Portland State Magazine Fall 2018

11 WRITTEN BY JOHN KIRKLAND >> LUIS BALDERAS-VILLAGRANA’S parents were farmworkers in the central Mexican state of Zacatecas, when, in 2004, they fled to the United States.They wanted their children to get a better education, but they were also fed up with the increasing violence brought on by drug cartels. Balderas-Villagrana’s father left first, and when he found a good place to settle—the Eastern Oregon agricultural community of North Powder—he went back for the rest of the family. So, at the tender age of 7 and knowing no English, Balderas- Villagrana came to America. Fourteen years later, he was elected president of the Associated Students of PSU—the first Dreamer to hold that position. “Dreamer” is the moniker given to people who qualify under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an immigration policy that allows some individuals who were brought to the United States illegally as children to receive renewable, two-year deferments from possible deportation. The current presidential administration has attempted to repeal DACA, which would make some 800,000 immigrants eligible for deportation.The move was halted by several federal courts, creating a tenuous reprieve for DACA residents. They’re here for now, but none of them know if or when that might change. Balderas-Villagrana sees that very uncertainty as an opportunity.When he was elected in May, he promised to be an advocate for other DACA students. Rather than hiding his status, he was emboldened by it. “Being public about my status empowers me to force our representatives at the state and federal level to keep seeking a permanent solution to the program,” he told the Portland Tribune .“Individuals under this program deserve to stay in this country as it has become our home.” LUIS BALDERAS-VILLAGRANA TALKSWITH STUDENTS (LEFT TO RIGHT) DOMINIC FLESEY- ASSAD, LEONA YAZDIDOUST AND HANNAHWEBB. PHOTOS BY NASHCO PHOTOGRAPHY