"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.”

These are the words of labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.

Undocumented youth, also known as DREAMers, personify the essence of his message.  We cannot talk about the future of the Latino community without acknowledging a young and promising student-led movement. No longer afraid of deportation, these young, innovative and politically engaged organizers fight for social justice. They refuse to let us forget that the nation they call home forfeits their potential by confining them to a reality where they are inferior in status and rights. DREAMers advocate for equal access to higher education, regardless of immigration status. Because of their work to defend and promote the rights of immigrant youth and their communities, we know that this generation of leaders will safeguard the rights and interests of Latino working families for decades to come.  For their bold organizing and mobilization efforts, LCLAA recognizes the leaders of the DREAM Act movement with the “Cesar Chavez Award for Young Organizers.”