We ARE Americans

Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream

William Perez, William Perez

• Publisher: Stylus Publishing
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781620369982
• Topic: Bildung
• Subtopic: Hochschulausbildung

Winner of the CEP Mildred Garcia Award for Exemplary Scholarship About 2.4 million children and young adults under 24 years of age are undocumented. Brought by their parents to the US as minors—many before they had reached their teens—they account for about one-sixth of the total undocumented population. Illegal through no fault of their own, some 65, 000 undocumented students graduate from the nation's high schools each year. They cannot get a legal job, and face enormous barriers trying to enter college to better themselves—and yet America is the only country they know and, for many, English is the only language they speak. What future do they have? Why are we not capitalizing, as a nation, on this pool of talent that has so much to contribute? What should we be doing?Through the inspiring stories of 16 students—from seniors in high school to graduate students—William Perez gives voice to the estimated 2.4 million undocumented students in the United States, and draws attention to their plight. These stories reveal how—despite financial hardship, the unpredictability of living with the daily threat of deportation, restrictions of all sorts, and often in the face of discrimination by their teachers—so many are not just persisting in the American educational system, but achieving academically, and moreover often participating in service to their local communities. Perez reveals what drives these young people, and the visions they have for contributing to the country they call home.Through these stories, this book draws attention to these students' predicament, to stimulate the debate about putting right a wrong not of their making, and to motivate more people to call for legislation, like the stalled Dream Act, that would offer undocumented students who participate in the economy and civil life a path to citizenship. Perez goes beyond this to discuss the social and policy issues of immigration reform. He dispels myths about illegal immigrants' supposed drain on state and federal resources, providing authoritative evidence to the contrary. He cogently makes the case—on economic, social, and constitutional and moral grounds—for more flexible policies towards undocumented immigrants. If today's immigrants, like those of past generations, are a positive force for our society, how much truer is that where undocumented students are concerned?

PART ONE

High School Students

1 PENELOPE

‘‘I know for a fact my success is because of my relentless determination.’’

AT the beginning of her senior year in high school, Penelope came to terms with the harsh reality that her undocumented status would affect her future educational opportunities in the United States. It had been only a year since she first learned about her legal status. Now on the cusp of graduating from high school with an excellent academic record, participation in numerous extracurricular activities, and a recipient of myriad academic and community service awards, she is worried about not being able to afford college, ‘‘I want to go to a university, but it is too expensive. They don’t offer a lot of benefits for people with my status. Financially, I can’t do it. I can’t.’’ Penelope’s worry about paying for college is a common experience for many students as they near high school graduation. The financial concern for undocumented students is even more intense because they are not eligible for any form of federal financial aid. Undocumented students must figure out on their own how to pay for college.

At a time when most students are deciding where to apply to college, Penelope was worrying about whether it would even be an option for her. She had always dreamed of going to college, but all of a sudden she felt that her educational opportunities were limited. When I interviewed Penelope, she vividly described the feelings of hopelessness she experienced just a few months earlier when she tried to map out her college options:

At the beginning of the year, I was just freaking out. I was thinking, ‘‘Oh, my god, I am not going to get good educational opportunities!’’ Compared to my friends’ opportunities, my opportunities were pretty low. It’s just hard. I think it can be done, but it’s just hard.’’

Even though she had always planned to attend college, Penelope was now dealing with the reality of her being undocumented as a major barrier. Although she knows getting to college will be an uphill battle, she is ready for the challenge; she is ambitious, goal-oriented, and determined not to give up on her dream.

Penelope has overcome many hardships in her personal life to get where she is today. She was only nine years old when she came to the United States with her family. She had a very difficult childhood and was raised by her mother when her parents separated when she was very young. Sadly, Penelope did not see her mother much because she worked long hours to support her and her two sisters, ‘‘My mom would work all the time. She would never have time for us.’’ Although her mother was a strong role model for Penelope, her demanding work schedule did not allow her to spend quality time with her daughters. Penelope’s parents reconciled several years later, and shortly after, they decided to immigrate to the United States. With only a few possessions, Penelope’s family made the long, difficult journey to the North in search of a better life.

