Illegal Scholar
Carlos is a bright high-school senior who wants to go to college. Here's the problem: He's an undocumented immigrant.
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[November 15th, 2006]
Except for two things.
First, he's a "gifted" student and writer, according to his teachers. His GPA is 3.52, and his schedule is loaded with honors classes and Advanced Placement courses.
Second, he's an illegal immigrant. Carlos' parents brought him to this country from Mexico on a tourist visa when he was almost 8 years old. More than nine years later, the family is still here—hidden in plain view in one of Southeast Portland's working-class neighborhoods.
Carlos is aware his presence in this country is at the center of one of the most heated debates in American politics today. (WW agreed not to publish his real name or photograph.) "It affects me every day, this whole immigration thing," Carlos says.
But he has learned to live with it. "I don't worry about it," Carlos says of the possibility that he could one day be deported. "I'd have to start over again, but that's the case for everybody."
To a certain extent, his calm is understandable. Even though Carlos wasn't born in the United States (if he had been, he'd be a U.S. citizen), he is one of an estimated 1.8 million undocumented children for whom public schools in the United States are safe havens. A 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case ruled that public schools must educate all kids, including illegal immigrants, who are nonetheless breaking federal law by living here.
"I will not deny the fact that we have certain percentages of students who are undocumented," says Franklin principal Charles Hopson. "But I don't even entertain arguments about who we should educate."
But now, as a senior in high school, Carlos faces a host of written and unwritten rules that simultaneously punish and seduce the world's tired, huddled masses.
Carlos could go to college, or he could get to work.
The irony embedded in America's immigration policy is that most Americans would turn a blind eye if Carlos decided he wanted to go straight to work, resigning himself to a life of low wages as a landscaper, a waiter or a construction worker.
Instead, Carlos wants to go to college. And this country's response—after shepherding him through high school—is as confusing and inconsistent as the Medicare Part D doughnut hole.
"In kindergarten through 12th grade, it's wink wink, nod nod," says Jennifer Satalino, a manager at the Northwest Education Loan Association, a charitable group in Portland that helps low-income students pay for college. "But now we're slamming the door."
Carlos came to this country with his mother and his younger brother almost a decade ago. His father was already in Portland at the time, having made the trip to the United States about 18 months earlier.
Looking back, Carlos does not remember much about his life in Mexico, but it all seems very innocent to him now, a time in his life when he spent many carefree hours playing with his little brother, he says.
"It was pretty much a normal kid's life, I guess," Carlos says, sitting with his parents on a tan sectional sofa in their neatly appointed, beige living room.
It was October when Carlos arrived in Oregon, where his father had settled after a few months in California. It was raining all the time. And Carlos was startled to discover that his family was poor. Somehow he'd imagined life in America would be like life on American television.
"The image that you get from the U.S.A. is that, when you come here, you're going to be in a happy, sunny, rich little neighborhood with a whole bunch of little kids and you're just going to play," he says. "When we got here, it was kind of the opposite."
Enrolled in the second grade, Carlos was just about to turn 8 and his brother was 7, but his parents immediately started working. And since the couple could not afford babysitters at the time, the boys often returned to an empty home, where they watched television and entertained themselves. Carlos' mother, who is 40 and petite with curly reddish hair, says she still feels guilty. In fact, her only recurring nightmare has nothing to do with being deported. Instead, she's haunted at night by images of her two children at home alone looking sad and bored, she says.
 FRANKLIN HIGH'S PRINCIPAL, CHARLES HOPSON, says the barriers facing undocumented students are similar to those he faced growing up as a black U.S. citizen in Arkansas. |
Adjusting to life in America, Carlos' parents enrolled in adult-education classes, where they studied English three days a week. At the same time, Carlos and his brother were learning English at Sunnyside, then an elementary school in Southeast Portland. Today, they all speak fluent English, although the parents have light Mexican accents. And switching back and forth between Spanish and English causes Carlos to forget words in both languages, he says.
The family has not returned to Mexico once since their departure. Their only option for returning would be to sneak across the border, and the family is not willing to take that risk.
The parents do take other risks, though.
To work, they use fake Social Security numbers, which they bought nine years ago for about $30 apiece on a street in Woodburn, in a transaction that went something like a drug deal, Carlos' father says. "You have to go and look for it," says Carlos' father, who is 39, stout and 6 inches shorter than his son. "You go to the streets and ask for it."
As far as the couple knows, they are the only ones with their particular Social Security numbers, which they shared with their current employers in order to get their jobs. Presumably, their employers use those numbers to have taxes withheld from their paychecks, just like any other working Portlander, Carlos' father says. But the couple also uses tax identification numbers (issued by the U.S. government to anyone, regardless of their immigration status) to file their annual tax returns, and they somehow manage to receive their refund. A spokesman for the Social Security Administration says the agency doesn't have the resources to investigate all cases of possible fraud, although it is a federal offense to buy fake Social Security numbers. Meanwhile, Carlos' father says the complexity inherent in the tax-filing system benefits workers like him.
"People here rely on that confusion, because it's a way of making a living," Carlos' father says. "Somehow it's good it doesn't make sense."
Carlos' parents say their employers do not know for sure that they are illegal immigrants. "The most important thing is that they are happy with our work," Carlos' father says.
The family has health insurance through the father's job. They pay rent and, by extension, property taxes, meaning they support the funding of Portland's schools.
The family has a checking account, driver's licenses, a phone line in their name and a membership at the local video rental store.
To give their kids the life they couldn't have given them in Mexico, Carlos' mother and father regularly put in overtime at their jobs. Carlos' mother is a waitress at a Lebanese restaurant in Portland. And Carlos' father says he does whatever his bosses ask of him, meaning he works as a driver, construction worker and general laborer. "For people like us, you have to be good in one, two, three positions, because we are immigrants," he says. "They don't tell us, but they let us know."
Early on, Carlos exhibited academic ability, giving his mother and father hope that their son could go to college.
But the father is a bit jaundiced, because his experience tells him Americans depend on undocumented immigrants to fill low-wage jobs, he says.
