Ask the Expert: Dreamers Resource Center/MAGEC

Centers focused on providing welcoming space for CSUB's diverse student population

By California State University, Bakersfield

July 17^th, 2023

Creating a welcoming space for students with diverse cultures and international backgrounds during their time at California State University, Bakersfield is a high priority for the university. That is why the Dreamers Resource Center (DRC) and Multicultural Alliance and Gender Equity Center (MAGEC) are so important.

MAGEC opened in 2018 while the DRC opened in 2019. The combined center is still relatively new, and many on campus haven’t had a chance to get to know it, as the campus swiftly shut down not long after it opened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even so, it plays a vital role in the lives and experiences of CSUB students. It is considered a safe space for undocumented students, AB-540 and DACA recipients or from students mixed-status families.

“Sometimes, people have a misconception about who we’re here to serve,” said Mariela “Mayo” Gomez, coordinator for DRC and MAGEC, as some people believe the center is only for people from Mexico. “In reality, they can come from all over the world.”

Brazil, Canada, France, Indonesia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Yemen are just a few of the countries CSUB students have come from.

Among other services the center provides are DACA renewals, AB-540 applications, CA Dream Act applications (CADA), and any other supporting documents. The DRC can also help students with questions that might arise and assist them in navigating the situation.

Students are able to utilize the benefits for two years following graduation.

Faculty and staff can also take advantage of the resources, whether they themselves are from another country or are seeking information about the processes for a family member.

Currently, the center is working on a couple initiatives. The first is assisting with free legal immigration services. The second is part of the Californians for All College Corps program, a state-funded grant that allows AB-540 eligible Dreamer students to be compensated for service projects relating to food insecurity, K-12 education and sustainability.

Eventually, the DRC hopes to offer scholarships and work more within the larger community. But for now it is focusing on the campus and its students and faculty.

The facility's MAGEC resources support student identity clubs, providing scholars who come from diverse backgrounds “access to spaces where they can be their authentic selves.”

It’s a hub that allows the students to not only have a place to go but have a space where they can also feel supported. As the center continues to grow, Gomez explained, they’d like to expand more through programming and empower students along the way.

MAGEC is currently accepting applications to reserve rooms for the upcoming academic year.

If you’d like to learn more about DRC or MAGEC, please visit csub.edu/dreamers or csub.edu/magec. Services offered are only available to students, faculty and staff, but community members can be referred to local resources in the community.