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Underground Under­grads: UCLA Undocumented Immigrant Students Speak Out was published by the UCLA Labor Center in April 2008 and is already in its second printing. This is the first book of its kind that features voices of undocumented students in higher education.

In spring 2008, ten UCLA Labor Center interns ­assisted in the promotion and distribution of the book. UCLA interns organized press conferences, appeared on TV and radio shows, and spoke at the National Education Association Conference, the Urban Educators Conference, the national AFL-CIO, the Southwest Labor Studies Conference, and the convention of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. Interns also testified before the L.A. Unified School District board and the L.A. Community College board.

These education and outreach activities could not come at a better time. The California Dream Act passed the California state legislature in September 2008 and is now on the governor’s desk. The Federal Dream Act will likely be reintroduced in Congress in 2009.

The UCLA Labor Center is grateful to our outstanding interns, Zeenat Bhamani, Miguel Carvente, Carolina Coronado, Oscar Espino, Lourdes Galindo, Fabiola Inzunza, Gabriela Madera, Matias Ramos, Ernesto Rocha, and Stephanie Solis. Special thanks go to Tam Tran and Susan Melgarejo, Public Allies interns who coordinated these efforts. In the coming year, Lourdes Galindo and Matias Ramos will continue the work to conduct education and outreach on undocumented students.