Eva Longoria Discusses Importance of Higher Education for Latinos at NCLR Panel

Actress and Latino rights activist Eva Longoria discussed the importance of equal access to higher education for young Latinos in the U.S., including undocumented immigrants, during a panel Saturday at the 2013 National Council La Raza (NCLR) in New Orleans, according to La Prensa.

"The barriers have not changed in the last 30 or 40 years, and so we have to stop identifying them; we know what the barriers are, whether they be socio-economic status, immigration, language barriers, financial," the 38-year-old Mexican American actress said at a forum titled "Beyond Immigration Reform: Education As A Catalyst For Integration."

NCLR is one of the most important organizations advocating for Latino rights in the U.S., The Huffington Post reported.

Longoria also expressed her support for a comprehensive immigration reform, according to Fox News Latino. She said policies have to change in order to guarantee access to a higher education for Latinos, including those who came as minors and are currently undocumented. "We have to begin to see what it is that we're doing well, what it is that Latino men and women are doing to be able to navigate the (educational) system," Longoria said, referring to students known as DREAMers. 

During the meeting, one of those DREAMers, Emilio Vicente from North Carolina, said he, like other undocumented immigrants, was willing to share is personal story in hopes of persuading the American public, La Prensa reported. NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguia said that the future welfare of the United States is tied to the Latino community in the country and that voters have the obligation of demanding accountability from their political leaders to improve education.

On June 27, the Senate passed an amendment that includes a path to legalization and eventual citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S, while also increasing border security and establishing measures to prevent future flows of illegal migration, reported the Texas Tribune. The House of Representatives, under Republican control, has not yet presented its version of the reform plan, according to La Prensa.

The NCLR Annual Meeting held in New Orleans aimed to highlight the contributions of Latinos to the economic growth of the city and, in particular, to its resurgence after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. For a week, starting July 23, the meeting brings together political leaders, academics and community activists, many of whom are involved in lobbying for immigration reform.