Hispanic students will rally for educational advocacy today.

“Education is such an important issue because every individual is entitled to a quality education,” said Mayra Velez, Students for Latino/a Empowerment president. “Unfortunately, there is a great need for motivation, opportunity and resources in the U.S. for Latinos.”

The rally, “Voces Unidas” (United Voices), emphasizes immigration rights for Latinos and U.S. relations with Latin America.

“[The rally] is generally about access and equality. We hope it raises awareness about more realistic policies on immigration in Georgia,” said Erin Thompson, campus manager of Hispanic Scholarship Fund University Alliance.

Raising awareness will create changes to make more immigrants feel comfortable, Thompson said.

“When [an immigrant] comes in to Georgia, they want to be able to drive to the doctor without being worried about whether they have proper documentation or even a driver’s license to go,” she said.

Sylvia Mendez, a civil rights activist whose testimony helped desegregate white schools in California seven years before Brown v. Board of Education, will speak tonight.

Thompson met Mendez at a function for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund when several students suggested she share her story here.

“We’ve been working on this since July. Several organizations contributed honorariums that go directly to a scholarship fund [at Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School in Santa Ana, Calif.] created in the name of Ms. Mendez’s parents. She charges nothing for herself. She just wants to get the word out,” Thompson said.

“You can learn a lot from her. You can learn to fight for what you believe in and your rights. You can learn from her passion. Since she has retired, she travels to different places and discusses the case.”

Civil rights are for anyone denied a basic human right, she said.

“This event is to show Latinos are just as American as everyone else and that the issues involving us … should be of importance to this nation,” said Felix Chinea, political awareness chair for the Hispanic Student Association.