"We don't need Mexicans with college studies, because there is a lot of people around the world that have already studied, and they are dying to come here," he says.
Carlos' parents refuse to buy him a fake Social Security card. His father says it's because he wants his son, who is still only a child, to stay "clean." "I just don't think he needs it right now," his father says.
In the meantime, Carlos' focus on school has some unintended ironies.
Last May, when about 10 percent of Franklin's students skipped class to protest the immigration legislation making its way through Congress, Carlos stayed behind at Franklin. He thought his time would be better spent in class, he says.
"As a way of action, I study; that's what I do," Carlos says.
Just three miles from his house, Reed College's campus might as well be on another planet. For one thing, full tuition, room and board is $43,530 a year, not including basic expenses like books.
It's a Wednesday when Carlos visits with two of his friends from Franklin. And as he sets out on a tour of the leafy campus, he's looking just as nervous as the other high-school seniors gathered around him.
The culture at Reed is somewhat alien to Carlos.
As the tour winds past dormitories and other grand brick buildings on campus, Carlos' tour guides drop cultural references that Carlos doesn't catch. The school's honor code requires that students "be excellent to each other," one tour guide says, repeating the line from the movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (released the same year Carlos was born in Mexico). The Decemberists and Ira Glass recently came to campus, the tour guide later boasts. But Carlos has never heard of either the band or the geeky radio host. On any given day, he's more likely to be listening to Chicano rap by Kinto Sol or reading poetry by Jimmy Santiago Baca than listening to This American Life on NPR.
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 DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID LESLIE LIMPER (left) and Dean of Admission Paul Marthers address a group of applicants at Reed College last friday. IMAGE: MATT WONG |
But Carlos gains confidence when he attends a Spanish literature class and is surrounded by non-native Spanish speakers, who talk slowly and deliberately and, in more than a few cases, rather idiosyncratically. "Tú puedes decir," one student says repeatedly in Spanglish—a phrase that literally means "you could say," but that no Spanish speaker would ever actually say.
Later, at lunch in the campus cafeteria resembling a Vermont ski lodge, Carlos meets with Reed students who answer his questions about the admissions process.
Carlos' classmate from Franklin, also undocumented, has a question, too. And he seems to be speaking for Carlos as well when he poses it to the Reed sophomore, whose parents are from Mexico, she says.
"Were you born here?" he asks, briefly looking up from his hamburger and French fries swimming in ketchup. What he really wants to know is whether the student is a U.S. citizen. But when she says "yes," he simply continues eating.
Carlos barely touches his food. He's too busy answering other students' questions about what kind of music he likes, what kind of classes he wants to take and why he wants to go into "international business," he says, to eat his sandwich.
"The scroungers will eat it," one student tells Carlos, indicating the untouched half of his BLT. Nearby, a gaggle of hungry-looking students is waiting to eat the leftovers from departing students' trays.
"The who?" asks Carlos, jumping slightly from his seat and turning to see where the others are pointing.
Admissions officers at Reed know that Carlos is an undocumented immigrant, and yet they invited him to visit. Although they have not yet reviewed his application, which is due Jan. 15, they say his illegal status does not disqualify him. In fact, one dean recently met with Carlos' family on a Saturday to discuss his application.
However, because Carlos is not an American citizen, Reed says it would consider him alongside other international students. And Reed has very few scholarships for students who are not from the United States.
Yet Carlos isn't an international student in the true sense of the category. He's a local teenager in a city that is increasingly Latino and increasingly Mexican. Paul Marthers, the admissions dean, says the case for Carlos' admission is even more compelling to the college.
"One of the important things for Reed is that it look like America," Marthers says. "We try to stay out of the politics of it."
John Keeley, communications director for the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank in Washington, D.C., is incensed by policies such as Reed's. "That person is not authorized to be in the United States by the U.S. government," says Keeley, who works for a think tank that wants current immigration laws enforced. "I can't understand the sensibility of any institution that would willfully violate federal law."
Keeley says, too, that accepting an undocumented student necessarily means one coveted slot is not going to an equally deserving American student.
But Marthers defends Reed's decision, saying that the admissions process is not a zero-sum game. He adds: "We look at how we can help the individual; we're not getting into the issue of how his parents are here."
Perhaps surprisingly, it may actually be easier for Carlos to attend a private school like Reed than any public institution, where the academic requirements are less rigorous.
The University of Oregon says all applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents or international students with appropriate visas. A student who does not fall into any of those categories will not have his application processed, according to Phil Weiler, a university spokesman.
On a recent trip to Western Oregon University, Carlos was admitted on the spot because his GPA is so high. But the public university's letter of conditional acceptance notes that Carlos' application is incomplete until he supplies his Social Security number, which he does not have. Weeks later, it's still not clear to Carlos whether he's been admitted.
Some college-admissions advisers claim that, in practice anyway, many public universities are far less strict—they either fail to follow up on a request for a Social Security number or they allow undocumented students to enroll but charge them out-of-state tuition. In the case of Western Oregon University, that would be a nearly $10,000 difference between $15,789 in-state and $25,284 out-of-state for tuition, fees, books, and room and board.
Either way, say critics, allowing a public institution to educate an illegal immigrant is "a subsidy tantamount to amnesty," according to the Center for Immigration Studies' Keeley. "I can't think of anything more unfair for the American taxpayer," he says.
Then again, without a Social Security number, Carlos cannot apply for federal loans, work-study grants or any other form of public assistance.
"It's completely unjust that a student of his caliber will be denied access to higher education," says Susie Bartley, an English teacher at Franklin who met Carlos when he was a junior.
But without a Social Security number, it's hard to see how Carlos could fulfill his ambition of working for a company as an international businessman.
Aníbal Rivera, a social studies teacher at Franklin, has witnessed many undocumented students like Carlos pass through his classroom. All of them struggle to figure out what they will do after they leave the safety of high school. Some drop out before graduation. Others graduate and then chose to work.
