awaited the college’s support of this momentous act. Over time, it became clear that the administration and the student body would not issue a stance on the DREAM Act, unlike other Ivy League colleges who declared their support and sent letters to Congress. Due to the lack of response from the college, undocumented students organized a hunger strike on the Green, hoping it would impel the college’s response. The strike caught then President of the College, Jim Yong Kim’s attention, who sent a representative to work with the students on strike, helping the students send Congress a letter in support of the DREAM Act.
This sense of solidarity channeled through the students’ participation in the hunger strike emphasized the need to create an organization that would represent, acknowledge, and work to improve the lives of undocumented students at Dartmouth. These aims would later be championed and exercised through the establishment of CoFIRED, a student organization devoted to immigrant rights.
The Founding Of CoFIRED
“To advance the rights of undocumented students at Dartmouth College, and undocumented peoples of the Upper Valley.” – CoFIRED Mission Statement
The Coalition for Immigration Reform & Equality at Dartmouth (CoFIRED) was founded by Oscar Cornejo ‘17 with the guidance of Eduardo Najera ‘14 in 2014. Before the establishment of CoFIRED, no immigrant-rights student organization existed on campus. Noting the lack of resources and support for undocumented students, then first-year student Oscar Cornejo began this organization to provide a supportive network to undocumented youth.
CoFIRED’s work focused on a multitude of issues, from increasing awareness in the Dartmouth community about the immigration system to initiating institutional reform to better assist the undocumented community. One such initiative was the addition of an online guide to admissions and financial aid for undocumented students, which was published on the official Dartmouth Admissions website. Moreover, CoFIRED members launched numerous on-campus and social media campaigns to contest wide-spread anti-immigrant sentiments, such as the “Drop the ‘I’ Word” and the “I Am Unafraid” campaigns.
Since its inception, CoFIRED has expanded its focus from Dartmouth College to the neighboring area, assisting undocumented and immigrant residents in communities of the Upper Valley. While the scope of their work has enlarged, the CoFIRED executive board has diligently maintained its commitment to advancing the rights of undocumented students through a combination of intra-institutional work and public demonstrations. One such demonstration surrounding a central document titled the “Freedom Budget” allowed CoFIRED to gain visibility among the Dartmouth community and promote their activist agenda.
The Freedom Budget
In 2014, the Freedom Budget Report was presented to President Hanlon by a multitude of on-campus, student organizations at Dartmouth. The eight-page document demanded funds be equitably distributed to marginalized groups on campus. One of the many demands was that of banning the use of the term “illegal alien” from Dartmouth-sanctioned program materials, such as the College’s library catalogue.
Thus, the Freedom Budget prompted support of the Change the Subject movement. After months of waiting for an official response from the College, students decided to occupy President Hanlon’s office overnight, to force a “point by point” response. Oscar, Co-Leader of the Change the Subject movement, participated in the occupation.
The Parkhurst Occupation prompted support from many different audiences. It also allowed those involved with Change the Subject to interact with Dartmouth staff on a more personal level. Estefani, a past CoFIRED member, said, “It was more humane,” when describing their communication with faculty in advancing the movement. The occupation also raised awareness on the significance and urgency of the Change the Subject movement.
While the occupation gave rise to the Change the Subject movement, the Freedom Budget approached problems on campus through a financial lens. Oscar felt the need to detach from the Freedom Budget because he was afraid the Change the Subject movement would “lose legitimacy.” Though the Freedom Budget did aid its advancement, Change the Subject demanded a distinct, nation-wide change.
The Freedom Budget enabled the young CoFIRED organization to advance their mission of improving and honoring immigrant rights. Moreover, the legacy of these moments of activism have inspired other students to participate and create their own organizations with similar missions.
CoFIRED’s Influence on Upper Valley Activism
Impassioned by the CoFIRED activist work of her undergraduate career, Dalia Rodriguez-Caspeta ’18 is now a point-person for Rise! Upper Valley, an organization that empowers local migrant communities by providing grassroots organization and legal representation.
In the days between July 29 and August 1st, 2019, Border Patrol apprehended 18 immigrants in the Lebanon area. With evident collaboration between local police and Border Patrol, migrant rights were becoming unintelligible.
In subsequent response, on the evening of August 14, 2019, members of the Dartmouth community took part in a nationally recognized protest to goad governments of the Upper Valley into ending their collaboration with Border Patrol and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).
“Migration is a human right.” – Dalia Rodriguez-Caspeta
Led by Dalia Rodriguez-Caspeta ‘18 and Upper Valley Interfaith Project director Asma Elhuni, Rise! Upper Valley’s event called for an end to collusion between ICE and the Hartford Police Department. At the march, Elhuni chanted, “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here!” to a crowd of over 200 protestors.
“While at Dartmouth, I was able to participate in CoFIRED, and particularly, the Change the Subject movement. Albeit I was only an underclassman, I saw firsthand how, collectively, students could make direct meaningful change in the Dartmouth community,” said Dalia.
Words of Wisdom for Future Activists
The activism of the students involved in the Change the Subject movement does not go unnoticed. Their work as Dartmouth students has advanced immigrant rights across the nation, inspiring young students to advocate for similar causes. Former CoFIRED member, Eduardo Najera, has some advice for current and aspiring activists:
1) “Prioritize your health. Don’t be selfish because you want to be healthy in the long run. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.”
It’s important to recognize that change does not happen overnight and that activism does not have an immediate effect; it’s an ongoing process.
2) “Don’t ever let yourself become jaded. Sometimes the good guys see themselves as good guys, but they can become the bad guys.”
Being able to be critical of one’s actions and accepting others’ criticism is essential in improving the advancement of one’s cause.
3) “Find enjoyment in the small wins. Not everyone is going to get to be put in a documentary, not everyone is going to be getting the praise and the frankness and the interviews and the names and newspapers.”
The magnitude of change doesn’t have to be large-scale for it to be significant. Small wins must be appreciated because they are meaningful wins.
This website is 1 of 5 analyses of the Change the Subject movement undertaken by 25 Dartmouth College undergraduate students for Latino Studies 3, Latinx Lives in the United States, during the Fall term of 2019. The other 4 analyses can be found here.