Climbing The Hill: Grad students travel to D.C. to advocate for multilingual learners

On a crisp March day in Washington, D.C., May Ovalles took a moment to gaze up at the Lincoln Memorial. The San Diego State University graduate student could hardly believe what she was seeing with her own eyes.

"For me, it was incredible — like a dream,” Ovalles recalls. “I was born and raised in the slums of Venezuela. I had never, ever imagined I was going to get to do this. Looking at the statue of Lincoln, I was thinking, ‘Wow, this is something I've only seen on TV.’"

Ovalles’ first-ever visit to the U.S. capital was far more than a sightseeing excursion. She was there to advocate for increased federal funding for bilingual education programs — a cause near and dear to her heart as a former English Language Learner herself. 

And she hadn’t come alone. Ovalles was joined by Beatriz Bey and Alejandra Rodarte, her classmates from the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education (DLE) master's program, as well as DLE Professor Margarita Machado-Casas, who was elected president of the National Association for Bilingual Education last year.

The SDSU contingent was part of a group of about 200 students and academics from all 50 states taking part in Language Advocacy Days, organized by the Joint National Committee for Languages. They gathered to bring the case for increased comprehensive language education funding directly to decision-makers on Capitol Hill.

For Ovalles, who also works at SDSU as a coordinator for Faculty Advancement and Student Success, advocacy is nothing new. She previously lobbied legislators in Sacramento while serving as vice president of her California State University Employees Union chapter.

Still, she said fighting for bilingual education — especially at a time when such programs have come under attack at the federal level — was nerve-wracking nonetheless.

"I'm a super nerd, so I love this quote from ‘Harry Potter’ that says, ‘We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.’” Ovalles said. “That's exactly what it was for me. I know that it would be a lot easier for me to do anything else. But I am here talking to you because I had a dual language educator in the past who paved a path for me to be here as well."

The SDSU team arrived in Washington, D.C., in time for a full day of training on March 8. The workshop covered both the myriad of important issues impacting language education, as well as strategies on how to best advocate for students with politicians and their staffers.

Then on March 9, it was showtime. They ascended Capitol Hill for six hours of meetings with their representatives. They had meetings with the staff of congressmen Darrell E. Issa (R) and Juan Vargas (D), as well as senators Adam Schiff (D) and Alex Padilla (D).

Time will tell if they were able to move the needle, politically. But no matter the outcome, Ovalles said the experience was personally empowering.

“We were exhausted, tired, scared, nervous — but we were still there, showing up,” she said. “This experience gave me a purpose again because I realized that I'm not alone. These are the moments where we have to stick together. 

“We have to be in community, advocate for our needs and be outspoken.”