"As a teacher, there is no other issue that causes me as much pain," Rivera says. "[Carlos] would make a great doctor or engineer. He has the potential to be a great asset to our society, but he might not be able to accomplish that."
Rivera's comments are of little comfort to Lars Larson, the radio talk-show host who has become the nose guard for the get-tough-on-immigration movement in Oregon. Larson has banged the drum on this issue for years and was largely responsible for shaping the views of Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Saxton. Larson says of Carlos: "His presence is wrong. He's taken over $100,000 of taxpayers' money for his education. I know that a lot of people say that his parents are just trying to better their lives. So is every meth head and burglar. Here's the not so funny thing: In this state you are regulated by the car you drive, how you add on to your house, if you want to move dirt from your house. We climb on the backs of citizens who cross the line to the littlest degree. Citizens are being held to a higher standard than those who have no right to be here."
Last week, American voters elected a Democratic U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, where efforts to grant amnesty to undocumented children who graduate from American high schools have been stalled for several years but may now have better chances. Referred to as the DREAM Act, the legislation would also pave the way for public universities to offer undocumented students in-state college tuition.
Similar efforts are under way at the state level in Oregon, too. With the help of newly elected state Rep. Ben Cannon, a Democrat who represents the Franklin High area, the Oregon Students of Color Coalition plans to introduce legislation in the next session that, if approved, would grant undocumented immigrants eligibility for enrollment at public universities and in-state tuition rates.
House Speaker-to-be Jeff Merkley says, "There's a great case to be made for this legislation because we all benefit if each individual succeeds to their full potential."
To Carlos, it all boils down to one thing.
"I just want to learn," he says. "But the same thing I want to break is holding me back."
He did not choose to be in this position.
"We are responsible for him being a criminal," his mother says. "Don't care about us, but care about him."
Publishing this story put Willamette Week on the horns of an ethical dilemma, given that its publication could pose a real risk for the teenage subject.
Carlos and his parents agreed to participate, despite that danger. But in agreeing to cooperate, they asked that the newspaper not use Carlos' real name or photograph.
Early on in the reporting, I met with Carlos and his parents and told them that I would be identifyng Carlos' school and teachers, describing what he looks like and quoting him.
The intent was to balance WW's commitment to telling the truth against the welfare of a subject who did not have to tell his story. —Beth Slovic
Of those 16 million immigrant children, 13 million are U.S. citizens by virtue of having been born here. About 1.8 million were born outside the country and remain undocumented, according to the Urban Institute's same data source. The rest are naturalized citizens or have green cards.
Nearly half of all undocumented immigrants in this country entered the country lawfully but overstayed their tourist or business visas, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
A 2003 estimate revealed only 7,000 to 13,000 undocumented students were enrolled in college that year, according to the Urban Institute.
No laws require schools, teachers or administrators to report suspected undocumented immigrants to federal authorities, according to a spokeswoman from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Urban Institute estimates that there are 125,000 to 150,000 undocumented immigrants under 18 in Oregon.
Ten states from California to Oklahoma to New York currently offer undocumented college students in-state tuition rates. Oregon does not.
I don't care if he has a 10.0, he is still an Illegal Alien. And Mr. Marther leFt out that very important point when stating...'we're not getting into the issue of how his parents are here.', no Mr. Marther we're not, we're getting into the FACT that this student is first an ILLEGAL ALIEN.
America needs to raise the HPA Standard by getting rid of the Human Pollution in our land...otherwise known as the ILLEGAL ALIEN!
And, as a final note...there are NO Legitimate Citizen Anchor babies...they are ALL an abuse of our 14th Amendment of our Constitution of the United States of America; therefore, they are ALL ILLEGITIMATE citizens...so STOP referring to them as citizens, becuase THEY ARE NOT. These Illegal Aliens are ALL nothing more than the offspring product of the CROSS, SQWAT, DROP, WALK ANCHOR BABY LAWBREAKING SYNDROME! The only person who supports an ILLEGAL ALIEN is the one who needs one of the follow or all of the following:
1) The drugs they bring into our country because they are drug dependent,
2) The cheap labor (that is not cheap do to all the crime they bring with them and social services they use they are not intitled to,
3) The votes that some corrupt politicians rely on, like Wayward Kulongoski, and many others too long for here, it reads like a Criminal Illegal Alien's rap sheet! God wake up the law-abiding Legitimate Citizen/Immigrants of America...God give us a recount on this election.
Signed,
A LEGITIMATE CITIZEN!
(no person of my family ancestry EVER stole they're way into this country)
Good for Reed College! Carlos shouldn't get special consideration for his admission - but if he's qualified - he should get the spot. That's not 'taking away from an American' that is giving the opportunity to the best qualified. That's the equality that our country stands for!
Waaaa! So sad! I'm a intelligent, hard working 5th gen American and I cannot even get money (loans or otherwise) for school due to ass backwards Federal rules. I hardly feel bad for the kid.
I guess i have to do quite a bit of research on "undocumented immigrants" and their rights, does anyone have any good sources i can consult? My biggest question i guess is- if this kid is still a minor, and it is not his fault that he is "undocumented," isn't there *something* he can do, other than get deported, so that he can become a "documented" citizen?
It's so nice to be able to lump all of societies woes and the burdens that the average taxpayer has to go to on one convenient group that has very little they can to do defend themselves. After all, it's not like they can sue us for defamation of character, can they? It seems that the only lesson that people remember from World War II is: Once you have a convenient group of people to blame all your problems on, you can get away with just about anything.
I think what this article fails to address is the wealth of benefits that the average illegal immigrants provide. Employers don't have to worry about following wage or worker safety laws with illegals, nor is having them suddenly unionize for better benefits and pay an issue. What better labor pool can you find than a multitude of desperate, poverty-stricken, barely educated people who want to do the work that most white people would demand at least minimum for?
"I didn't graduate from high school with honors just so I can scrub out toilets," isn't a complaint that I can see Carlos making. Too bad the rest of our future alumni are not more realistic.
