Here, I expanded much more on the ideas I had in the HCP Prospectus, but there was still a lot of work to be done. I changed my recent event completely from what I used in the Prospectus from an event about the 2016 election and the candidates' immigration platforms to an event that came from the Los Angeles School Report that spoke directly about immigrant children and their struggles to receive an education. I also added significantly to the "Main Views" section and added a scholarly piece of evidence from a Berkeley professor that supported immigrant education. This draft, however, still lacks some evidence and a conclusion.

Danielle Arellano

Dr. Brendan Shapiro

Writing 39C F16

18 October 2016

The Right to an Education

     In a country who takes pride in itself to provide equal opportunity for all, there still remains a widening gap between immigrant and non-immigrant families with regard to their children’s level of education and the role in which their education plays on their social mobility. More recently, the topic of immigration, specifically those emigrating from Latin America, has become a heated debate amongst politicians who argue whether or not it is the country’s responsibility to provide the same resources to these “illegal aliens.” Although this is a moral dilemma of whether or not to help the welfare of these children and their families, there is also an economic dilemma. For lawmakers and the nation, there is an economic issue of deciding if taxpayers’ money should go toward funding educational programs to aid children who are not citizens of the country. In California alone, it is estimated that 68% of the undocumented population comes from Mexico. Of elementary to high school children who attend a California school, about 13% of them live with an immigrant parent (PPIC).  For many immigrant children who live in poverty with their family, the immigration debate and policy changes have lasting effects on their welfare, including their ability to receive a quality education. Several immigrant children suffer from stress and anxiety, and many still face the possibility of deportation and the inability to attain the American Dream.

II. Recent Event

     According to the LA School Report in February 2016, protestors including educators, lawmakers, and teachers unions protested in Southern California condemning the nationwide effort to remove undocumented immigrants including children. Across the nation, 121 people were rounded up and placed in custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The recent ICE activities comes from an effort to remove immigrant families and their children from the U.S. California is one of the states with the highest percentage of children that are either undocumented immigrants themselves, or come from a mixed- status family. The report states that between 30 and 40 percent of LAUSD’s students are of mixed-status families and are subject to deportation. Many of the educators and advocates from LAUSD report that their students are under severe stress and are fearful of the status of their parents or even themselves. They also report that many students often arrive to school “mentally and emotionally unprepared to learn,” affecting their performance in school. This stress not only affects the elementary-aged children, but stress increases as the children reach adolescence throughout high school and college.

     The report points out an issue that not only affects the families that are susceptible to the new deportations, but also the children and their ability to get a basic education. One day these children could be sitting in their classroom learning how to add and subtract, and the next they could be sitting in an ICE office with their family. The reality is that new immigration policy can affect the outcome of a child’s ability to receive an education equivalent to those who do not have to fear over their legal status, whether it be their own or their families’.

 

III. Summarize and Evaluate Main Views of Your Problem

     In the debate over immigration and education, there are several sides and arguments to the problem. There are the states, national government, social activists, and scholars who all have different viewpoints on child immigration and their ability to receive an education. In an effort to help aid immigration reform, President Obama attempted to pass an executive order that would give amnesty to immigrant children that would make it easier for them to pursue higher education known as DACA. Although at the national level, many states became involved in the issue and saw it as a states’ rights problem as it would ultimately be taxpayers’ dollars funding the programs. Solicitor General Verilli argued that states did not have the right to get involved with the policy since immigration is a national matter (CNN).  Aside from the national and state governments, there are some advocates who believe that the right to education for immigrant children only places a greater burden on schools and their budget. In an interview with Mercury News, Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration reform argues that, “Tuition has been rising steadily. People are struggling to get through college, and the people they are most concerned about are people who are in the country illegally.” Mehlman’s argument is one that many Americans share. Many American- born students already struggle in school, yet there is a large push to aid those who were not born in the country or entered illegally. Another argument is from teachers and advocates who believe it is only right for immigrant children to have equal access to education. In response to ICE raids, Michelle King, superintendent of LAUSD announced, Neither the Los Angeles Unified School District nor the Los Angeles School Police Department is aware of any planned raids… The District welcomes all students and all families and is committed to supporting their right to live, learn and work in their communities” (LAUSD). Like Superintendent King, many other educators share this same sentiment that all children have a right to education without feeling the burden of possible deportation.

