Bello Moderates Immigration Policy Discussion with Shenandoah University Group

Each semester, the Estudiantes Unidos group at Shenandoah University holds a “Discucena” at the president’s home. The event combines a cooking class followed by dinner and discussion of issues of importance to the U.S. Latino community. At the April 4 Discucena, attendees learned how to prepare pupusas (a popular Salvadoran dish), then enjoyed eating them while discussing immigration policies such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Mind & Media’s Chief Creative Officer Aldo Bello moderated the discussion. As the director of the documentary film “DREAM: An American Story” about the plight of “Dreamers”–young people affected by DACA–Bello was well suited to get the conversation going by asking questions, and inviting attendees to give their opinions and ask their own questions which others then answered.

Bello reports, “There was a very fruitful, civil, and engaged one-hour discussion on the topic, and most people felt that they had a better understanding of the issue. Some felt engaged enough that they walked away with targeted action steps they could take if they wanted to turn their newly gained knowledge into civic action. Some were organizing around the screening of DREAM next semester in the hopes of attracting a bigger audience with whom they could engage on the subject.”