Central American Youth Leadership Conference 2018
November 30, 2018 | 9AM-3:00PM
If you know a youth who will benefit from the resources that will be provided at the conference you can now register at:
More to come… email us if you would like to be a sponsor at asanchez@homiesunidos.org
Central American youth and families from various schools will benefit from the resource fair, health resources, educational workshops and cultural activities provided by organizations and the youth themselves.
We want to thank our sponsors and all who have supported our fund drive.
If you want to be a sponsor for the conference, please contact us for Sponsorship Opportunities.
In solidarity with Central American Refugees (CAR), Homies Unidos is putting together the fourth Central American Youth Leadership Conference. The main purpose will be to ensure that these refugee youth feel welcomed, to celebrate and promote Central American art and culture, provide health resources and on-the-spot referrals, facilitate a legal resources workshop, showcase their stories and experiences, build a supportive community, and create opportunities for positive feedback and self-esteem-building.
Central American Youth invite you to the conference
Why this conference?
The increasing numbers of CAR youth who are crossing the border seeking safety and refuge is not a new phenomenon. The first wave of unaccompanied minors came in the 1980’s fleeing the wars in Central America. Since then, there has been a steady flow, but only recently has there been a dramatic increase of CAR youth fleeing from a violence that has devastated thousands of families and has a direct impact on the city of Los Angeles.
The Department of Homeland Security estimated that in 2014 alone, 68,500 CAR youth entered the United States. Jurisdictions across the U.S. have, at varying levels, worked to prepare and coordinate their legal and service delivery systems to accommodate the waves of children. In 2015, there was a decline by 42% to 39,970. This was mostly because the U.S. requested Mexico to make an effort to stop the flow of immigrants from Central America. In the light of the U.S. elections in 2016, there has been an increase of 20,000 more than in 2015, to 59,692. In the first two months of 2017, the U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 14,128 unaccompanied refugee minors.Los Angeles County has received 50% (10,741) Unaccompanied Children with local ‘sponsors’ since 2014. This number does not include those who are in detention, in foster care, were not apprehended at the border or those who are not currently in the legal system.
Moreover, with the recent decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Central American Minors (CAM) Parole program by the US, it has made this work more pertinent. In rescinding the CAM Parole program, the US government contradicts its efforts to provide access to legal migration for Central Americans, while further criminalizing the youth who have migrated. Through arbitrary designation of gang membership, CAR youth are denied refugee status which allows for their continued detention and ultimately deportation. Even though the 2002 Homeland Security Act mandates that unaccompanied minors have the right to legal representation, many youths still have no legal representation making detention and deportation more likely and put the lives of these minors at jeopardy upon return to their home countries. Our work focuses on providing access to resources for CAR youth to have legal representation as well as health and educational services and community building in one location.
With your support we will be able to:
Youth Leadership graduates will spearhead the organizing of the third Central American Youth Conference In November 30, 2018 at California St. University Los Angeles for 500 immigrant youth.
Youth will enjoy Central American art, culture and music to address issues of identity, will be offered resources from various service providers.
Provide training for 15 CAR youth this summer through our Youth Leadership Training to learn about how tell their stories and advocate to elected officials and community about their experience to gain support and start healing.
MAKE YOUR DONATION
Homies Unidos started reaching out to schools and community service providers to refer CAR youth who needs mental health or legal services. As part of a preventive strategy we began implementing the National Compadres Network’s Joven Noble curriculum, character development and immigrant youth intergration program to provide a safe space where they can express themselves with indigenous traditional tools. Even though, with limited resources we have served over 158 youth in four different schools: Santee High, Hawthorne High, Hawkins High and L.A. River. Through this Conference we will address the need to bring youth from other schools where to a place where they can share experiences and be introduced to health and legal services providers among other resources.
CA Youth Conference Application 2018
Please give!
LETS MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
Notes for Information:
Event Organizer: Alex Sanchez- asanchez@homiesunidos.org
To reserve a ticket: vsmc@homiesunidos.org
Facebook Event page
Vos Sos Me Canto link to webpage: Vos Sos Mi Canto
Homies Unidos website: www.homiesunidos.org
Participating Collaborating Partner:
