Undocumented Immigrants

“Education is the pathway to success.” This is what my teachers, parents, and peers told me growing up. I knew that if I wanted to better my life, I would need to get a college education. I am thankful to have the opportunity to attend a university and receive a high-quality education. Unfortunately, many students do not have the chance to get an education past secondary school. Many of these students are undocumented immigrants. Undocumented immigrants can get a public-school education for grades K through 12, but when it is time to get an education that will lead to social mobility, they are not afforded the privilege. A college education is now essential to becoming successful in the United States – a high school degree is not enough, but for immigrants who yearn to make a living for themselves in the United States, they have limited options in regards to education. Torres and Wicks-Asbun (2014)

describe that “regardless of aspirations, a lack of resources and funding – often directly related to documentation status – presents the greatest barrier to educational attainment” (Torres and Wicks-Asbun, 2014, p. 201). Education is the gateway to upward social mobility, and while some undocumented immigrants can have access to education, many are left in a marginalized position in society and are not able to attain higher education or acquire a financially stable job.
An undocumented student can be the top student in his or her high school graduating class but continue to struggle with affording a college education and supporting his or her family thus leading to a more marginalized lifestyle.

Larissa Martinez, a high school graduate, revealed she was an undocumented immigrant in her high school valedictorian speech. She talked about how many undocumented immigrants will not have the chance to attend education beyond secondary school. Martinez mentions that “school became her safe haven because… that might be the only way to help [her] family” (The Dallas Morning News, 2016, 4:28). Not only do Americans look for social mobility through education, but immigrants do as well. Fortunately, Martinez can attend college through college funds, but many students in her situation do not have the means to get a college education because they do not have the money to afford it. People like Larissa struggle daily to achieve the “American Dream,” but fall short when pursuing a college education which they cannot afford or

attain.
In the United States, undocumented immigrants register as international students; therefore, they have to pay more money than their American peers, making college, a profit-making enterprise, less accessible. The fact that “for even the most motivated [undocumented] students, the issue of the legal status weighs heavy as they look toward college” is still a disheartening revelation (Torres and Wick-Asbun, 2014, p. 200). These students go to school with American citizens, work as diligently in school, some graduate at the top of their class, yet they are unable to attend college given an even playing field. Daisy Marquez mentions in her YouTube video that although makeup was her passion, she wanted to go to college. Because Daisy is an undocumented immigrant, college is far more expensive. After seeing that her mother would have to struggle to afford college, she decided to pursue her passion even though she “was crying for days and days and days because [she] wasn’t gonna go to college. [She] feels like [she]failed [her]family because [she] didn’t go to college” (Daisy Marquez, 2017, 13:38). College should be more affordable, for both immigrants and American students, but we as a people have to remember college is a business above all else and if America can gain more money leaving undocumented immigrants as “international students,” America will continue to take advantage of undocumented status. Legal status gives immigrants a pathway to attain an American education leading to better job opportunities where they will not have to struggle financially.
Immigrants are highly overrepresented in low wage jobs in the United States, and this is partially due to the lack of access to education which perpetuates their marginalization in society. Arango (2000) describes this phenomenon in the Dual Labour Market Theory stating that “[f]oreign workers from low-income countries…accept such jobs because low wages are usually high if compared with [the] standard back home…” (Arango, 2000, p. 289). In the United States, Hispanics occupy 10.3 percent of the workforce (Blancero and DelCampo, 2005, p. 31). For those working in managerial or professional jobs, there are 4.5 percent Hispanics, and for corporate employees, they are 1.7 percent Hispanic (Blancero and DelCampo, 2005, p. 31). Because of the lack of social mobility, even though many undocumented immigrants have skills gained in their country, they are still subject to working jobs in the electrical industry, construction industry, or in laundry mats. These professions, although readily accessible to immigrants, provide low wages thus causing many to struggle financially. Such jobs do not need a college education, but the high paying executive jobs do. Therefore immigrants are not able to acquire these job opportunities as easily. These restrictions in job opportunities further marginalize undocumented immigrants in the United States.
The United States has to do a better job concerning immigration and immigrant social mobility in regards to access to education. In my opinion, this country was created on the backs of immigrants and to reject people actively looking for a better life seems quite disrespectful. President Trump has made his stance on immigration clear. He states that Mexico is “not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists” (Reilly, 2016). These arguments for not allowing Mexican immigrants in the United States are invalid and uncalled for because each race in America has someone that falls under all of the mentioned categories. Because of these preconceived notions, immigrants, especially Mexican immigrants, are not given an equal opportunity to prove themselves as able to perform at American standards. The fact of the matter is immigrants should have an equal opportunity for education in the United States. Education leads to social mobility – not just for immigrants but also for American citizens. I am proud to be an American, but when I look around and see how distorted this country’s view of equality and social justice is, it is saddening. I do not know where I would be if it were not for my education, and many immigrants can understand how difficult it is to earn a living for themselves and their families in the land of the free and the home of the brave. America has fed this American Dream to many immigrants, and it is time we live up to that standard by providing them with a means to upward social mobility through a college education.