(I'm not even going to go into Lars Larson's ham-fisted and lame attempt to lump illegal immigrants in the same category as meth addicts and burglars. Pointing out the flawed logic of a talk-show jackass who tries marketing himself as a locally-oriented version of Bill O'Reilly is a lot like asking a flagellant to stop hurting himself.)
The solitary goal of most undocumented citizens is to escape the economic desolation of their native country and earn as much money as they can. What could be more American than that? And hell, it appears that Carlos's parents are willing to dutifully file their income taxes, even though legally they don't have to since they're not naturalized citizens. Already that makes them more responsible and American than most business corporations I can think of.
Telling "uninvited" people to "go back where they came from" isn't something that you can always get when you want it either. Just ask anyone on an Indian reservation.
So this kid is here illegally. He is a lot more deserving of an education than many students who slide through our educational system. So your answer is to deport him and deprive our country of a valuable resource. In the process you're creating a huge population of disenfranchised, unproductive and angry people - youths and adults. Look to Paris and Amsterdam for examples of how dangerous it is to not integrate outsiders into our society. Threats of violence are no reason to fudge the law but humane justice and an increase in our nation's productivity are great reasons to educate our children, no matter what their color or immigration status. Close the borders if you want but good luck getting these folks out.
So, we are supposed to feel sorry for Carlos and his family because the consequences of their illegal behavior being called to account have grown and grown over the years. Sorry, we should not reward lawbreakers, no matter how long they have gotten away with it and no matter how deep a hole they have dug themselves into. Those who enable the lawbreaking, those who knowingly aid and abet illegal immigrants, should also be held to account and punished.
And the Willamette Week didn't seem to have much problem with their "ethical dilemma" to publish this - clearly they have an agenda, to drum up sympathy for the "victims" who are victims only because of their own criminal behavior and to shape public opinion to allow even more illegals to benefit at our country's and the taxpayers' expense.
To compared hard-working "illegal" aliens with meth users and burglers just shows why Larson barely passed high school and could not make it in college.
Let's keep the smart folks in this country and send the idiots like Larson back to where they were born, which in his case was Taiwan.
Another insult to the legal' American. All I can say is, "What a bunch of crap!" Is this what you get for the in your face breaking of our laws'? So let me get this straight, all of us saps are out here busting our butts, paying taxes, and playing by the rules, so that Illegal Carlos', can go to college for free? And let us not forget that we also paid for his secondary education, along with his siblings, and probably subsidized his parents as well.
Where is my kids free' college education? Where is my free' health care? Where is my free' food stamps? Where is my free' housing?
People who want to be enablers and subsidize the support of illegal activities should do so from their own personal bank accounts and not from the poor taxpayer, who is not himself given the same luxury as that given to the illegal.
We all bear the cost of undocumented aliens - in our taxes for education, our taxes for Medicaid, our health insurance premiums, our doctors bills, and in many other financial and non-financial ways. The hidden faces of these people are actually very fiscally apparent. Why did the author neglect to inform us how to report suspected illegals to the INS. For that matter why has the author not reported this family to the INS?
'In kindergarten through 12th grade, it's wink wink, nod nod,' says Jennifer Satalino
Well, that sounds like the problem right there. Life is full of unfairness. After all, there are quite a few artistically talented serial killers and other assorted felons. Let's just give them a pass because they paint pretty pictures. I mean, who cares, right? Laws that are inconvenient should just be ignored. That's the American way, all right. A nation of preferences, not laws.
I have no idea of the construction trade, but I do know farming, and you either do it legally, which precludes asking for extra i.d., and mandates you accept the i.d. offered with no ability to legally doubt a social security number, or you will sooner or later meet Legal Aid attorneys who will tell you that your purported law breaking has them representing Jose-Maria, and you can either settle this for say, $5000 or we will litigate it in Federal court. Just to retain counsel for Federal court takes twice that, and will cost many times that, so you submit to legal blackmail by the legal profession. You also get to meet with BOLI to discuss their need to fine you for your transgression. Never in this process is the legality of the person's being in the US even a part of the discussion. You, the employer, are the criminal, even though the issue might be that the porta potties were over 300 feet from the work, or the paper cups at the water cooler were all used up and none available at inspection time. Or your bookkeeper shorted a worker a day's work because he had failed to turn in a time card. The issues are myriad, and those poor maligned illegal workers can work the system like the cash cow it is. The Legal Aid folks have people out recruiting complaints. And BOLI will step over 20 minority labor contractors to bust one farmer in the chops. Always, it is the deep pocket farmer robbing the poor worker. All I can say to those who believe all they read and hear from the left on the issue, is I hope you, too, can have an interaction some day with Legal Aid and BOLI. I would wish that on you. Any time.
Carlos should be deported immediately. You don't get to choose the laws that obey. Go back to sunny Mexico.
If he qualifies academically, great. Let him go where he wants. But our scarce federal and state resources need to be saved for US citizens and qualifying legal aliens. I assume the government of Mexico has a student aid program, and he needs to rely on that and not on US funds to pay for his schooling.
The story is fucked on so many levels. If this kid is so smart ( ...and 3.52 is not a genius, you people should go to the East Coast and see real world grades) why doesn't he go back to Mexico and help his own people? If the US Gov., State Gov. and other institutions are going to keep raping me for money to pay for services to criminals and illegals, I'm simply going stop paying and hide my money. You won't get my taxes anymore, and that will be that. A lot of people are going the same way. Wan't to destroy the country, go ahead. I can always leave....
Again, there is no such thing as an illegal human being or an illegal scholar. Other than that, thank you for your article pointing out this unfortunate situation. If someone is going to be in our country, it's to everyone's benefit for him or her to be educated to the highest level that will benefit him or her. Look at other nations where people cannot get the education they seek -- they are usually stuck in poverty that affects the whole society.
Many US states have laws stating that if a student has been in US schools for three years, they can then get in-state tuition and federal funding. If people are going to be here, they should be educated and doors of opportunity should be open.
