In many respects, Razeen Zaman ’16 is just like her peers at Fordham Law School; she is motivated, professional, intelligent, ethical, and diligent. However, there is at least one important aspect that sets her apart: her immigration status.
Zaman’s family fled political violence in their native country over two decades ago and came to the United States. Later, their U.S. legal status was left uncertain.
“I faced a really scary moment where I didn’t know whether I’d be able to go to college because I wasn’t eligible for financial aid,” Zaman explained. “Up until that point, I hadn’t really understood what it meant not to have proper immigration status.”
Zaman was ultimately able to obtain a scholarship at Sarah Lawrence, where she made ample use of her time. She co-chaired the college’s Asian Pacific Islander Coalition for Action and Diversity and was an editor for a student-of-color newsletter. She also wrote for the literary magazine and the campus newspaper, and assisted in efforts to unionize campus workers. In 2010 she graduated with a liberal arts degree (concentrating in post-colonial studies) but struggled in finding employment because she lacked a work permit.
“My entire life was in the United States, and I thought it was crazy that U.S. immigration laws and policy were so obsolete that they didn’t account for millions of people whose situations and experiences were just like mine,” she said.
The circumstances faced by Zaman, and many others like her, inspired her to take action. Since 2011, she has worked as a campaign organizer for the New York State Leadership Council to design different grassroots strategies in order to gather support for the New York DREAM Act. Had the bill passed (it failed to secure the needed votes in the New York State Senate) it would have allowed for the extension of state financial aid to undocumented youth in New York.
“The DREAM movement is a vibrant and unapologetic move to reclaim silenced voices and stories. The activists that have led the DREAM movement have demonstrated incredible courage and resilience in the face of tremendous prejudice,” Zaman said. “This is also a movement about consciousness and critical thinking. How can you be denied fundamental human rights based on something arbitrary like where you were born? I think these are questions that the public at large has to think about when thinking about the DREAM movement.”
Working full time for immigration reform has taught Zaman that the issue is not necessarily a homogenous movement. “Immigrant activists vary widely in terms of what they consider to be effective immigration reform,” she explained. “I think that organizations consisting of directly impacted people are best equipped to advocate for what meaningful immigration reform looks like.”
Zaman grew up in Jackson Heights and still commutes to and from Queens every day. She enjoys the vibrant ethnic tapestry of her neighborhood. “Part of the reason Jackson Heights is such a thriving community is its diversity of immigrants.”
Zaman enrolled at Fordham Law in the fall of 2013, choosing to stay close to home in order to continue working on the DREAM Act campaign. She plans to use her degree to become a civil rights attorney and hopes to work in public policy, focusing on immigration advocacy. She has enjoyed the support the Fordham community has shown for her extracurricular work.
“I am glad to attend a school that is invested in making sure students pursue public interest careers,” she said.
In September 2013 Zaman was invited to speak at a Fordham Law luncheon entitled “The Fight for Citizenship: Challenges Faced by Undocumented Youth,” where she related her firsthand experience campaigning for the DREAM Act. Zaman is also a Stein Scholar and last year was selected as the Bellet Scholar, an award given to one incoming Stein Scholar in recognition of that student’s commitment to becoming a leader in the service of others.
Zaman appreciates the Stein Scholar community in part for its shared commitment to assist underrepresented communities. She encourages fellow Steins and her other Law School classmates and peers to get involved in the Immigration Research Advocacy Project, a student-run organization for which she serves as Events and Outreach Coordinator. She also promotes immigration law-related curricular offerings whenever she can.
“Since many immigrants cannot afford to hire an attorney, students can take immigration law classes, which will give them a broader understanding of how complex immigration law is and allow them to offer pro bono resources to help such immigrants build their cases,” she said.
Razeen knows firsthand the stigma of and challenges resulting from social marginalization. As she continues her advocacy and her legal education, she will further guide vulnerable populations from the margins of society closer to its center.