The economic hardships her family faced after immigrating to the United States were trying. As is the case for many immigrants, finding a stable job and affordable housing was challenging. This instability forced Penelope’s family to move around frequently when she was young. The constant moves had a significant impact on her education because every time her family moved to a new place, she had to change schools. She attended three different elementary schools, making it hard to develop a sense of stability and belonging. She explains, ‘‘It was really hard for me to adjust to the environment. It was difficult making friends. I hardly ever had friends. It was even more difficult because of the language.’’ Despite moving from place to place and the difficulty of adjusting to new schools, Penelope still excelled academically, making the honor roll at each school she attended. From a very young age, Penelope already showed signs that, despite adversity, she was determined to succeed.

When Penelope first started school in the United States, she was placed in English-language development (ELD) classes with other recently arrived students who did not speak or understand English. Although she acknowledges that the ELD classes assisted her in learning English, she felt that being in ELD isolated her from the social scene at her school and held her back intellectually. Penelope was placed in ELD classes from elementary school until high school. In fact, when Penelope started ninth grade, she could not believe she had been placed in the ELD track again, which was keeping her from taking the necessary college-prep courses. After lengthy negotiations with the school, Penelope was allowed to enroll in her first Advanced Placement (AP) course. She was very excited to finally break free of the ELD track and start working toward her goal of going to college. She reflects on taking her first advanced-level course:

I remember my first AP class, AP biology. I really remember that because when I got to high school I was still an ELD student. I never thought I would ever actually be with the smart people. I thought that the farthest I would go was into a regular class.

Taking an AP class ‘‘with the smart people’’ was a wonderful and life-changing experience for Penelope. For the very first time in her academic career, she felt that she was being challenged intellectually. After officially switching to the college-bound track, Penelope continued taking numerous academically rigorous courses throughout high school:

AP biology was the first one. That was my sophomore year. Junior year I took U.S. history, English, Spanish, and calculus AB, and then in my twelfth-grade year I took government last semester, and right now I’m taking AP economics, AP Spanish lit, AP calculus BC. I think it was a challenge for me, not only as a student, but as a person. I thought, if I can do well, I can basically do anything. That was my main motivation for taking those classes.

Getting good grades in her AP classes gave Penelope a new sense of herself as a good student. With a new sense of confidence, Penelope continued working toward her goal of going to college.

As described earlier, one of the biggest challenges Penelope faces as an undocumented student is constantly seeing the sharp contrast between opportunities available to her and those available to her U.S.-born friends. She is very aware of the many doors that are closed to her because of her lack of legal status:

As a student, I think you want to do all the things that your friends are doing, getting your driver’s license, for example. They have the advantage of being able to work. The only job we can get after we graduate is going to be a really bad job like at a factory or something, while they will get all the benefits, like working at a bank or working somewhere that is going to help them in their career.

As she now plans for college, and compares her options to those of her U.S. citizen friends, she describes applying for college as a very different process for her, ‘‘You don’t have a choice. It’s what you can afford, not what you want.’’ Penelope feels that her lack of legal status in this country takes away her freedom to choose her educational path. Whereas her classmates get to choose what college they want to go to, she feels that she will not have a choice. She also knows that her friends will be able to get financial assistance to attend any college; for her, college will be decided based on her ability to pay the full cost of tuition out of her own pocket. In recognizing all the disadvantages she faces as a result of not being a U.S. citizen, Penelope tries not to despair, and instead constantly looks for sources of hope and inspiration to keep her from giving up.

Penelope credits her parents for helping her to stay positive and motivated to keep moving forward in pursuing her education. Their stories of personal struggle growing up in poverty without the option of going to school inspire her, ‘‘They tell me about their childhood and how it was hard for them to get to where they are now. It has given me a reason to continue with school.’’ Her parents constantly remind her that she needs to follow a better career than they have working as manual laborers in factories:

They have always motivated us to do better than they are doing. They’re basically working class. Now I see that I don’t want to be that. I want something better for myself and my future. They didn’t go very far in school. They finished elementary school and some middle school.

Penelope also sees education as a pathway to financial stability. With a college degree, she feels she will not have to worry constantly about money as her family has done most of her life, ‘‘My family has been struggling financially. I just want to have a stable life. I don’t want to be rich or anything, but I want things to be taken care of, have my own house.’’

Another source of inspiration and drive for Penelope are other undocumented students who have gone to college. She personally knows a number of such students who were able to pay their way through college and get their degree, but are now unable to use their degree to get a job, ‘‘I do know some who have graduated from college. They already have their bachelor’s degree, but they can’t work because they don’t have their permits. But they have their education. I don’t think that’s fair.’’ These students’ not being able to use their college degrees in the workforce is sad, but she draws strength from the hope that her story will be different. Penelope has also learned from these students how to be resourceful in finding scholarships to assist with the cost of school to remain hopeful:

They have been very helpful. They have given me some ideas on how to get money from private scholarships. They have given me advice on my career . . . how I should always follow what I want to do. They have influenced me in the way that you can actually achieve your dreams. They have taught me to never give up.