To those US Citizens who feel that they have been denied educational opportunites, and feel that immigrants are taking their slots -- please reconsider and see that there are so many ways to get educated, so many programs to look into. No one is going to be your personal career counsellor -- you have to desire it and make it happen.
And statistics show that immigrants contribute more financially to our country than they take out in benefits (especially a lot of workers who have taxes taken out but do not know how to access refunds or are afraid to ask for services). We really gain a lot in this country by the presence of immigrants.
If your life is not what you want, do something about it -- don't blame people who have risked their lives to get here and are often working two or three jobs. They are energizing our society and if you talk to them and interact with them you will be enriched.
The mother's comment is a new classic. She admits to being a criminal. The family has cheated and lied and broken our laws for years. Seems the deportation work should be underway at this moment for the entire family to be sent back. He can get his college education in Mexico. Why not? They have universities there too.
Dear Legitimate Citizen,
Please learn how to spell,use capitals, and grammar correctly (your pronouns and prepositions are not used properly). We are not speaking German and thus nouns are not capitalized, and in no language that I know are words capitalized in the middle and not at either end. However, I would like to say that your addition of 'no' infront of 'person of my family' does allow you to use the word 'ever', but you still have a problem of prepositions, it should be 'in' instead of 'of' my family.
Clearly being a human(e) being is not high on your list. It is not "Carlos" who decided to be born an illegal immigrant. You would not say that a murder's child will become a murder and be judged by the actions of their parent, would you? Would you say that the sister of a person who commits tax evasion should also be penalized for the same crime?
Also, making blanket statements about what people's motives are for their actions does not work, because the assumptions one makes about the motives are never fully informed, or correct. Fact is much more tangible than wild allegations.
Another point, let us say that we give "Carlos" an education, does this not make the world a better place. He can become an international businessman who knows what he has been given and he can then work towards allowing others the opportunities he has been given. If we kick all illegal 'aliens' out do we not only make more anti-american sentiment? American's are horribly sterotyped as fat, lazy, doing the right thing only in front of others, and as bigots.
I vote for making not only America, but the world a better place. Allowing "Carlos" to recieve an education does this. It puts old convictions to the test. It allows people to re-examine their beliefs, and most importantly it brings the matter to public attention in a way that is close to home and makes us see how it effects us all.
Kr,
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Pntld.
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nyn? nyn? Bhlr?
The incoming House Speaker says we all benefit when someone succeeds to their full potential. I have a dead-end, minimum-wage, menial job. I cannot get college financial aid, and I cannot afford to pay for education or training on my minimum-wage income. I graduated high school with a 3.9 GPA. How might I succeed to my full potential?
Somehow the "compassionate" seem to find the crushing of blue collar wages by illegal hiring acceptable in their campaign to make this a better world or be nice to people. "You" may be out of the affected economic classes of this influx, many of your fellow citizens are not and are directly and seriously harmed. You do not seem to be able to extend your compassion to them. You seem to think that only Republicans are the tools of plutocracy, your "compassion" and ignorance amounts to exactly the same agenda - screw the American worker. I doubt they'll care for it.
This kid, and his family, is breaking the law by violating the immigration laws and he gets "rewarded" with college scholarships. If I cheated or failed to pay my taxes, I go to jail! Where is the I.C.E. on this, to apprehend and deport the kid and his illegal alien family back to where they came from. I could careless about his G.P.A. I could careless that he is doing so well in school. The fact is, he and his family broke the law and are getting away with it. I hope he and his family are deported right out of this country, like the illegal alien Diaz family in Beaverton in early October. It's all about the respect of our laws and our sovereignty.
the responses to this article are infuriating. many verge on racist. and the people who compared the family to meth addicts and prisoners... wtf?
sure, you can argue about laws and sovereignty... but there's no sense in bringing in personal attacks.
those people have an extremely poor idea of how immigrants affect american society/economy.
don't get me started on american immigration policy. why do so many south americans (et al) cross the border? partly because we violently rape their economies and support their corrupt leaders. though many nations are "reforming", the economic oppression is so old it has become an institution.
and uh... would those people have the same responses if we were talking about illegal english, irish, french, etc. immigrants?
Maybe he should investigate serving in the US armed Services
and make application to become a US Citizen.
Where was MY free college education when I was of age? Look, contrary to Chai-sipping Liberal thinking, nobody is "entitled" to a college education. Sh*t we have enough problems with managing our elementary and high school education programs, we should focus on those first before guaranteeing everyone a college education, too.
We're just not there yet (guaranteeing a college education for everyone): Not for the Carloses of this state, and not even for the Pointdexters. Again, possible for everyone (even Carlos!) but still no guarantees.
And anyway why is 'Carlos' seemingly entitled to a college education, but hundreds of thousands of equally smart LEGAL American high school grads are not? Why is Carlos in Portland any more deserving of attention than LaChandra in Troutdale? Why hasn't WW done a story on EVERY smart high school student who comes from a poor background? A majority of poor, but smart, high school students are LEGAL, so why focus on the .0001 percent who are not? I feel bad for Carlos but it he is paying for the choices made by his parents. Even then, I'm sure any Mexican college would love to have him, and he could still get to an American college by way of the Army, if he really wants to. I'm sure Stanford is out of the question for him, but then it was out of the question for me, too, even though I was a 4.0 white-bread legal American honkey. Stanford simply didn't want me. But rather than sue or cry a river in an alt-weekly, I simply reassessed my situation and made the best of it that I could. That's all any of us can do. That's all Carlos can do. It's tough, but that's life.
....downing on an article where this kid "is looking for an easy route". Then stop complaining that your life is no easier than his (and OMG YOU'RE LEGAL!!!) Every one does deserve a college education who is willing to put in the effort, and use it once graduated. Also, there are many cheaper routes to getting a b.a. or b.s. and I dont think $6,000 a year for community college is too high a price to save if given a year break from highschool (Regardless if you're only getting minumum wage... which you shouldnt be unless you're aspirations only go as high as working at McDonald's) I understand this is a popular arguement and fun to debate... so when you do....seriously guys... listen to yourselves.