     According to Lisa Garcia Bedolla, a professor in education and political science from UC Berkeley, immigrant children deserve to receive an education because it would not only help with their own socioeconomic mobility, but it would also help the U.S. economy. In her research, she projects that the lack of educational attainment in Latino immigrants will ultimately decrease national per capita income by two percent by 2020 (24). Not only does immigration affect the overall education of the children, but a lack of education will ultimately leave its mark on U.S. society. On the other hand there is also Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigrant Studies, who believes that providing the resources for education for immigrants would only waste taxpayer’s money. He believes that providing education for immigrant children only opens the door for more illegal immigration. Policy in favor of immigrant children’s education would only allow children to reap the benefits of education while their parents would still remain without contributing to society (Jost).

IV. Historical Contexts

     Although people have migrated for centuries, modern immigration began in post WWII to help U.S. society with the war effort. The Bracero Program was an agreement between Mexico and the U.S. where immigrant laborers were welcomed into the U.S. to aid in farm work while America was at war. Immigration began to become an issue between the 1980s and 90s when migration patterns shifted and the U.S. enforced a naturalization process for immigrants to become citizens (USCIS).  Immigration and education began to intersect in a 1982 Supreme Court Case where the Court prohibited states from denying free education to immigrants and charging tuition based on immigration status in Plyler v. Doe (American Immigration Council) In more recent times, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2002 to ensure that all children receive an equal opportunity to get an education (Department of Education). Despite the policy, many immigrant children do not receive a quality education or live in the fear of being deported. This trend also coincides with the fact that immigrant children earn less as adults, and their wages have been steadily falling between the 1940s and 2000s. It is projected that there wages will continue to slowly decline as we near 2030 (Haskins). Although immigration has been a popularly debated topic for years, it has been brought back up for debate with stronger opinions. Typically, immigration has been focused on adult immigrants, but now the focus has turned to children and the implications their immigration status has on their education and their ability to contribute back into society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

De Vogue, Ariane, and Tal Kopan. "Deadlocked Supreme Court Deals Big Blow to Obama Immigration Plan." CNN Politics. CNN, 23 June 2016. Web. 9 Oct. 2016.

"Every Student Succeeds Act." U.S. Department of Education. N.p., 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Garcia Bedolla, Lisa. "Latino Education, Civic Engagement, and the Public Good." Review of Research in Education (2012): n. pag. SagePub. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

Jost, Kenneth. "Immigration Conflict." CQ Researcher 9 Mar. 2012: 229-52. Web. 8 Oct. 2016.

Haskins, Ron. "Immigration: Wages, Education and Mobility." Brookings. The Brookings Institution, 25 July 2007. Web. 9 Oct. 2016.

Hill, Laura, and Joseph Hayes. "Just the Facts Undocumented Immigrants." Public Policy Institute of California. N.p., June 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

"Late Twentieth Century." U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N.p., 4 Feb. 2016. Web.17 Oct. 2016.

Molina, Alejandra. "Why More Undocumented Students in California Are Pursuing Grad School." The Mercury News. N.p., 13 Oct. 2016. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

Nicosia, Mareesa. "Deportation Fears Taking a Toll on Immigrant Children’s Education." LA School Report. N.p., 2 Feb. 2016. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

"Public Education for Immigrant Students: States Challenge Supreme Court’s Decision in Plyler v. Doe." American Immigration Council. N.p., 15 June 2012. Web. 8 Oct. 2016.

"Statement from Superintendent Michelle King On Immigration Raids Issue." Los Angeles Unified School District. N.p., 28 Jan. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.