Honorary Degrees Conferred Upon Business Leader, Advocate for Immigrant Students in Higher Education

For immediate release

River Forest, IL-A Chicago-based global business leader and a national advocate for immigrant students in higher education were recognized this month with honorary degrees from Dominican University, which is marking its 125th anniversary this year.

Martin Cabrera, Jr., a native of Chicago's Little Village and founder and chief executive officer of Cabrera Capital, and Dr. Miriam Feldblum, co-founder, president and chief executive officer of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, were each presented with honorary doctorates during commencement ceremonies May 10.

In their commencement speeches, the recipients addressed topics of immigration, injustice and standing up for others.

Cabrera, the son of Mexican immigrants, spoke of his paternal grandfather, aunt and great-grandmother, who, despite being U.S. citizens, were deported to Mexico in 1930 under The Mexican Repatriation, a campaign enacted amid growing poverty and anti-immigrant sentiment across the country.

"Today, decades later, families still live with that fear of injustice, right here in Chicago and across the country," Cabrera said. He called upon graduates to use their ability to "stand up for people who are told they don't belong or they can't succeed."

"Let me remind you, your education gives you something powerful: a degree and a voice, a path and a platform," he said.