There are plenty of less fortunate kids living in Portland, (of all races). Why isn't an article being written about them? What about kids who are brought up in abusive homes or extreme poverty and don't stand a chance of getting into college? Kids who are predestined to fail due to the situation they're born into. Maybe their grades are bad because they're miserable and don't have anyone to go to for help. So college isn't even an option. Just finding a way to make money and a place to live after turning 18 is all they can think about. A way to survive. Shoot, 'Carlos' seems to have it pretty well compared to them. His parents obviously care about him. And if he's smart and driven, he'll find a way to make it, even if it means going to college in Mexico. God forbid he should have to do that! Btw, I know people who went to college in Mexico, and they are now living in America (legally!) and very successful. I don't know, this article just seems like sort of a waste of time. There are kids in way worse situations who deserve the spotlight.
I think it is sad that Carlos can't go to whatever college he pleases. It seems sad, but reality is sad sometimes. A moving sad article could have been written about a kid in another country who does not have the choices some children in our country do. In the end this is not a question based on sad or happy. It is a question based on property rights. Is it right and legal to take something from someone to give it to someone else. In some cases it is. That is what the tax system is all about. The tax system is based on law, and law is the accepted standard for what is fair and right in this country. Law is also the basis for the dilemma in this article. Is it right to ignore the law? If so we waste a lot of money on politicians, judicial systems, and police. I personally don't want to see Carlo's family deported. I would like to see them apply for citizenship so they would have the RIGHT to the benefits of this country.
Dear Disappointed:
I am an unskilled worker earning the Oregon minimum wage. Please explain how immigrants affect MY economy and my standard of living.
DISAPPOINTED: Thank you, I agree with you!
For all others though, who say, âCarlos, go back to Mexicoâ â" you are all too simple-minded, misguided, and ignorant. This article addresses a multitude of issues and your only asinine response is, âGet out of our country!â ?! I am disappointed that we donât share the same âAmericanâ values.
The fact is, we are never going to be able to abolish all illegal immigration; it is just impossible, especially with the ever-increasing ease of international travel and rise of globalization. Does that mean Iâm saying that itâs ok to move to another country and blatantly disregard their laws? No. To clarify, I am NOT in support of illegal immigration, giving benefits to illegal immigrants, or hiring illegals for lower labor costs!
One major point you all failed to miss, though, is that Carlosâ PARENTS are the real illegal immigrants here, and like the article states, CARLOS did not choose to be in this position. Firstly, when his parents decided to come to America, it was done legally on a tourist visa. They eventually decided to stay permanently, and for whatever reasons did not follow up legally. We donât know all the facts surrounding the issue of why they didnât go through the mountains of bureaucratic paperwork to become legal citizens or extend their visas. Instead, both parents chose to lay low, work hard, file their taxes, and provide their kids with everything they could, which included a life in America. This is more than a lot of legal Americans do!
When his parents made the stupid decision to illegally overstay their visa, Carlos was only 7, a child who was never responsible for his parentsâ actions. Now 10 years later, he has spent more time in America than his own ânativeâ country. Even those young years he spent in Mexico he canât remember most of. So, generally speaking, he is more American than he is Mexican. He probably retains some of his ancestral culture/traditions, but he speaks English, his friends are American, and his tastes in clothing, music, sports, and TV all reflect AMERICAN culture. So how can you sit there and tell him to just go back to where he came from, back to sunny Mexico?
Imagine yourself in his position for a moment. Youâve lived in a country for so long that you canât really remember any other life. Youâre a young kid, bright, hardworking, and intelligent, and as you grow up you begin to realize that your presence is illegal, and itâs your parentsâ fault. Itâs possible that you would really resent comments that imply youâre a criminal, not considered a citizen, and that you should just go back to where you came from, ESPECIALLY if youâve assimilated yourself to that countryâs language, laws, and culture, excelled in its education, and have been a model âcitizen.â
This issue is a tough one to confront. We certainly need to crack down on the immigration laws- employers, social services, and even higher-educators should all be held accountable for processing all the necessary legal documents, making sure that those individuals receiving pay, benefits, and higher-education are legal citizens of this country. As for undocumented minors, though, they should be given a choice to do the right thing, despite their parentsâ mistakes. As of now, I think the only choice a child like Carlos has is to join the armed services and then apply for citizenship. This seems a little strange to me: Either surrender your life for our country or get the hell out. Maybe the DREAM Act will eventually pass, or something similar to it, which will allow children, who didnât make the decision to move here and who are committed to bettering themselves and their communities, to become legal citizens. Adults who have knowingly and blatantly disregarded the laws of the country should be punished accordingly. But hopefully kids like Carlos will be able to make the right decisions once theyâre faced with them, and hopefully they will be given the option naturalizing themselves. So far Carlos has certainly demonstrated the values we should, as Americans, applaud, and I personally wouldnât want to punish him because of his parentsâ mistakeâŚ
I donât know what else to say other than:
MIKE:
âWaaaa! So sad! I'm a intelligent, hard working 5th gen American and I cannot even get money (loans or otherwise) for school due to ass backwards Federal rules.â
BULLSHIT!!!
PDX Man:
âWhere was MY free college education when I was of age?â
Were you in Honors classes? Were you in AP classes? Was your GPA high? If youâve answered yes to any of these questions, then you were entitled to the same educational advantages that Carlos or anybody else in this country is.
âAnd anyway why is 'Carlos' seemingly entitled to a college education, but hundreds of thousands of equally smart LEGAL American high school grads are not?â
You are sadly mistaken if you really think that American HS grads are not entitled to the same education that Carlos is. In fact, I am one of those hundreds of thousands of equally smart LEGAL American HS grads. I grew up in an abusive home where my escape was to excel in academics, and I was placed in both honors and AP classes. I left my home when I was 17 and thought it was going to be impossible to afford a college education without parental support. However, I am not the type of person to sit idly by feeling sorry for myself. Instead, I applied to all the colleges I wanted to (got accepted at ALL of them), and after 5+ years of school, I am still doing the necessary (pain-in-the-ass) paperwork involved for receiving financial aid. Almost a third of my college education has been paid for because I showed initiative, not because I waited for them to come knocking on my door. Too many people- like you- think that everything should be handed to them on a silver platter. If you really are a 4.0 white-bread legal American honky, then you are lying if you say you didnât have the same opportunities Carlos has. My feeling is that you didnât take any or enough initiative, you didnât use your resources, and now you are crying a river in an alt-weekly because somebody else did.
