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Report Bolsters Legislation for Undocumented Students
College Board Advocacy released a policy report late last month that calls for a resolution to the legal barriers hindering undocumented students from going to college and participating fully in society. “Young Lives on Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students” was written by Roberto G. Gonzales, an assistant professor at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work.
Each year nearly 65,000 undocumented students who have lived in the United States for many years graduate from our high schools. Because these students are not eligible for most forms of financial aid, only 5 to 10 percent will go on to college. Considering that we have already made an initial investment in the K-12 education of these students, as mandated by the Supreme Court in 1982, we should give them the opportunity to receive additional education and move legally into the workforce to better-paying jobs. The return on our investment would be realized because these students would contribute to society in meaningful ways, become highly educated workers, pay more in taxes and have more money to invest in the U.S. economy. If we punish them, we punish ourselves.
The report’s release was timed to support passage of the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act, a piece of national legislation that would provide undocumented immigrant youth in the United States with conditional residency and a pathway to citizenship if they meet the following criteria: a) arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16 and maintained continuous residence for five years; b) graduated from high school or obtained a GED; c) attended two years of college or served in the military; and d) have no criminal record. Having failed narrowly in the past, the bill was reintroduced in March by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. and Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif. as S. 729 and H.R. 1751, respectively. This time, the bill has bipartisan sponsorship, as well as the support of the leadership of both houses of Congress and President Barack Obama, who was an original co-sponsor of the DREAM Act when he was a senator.
At a press event in Washington, D.C., a panel of experts and two undocumented students discussed the report and the DREAM Act. Gonzales said his report comes from a much broader research project that considers how undocumented students transition into adulthood. He explained that facilitating postsecondary education for this high-achieving group of students would provide a net benefit to this country. He added that another 715,000 students could go on to college and ultimately join the workforce. In an answer to critics of the DREAM Act, Gonzales argued that these students do not take seats or financial aid away from American-born students.
Another member of the panel, Joe Zogby, a representative from Sen. Durbin’s office, implored, “Don’t punish students for the decisions that their parents made. In America, we don’t hold people accountable for the choices that their parents made.”
Zogby shared the example of Teresa, who had come to the U.S. from South Korea at the age of 2. She was deemed a musical prodigy at 8 and by high school was recruited by all of the top music schools in the country. It was only when she was applying to college that she learned that she was undocumented. She came to Sen. Durbin’s office to ask for help. A call placed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on her behalf was met with the response, “She can go back to Korea.”
In closing, Zogby said that if Congress fails to act this year, another entire class of outstanding, law-abiding high school students will graduate without being able to plan for the future, and some will be removed from their homes to countries they barely know. This tragedy will cause America to lose a vital asset: an educated class of promising immigrant students who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be contributing members of our society.
Next, Sen. Robert Menendez from New Jersey, co-sponsor of the Senate bill, reminded everyone that there was a time when people thought that educating women was a bad idea, that educating African Americans was dangerous or that the number of people of certain religions who could pursue an education should be restricted. But in hindsight, it’s difficult to think of a time in history when the decision to educate people turned out to be a bad thing. He said the students who will benefit from the DREAM Act must first prove a lot of responsibility. Given the chance, they may become business owners and create jobs.
Finally, Hemi Kim, director of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium, reminded us that education is the key to our nation’s prosperity. At every turn, education is seen as the chief determinant of a person’s quality of life and quality of health. These students will contribute to U.S. prosperity, as well their own.
To download a copy of this report, please visit the advocacy Web site. To learn more about the DREAM Act, visit www.dreamact2009.com.
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