Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Vianney Orozco
Mrs. Spurlock
Comp 1
The subject of unauthorized immigration has been ever-present in political and public
debates in the United States. In most recent years, it has been spurred on with conversations
regarding, among other things, border wall construction, family separation, and education of the
undocumented youth. In 2016, The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimated 11.3 million
unauthorized immigrants residing in the United States. The top five countries of birth for these
immigrants were Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, China, and Honduras. As of 2012 through
2016, about four million unauthorized immigrants lived with one or more children under the age
of 18, which in most cases, are their own children, and undocumented as well.
researchers have estimated that 1.09 million undocumented children and youth currently live in
the United States. These children did not illegally enter this country by personal choice, though
they know exactly why they were brought here. Every immigrant that enters this country
illegally is motivated by the freedom and opportunity to live a better life, which is ultimately the
perspective that these parents pass onto their children. Therefore, it is important to consider the
education policy towards the unauthorized immigrant youth in order for them to put this
perspective into action and explore these opportunities for themselves. Despite the debates
regarding their rights as non-citizens that may arise from some Americans on this particular
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issue, the children of illegal immigrants are entitled to an education. Educating them will also
First and foremost, the children of immigrants, whether authorized or unauthorized, have
a constitutional right to free and public education. Denying these children the right to receive an
education while American children are guaranteed one, is a violation of the Fourteenth
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which ensures equal protection of laws to every individual
within its jurisdiction. In the court case known as Plyler v. Doe in 1982, the Supreme Court
reasoned that illegal aliens and their children, though not citizens of the United States, are people
“in any ordinary sense of the term” and, therefore, are afforded Fourteenth Amendment
protections. Despite arguments that opposed the additional cost of educating these children, this
court decision also determined that the harms brought by excluding these students far
outweighed any costs imposed on school resources. An example of the critical consequences that
this may bring to these students can be noted in the withdrawal of more than 13% of Latino
students from public schools in Alabama after the legislature passed a measure in 2011 that
undocumented children penalizes them for the actions their parents took in bringing them to this
country in search of a better life. Former President Barack Obama addressed this issue on July
15, 2012, as he announced the launch of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
program. In his remarks, Obama brought to attention the fact that a tremendous portion of the
population of undocumented children was brought to the United States as infants, and oftentimes
do not even realize that they are undocumented until it comes time to apply for a job, a driver’s
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license, or a college scholarship. Being raised in America, they know little to nothing about their
country of origin, so they essentially consider America their home. Withholding them from
receiving a higher education chiefly hinders their potential to be successful. Not to mention, the
vast majority of these patriotic young people, widely known as “dreamers,” are extremely driven
and talented, which accounts for the nearly 690,000 current DACA holders.
Moreover, it is important to reflect on the preparation that these young people undergo
through education. They are capacitated to lead productive lives, and fundamentally to benefit
the country as a whole. In fact, the motivation and aspiration to succeed are already present in
these kids. Despite the fact that immigrant families face additional challenges due to their less
advantaged socioeconomic status, studies have shown that immigrants have higher aspirations
than native-born minorities, especially when the family background is taken into account. So it is
no surprise that approximately 62% of DACA recipients that are not in the labor force are
enrolled in school. Just about 72% of these students pursue a bachelor’s degree or higher,
directly relating to the significant numbers of current recipients that are employed in professional
occupations. These statistics should spark America’s interest in educating these young people, as
they can accordingly contribute to the stimulation of the nation’s economy, increasing the
Though the United States undoubtedly values education and upward mobility, the
numerous counterattacks towards this particular subject are the result of nativist sentiments, one
of them being cultural nativism. This is characterized by a need to preserve what is perceived as
several languages, set of values, and overall worldviews that differ from those of the United
States society. Out of this may grow multicultural resources such as bilingual education
programs or ethnic studies programs in schools, which pose a threat to the American society, in
the eyes of the cultural nativist public. Studies have found that residents in urban areas with a
Americans’ knowledge of the varying foreign cultures found around the world. This can also
serve as an important tool for cultural assimilation of those immigrant students who have yet to
educating the undocumented youth. Under this falls the uncertainty about employment and
economic conditions. This is followed by a concern that immigrants are in direct competition
with American citizens when it comes to jobs. As a matter of fact, following President Obama’s
speech on the enactment of DACA, he was asked, “What about American workers who are
unemployed while you import foreigners?” Nonetheless, American citizens, if eligible, are given
the opportunity to apply for unemployment benefits, which vary depending on their state of
residence. On the other hand, unauthorized immigrants do not qualify for such benefits, and
despite their high labor force participation, they tend to work for lower wages and have lower
greatest hopes are placed on goals that can only be achieved through education. As previously
stated, the vast majority of them are hardworking and high-achieving students. All things
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considered, it is clear that these young people hold the right to receive an education in the United
States and allowing them to do so vitalizes the nation’s welfare. American society has already
invested significantly in resources to educate these youths, and it is important that these are
conserved. The entire county can benefit from helping these students continue through higher
education, which in turn increases their opportunities to contribute to the country they call home.
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Works Cited
Cerra, Ella. “American Dreamers.” Teen Vogue, vol. 19, no. 4, Dec. 2017, p. 24. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=126341660&site=ehost-live.
Davidson, Theresa, and Karlye Burson. “Keep Those Kids Out: Nativism and Attitudes Toward
Latinos & Education, vol. 16, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 41–50. EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1080/15348431.2016.1179189.
Horwedel, Dina M., and Christina Asquith. “For Illegal College Students, An Uncertain Future.”
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, vol. 23, no. 6, May 2006, p. 22. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=21070825&site=ehost-live.
Lepore, Jill. “Back to the Blackboard.” New Yorker, vol. 94, no. 27, Sept. 2018, p. 86.
EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=131506022&site=ehost-live.
Raleigh, Elizabeth, and Grace Kao. “Do Immigrant Minority Parents Have More Consistent
doi:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2010.00750.x.