LEGITIMATE CITIZEN:
âno person of my family ancestry EVER stole theyâre way into this countryâ
Unless youâre American Indian, I donât really think you can say that.
Sognatore:
You didn't understand a single word of my post, obviously. Go back and re-read it. ALL of it. Especially the parts where I said 'no guarantees' and 'madet he best of it that I could' and 'that's all any of us can do.'
Thank you.
as many of you read and write, it's quite impressive to see two sides of the fence going at it through the fence as if it were a chicken fight with steel/metal grating protecting one from someone else.
here's where i'll play the person on top of the fence.
i grew up in predominantly white people neighborhoods. i never really had friends who were black or mexican or japanese or any other background until high school. up until then all my friends were white. i made friends eventually with people of different racial backgrounds. some of these friends kick ass, some don't. i won't name or judge, it's just how i personally feel.
now, coming from me, a young white adult, nearing my mid 20's, i can give you quite a story that puts me halfway. i graduated high school (barely), and as soon as i was looking for a job, bush had been in office for a while, and any job i tried to get, an illegal already had the position. i always looked for new employees whenever i would be denied a job, and i'd do so in a not-so-obvious disguised form. every job i applied to, more illegals had the fucking job. from grad date, it took me over a year and a half to get a job i could actually keep!!! A WHOLE YEAR AND A HALF!!! i had to bum off people and welfare because no one would hire a fucking 18 year old high school graduate who's eager to survive and work!!!
i'm due to turn 24 next year. i've survived trying to find jobs, having a job for a period of time, and being homeless. equal opportunity employment my ass. i got treated at 2 of my jobs like i was a black slave in the early 1800's for fuck sakes! and now the only way i survive is on a system that illegal immigrants rape. food stamps, social security.
i'm all for the chance for people to get an education, and hopefully a better one than i got prior to my going to college, but there should be a limit somewhere! i'm a single white male, 23, getting SSD for autism which will be with me for life as a disability, no car, starving my ass off on a per month basis against my will, and for what? an illegal immigrant who drives an escalade or a bmw and has more than 3 kids all born within almost 2 years or less of each other, and more? i'm trying to work as an honest citizen so i can have some of these luxuries and live a more exciting life, and i'm being denied this opportunity because an illegal mexican can drive an expensive ass car almost brand new off the lot and get welfare benefits if he's sportin a $50K car and blings it like he or she owns the place?
i love my country and everything it's provided me since being born here in the greater portland area in the early 80's, but today, i can't provide as much love with what is going on.
if you want illegal immigrants out of this country, you have to do something to make that "want" happen... that is to DO something about it. protest, become an illegal immigrant services specialist personally, or learn spanish and freak people out randomly in public or in private if you want to start ridding of people who are illegal. Getting something done means not sitting around in your studio apartment or 4 bedroom house moping about how bad things are getting and how competitive it is to find a job on an equal opportunity level and being apathetic to the world that surrounds you. you were born to do something big with your life, and if this is an issue you want resolved, get off your fucking ass and start doing something.
i would say maybe any undocumented 18 and older immigrant either gets all their crap filed and becomes legal if they really want to be here, or round up as many immigrants as possible and deport them back across the border.
if they are overstaying their tourist visa, it's only common sense without hard feelings to serve justice to those who break that law. but also maybe the children if they show promise, can be registered if they know english and get their education done if they want to learn and go to college. there shouldn't be anything wrong with that.
now remember, i'm playing the role at the top of the fence, meaning i'm in the middle with everything. i understand some to most human rights as well as other rights for U.S. citizenships and illegal citizenships and shit. i'm not here to say how it's gotta be. but with the way people seem to talk don't spark a notion with oneself or with others that could engage them in something they would be fighting for that they feel is worth it, something the media would like to cover as it unfolds. it's time you learned how to take back control of what has been taken from you. if YOU organize something and want to move forward with it, i'll be there to watch it unfold.
All I can say is that there's some really ignorant people out there.
Lars Larson's fans or the followers of his ideas, you guys are really depressing. I am so glad that in PDX you are a minority
"no person of my family ancestry EVER stole they're way into this country"
Unless you're American Indian, I don't really think you can say that. "
Please retire this argument, the native americans failed to write immigration law and policy. Therefore the new worlders were legal occupants.
I don't think that anyone would question that Carlos' situation is tragic. However, just because something is tragic doesn't mean that it is wrong.
This current budget cycle the state government will put some 5.24 Billon Dollars towards K-12 education.
What percentage of that is going to the estimated 125,000 to 150,000 "undocumented immigrants" that are of school age within the state? And that is without considering the addded cost of ESL classes. (Obviously not all ESL students fall in this catogory nor would all of them require ESL classes.)
What would the removal of these students do to the "over crowded classrooms" that we often hear about?
So, running with the numbers in the article Carlos has used some $100,000 of the Oregon Taxpayer's money. And the Author appears to think that it is a shame that Carlos can not take another 40 to 60 Thousand Dollars from the Oregon Taxpayers in the form of the "hidden half" of the cost attending a public institution? That figure of course assumes that he recieves no finacial assistance at all towards his share of the cost of his education.
Tragic, yes; but, wrong? I don't think so.
As an American Indian, you can believe that if instead of helping all people who arrived on our shores we thought like Western Europeans and developed selfish mindsets and "immigration policy" (see racist posting above), we probably would. And how sad, for so many descendants of immigrants to point at the "cost" of undocumented immigrants and ignore the cost of Republican leadership and Conservative racists. I guess if you're White and you can still blame people of color, the wealthy will stay in control. Lars Larson should be flushed like so much human racist waste.