When asked about whether she worried that she may not be able to get a job after finishing college just like the undocumented college graduates she knows, she responds candidly with an uncanny sense of optimism, ‘‘It doesn’t, because even though they can’t work, they don’t give up on their dreams. They are still fighting.’’ Similarly, Penelope is not giving up on her dream of earning a college degree and actively surrounds herself with people whose stories affirm her drive and determination.

In high school, Penelope got very involved in extracurricular activities on the advice of a good friend:

She actually motivated me to get involved in a lot of academics in my school. She made it seem like it was possible, and it was. She gave me a lot of motivation. So I did participate in a lot of academic clubs, like the math club, the science club, the social science club, speech and debate, academic decathlon.

Not only did Penelope participate in these clubs, but she also assumed various leadership positions:

I am the president for the speech and debate and the social science clubs. I am also the secretary for the science club. I am a member of Academic Decathlon, and I participated in the super quiz, which was televised. Being in the clubs was great.

As a result of her academic excellence and extracurricular involvement, Penelope has received many awards and recognitions:

I’ve been on the honor roll and received achievement awards. The honor roll has been pretty much every year of high school. For the achievement award, you have to pretty much maintain an A or B average. I also got an award because of my grades and community service. I worked at the hospital, and I also volunteered at a school tutoring kids during the weekends. I work with middle school kids, elementary school, and high school kids—it’s from 10 am until 3 pm on Saturdays—and for the hospital volunteering, I go three times a week. If it’s during the weekdays, I do two hours. If it’s on a weekend, I do four hours.

Penelope credits her strong determination as an important factor in her school success, ‘‘I know for a fact my success is because of my relentless determination.’’ She also credits her optimism, ‘‘What makes the difference is that I have a positive attitude and most others don’t.’’

Academics and extracurricular activities were not the only commitments Penelope had to balance in high school. Since middle school, she has had various responsibilities at home, which include taking care of her younger sister:

I have to help my parents with my little sister. I take care of my little sister every day. It takes a lot of my time after school from 3:00 pm until 5:00 or 6:00 pm, or until they get home. I also have other responsibilities. I have to clean the house, the kitchen, the living room, my room, do the dishes, vacuum, make the beds. I actually don’t start doing my homework until 7:00 pm.

Unlike most high school students who can dedicate all their free time to school and activities, Penelope had to set aside time to assist with household chores.

Penelope has overcome many barriers in her path to educational success. A significant aspect of her life that has motivated her is growing up in an impoverished neighborhood. She said that most children in her neighborhood ‘‘gave up’’ on school and life. Although this sounds like an environment that might foster feelings of hopelessness, Penelope had a different reaction. Instead, being in this environment strengthened her desire to not end up like most kids she had gone to school with:

Where I live, most of the kids give up. They give up on their education. I don’t want to think that it is something that is impossible for me. I want to think positive. I really want to continue with what I am doing in school.

She also wants to avoid the fate of getting pregnant at an early age, which happens to many young girls in her neighborhood, including her sister, ‘‘In our community a lot of the girls get pregnant or drop out. My sister got pregnant at an early age.’’ Her sister’s pregnancy left a lasting impression on her and further motivated her in school, ‘‘The one thing that has really put my mind into going to college was my sister getting pregnant. I saw how hard it was for her to go to school.’’

Reflecting on Penelope’s amazing high school record of accomplishment, her strength and perseverance became even more obvious when she shared with me that her mother was diagnosed with cancer when she was in 10th grade, ‘‘My mom got cancer my tenth-grade year. It was really hard for me. I had never gone through that stage of knowing that someone in my family could die.’’ Although Penelope has encountered many events in her life that could have easily altered her dreams of going to college, she never gave up on working toward her goals. Despite the many educational hindrances of being undocumented, Penelope always finds people and activities that keep her motivated and moving forward.

Penelope wants to become a pediatrician. She understands that, financially, medical school is not a viable option for her, so she has a backup plan, ‘‘Right now I know I’m not going to have money for medical school, so I need to be smart about it. I’m choosing nursing first, before I apply to...