Carlos' story is difficult because it is an outlier among illegal immigrants. As a nation, our sovereign obligation is first to our own citizens. Carlos is only a tiny part of our long term problem of fixed land area, declining petroleum resources, and rising population. Left to ourselves, our population increase could be very small, and possibly made zero. If we allow other nations--not just Mexico--to permit and encourage illegal immigration, then our population will tend to increase until our quality of life decreases to a level that makes us unattractive to illegal immigration. I think that almost no American wants to see our long term quality of life deteriorate in order to be a safe haven for illegal immigrants and their foreign-born children. It is impossible, in my view, to have a robust immigration law that accomplishes the objective of safeguarding the legal rights of Americans without at the same time creating unpleasantness for some who are here in a non-legal status.
As for Carlos, here is an apparently admirable student, now approaching full adulthood. He is a legal Mexican, enjoys the legal rights in Mexico of any Mexican citizen, and when he returns, he will enjoy one of the world's lowest cost higher education systems. I wish me the very best in Mexico. If he chooses to apply for legal immigration, I think that his application should be reviewed and granted, if no other adverse facts arise. The approach I have suggested is not only fair for Carlos, it is fair for any American taken illegally to another country who then wishes to gain citizen status in that country.
This is a moving story citing how someone like "Carlos" can succeed and exceed in America. However the question must be asked, why didn't the parents become citizens in the first place? The parents had many years of opportunity to become citizens. Now we presented with a smart young man capable of a great future. America is not to be blamed here for this situation. We need to look to the root of the problem and look to the parents. And the choices they made along the way. The fact is we have rules and regulations and laws. People coming to this country, "The Land Of Opportunity" need only follow our rules, regulations and laws. Having not done so for 10 years should not give right to claim sympathy to the hearts and souls of Americans that do follow rules, regulations and laws. Wake up here!
www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/studying....
What's stopping Carlos from getting a student visa like the hundreds of thousands of people who apply to study here?
Ms.Slovic, I am a 59 yeaar old disabled retiree, a grandpa a few times over,a veitnam era vet, and am tired of hearing all the palaver about immigrants. If it would help I would be happy to adopt Carlos so he can get a social security number and make a life for himself, he has earned it.
Someone here mentions that an "illegal" was taking all the jobs he applied for but I find that hard to believe. What jobs were you applying for?! Cause most illegal immigrants can't just get any job they want. Legal immigrants and American minorities CAN get those jobs - and it sounds to me that you assumed they were illegal immigrants cause they are of color. In my book that's called plain old "racism"
Assuming that they bring crime and drugs is also pretty ignorant. Of course you wouldn't say anything like that about European or white immigrants and most likely you wouldn't mind the U.S being made up of white immigrants only. I donât imagine that any of you, anti-immigration folks, would be here if your immigrant beliefs were in place when your ancestors came here.
It's very obvious that many of you know very little about immigration, immigrants - including what they do for you and how you've been benefiting from them all along - and human rights, the very thing that the U.S. stands for! The media has filled you up with all kinds of stereotypes about illegal immigrants: they are not criminals, actually the crimes are usually done to them; they might use some services (if they can â" most illegal immigrants do NOT qualify for any public services. American minorities CAN and yes Latinos are also American citizens!) they also contribute at least three times what they spend; lawyers and other advisors tell them to pay their taxes and they do; etc, etc. I think all the stereotype that are mentioned here are bulls**t. I have never met an illegal immigrant that was like that or did those things. Do you know someone who you know for sure is undocumented? Then how can you be so sure about what they do and not do?
I think the question to ask yourselves would be, if you were a business would you prefer paying $4/hr or whatever the minimum wage is? Don't blame the immigrants, blame the cheap bastards that create a demand for illegal immigration and exploit the vulnerable and legally unprotected people. How else would our country have become so rich and powerful? Cause weâre so special?
Anyway, considering Carlos doesn't really belong to Mexico in culture or education and he has known the U.S. as 'home' for almost all of his life, parents paid taxes, and the fact that Carlos obviously didnât choose to be illegal or come here when he did, he deserves a chance to have options that in the long run would help our economy. A lot of people prefer to make him a poverty and crime statistic and then complain about it later - very convenient. It's the "keep them underground" strategy.
Anyone who makes an effort to be an exemplary citizen of any society deserves a bit of recognition.
BTW, Thanks to the other enlighten writers - makes me feel there's some hope and human spirit left.
>A lot of people prefer to make him a poverty
>and crime statistic and then complain about it
Dear MoreLies:
WHO prefers to keep him a "statistic?" Did anyone say they PREFER to keep Carlos a statistic? Please explain.
In fact, nobody here PREFERS that Carlos -- nor anyone -- remain a "statistic."
In fact it's the exact opposite: We want Carlos -- we want EVERYONE -- to succeed. The difference between us is how this is accomplished.
You believe in the "give a man a fish" philosophy of accomplishment: That we as taxpayers have an unending supply of money grown on trees in our backyard that we're willing to give anyone without any since of accountability or ownership of action. And not even a glance at the other needs in our community that are equally needy and will go farther in helping the greater community with that same tax dollar.
Many of us, by contrast, belive in the "teach a man to fish" philosophy of accomplishment, recognizing that money does NOT grow on trees, and that by holding people (and parents) accountable to their actions (or nonactions), people tend to start making better decisions in their life. Certainly, we need to make sure everyone's basic necessities (food, shelter, etc.) of life are provided, but I don't see that "college education" (the focus of this article) as a basic necessity of life. And besides, we rank needy community needs based on the common good, and which places to spend our tax dollar -- other people's money -- that will serve the greatest reach of public good.
Concerned about Carlos? Write a check yourself. Nobody's stopping you. I admire the man who even said he'd adopt Carlos. Good for him.
Meanwhile, keep your hands off our tax dollars. When we have a 100% high school graduation rate in this state, and have completely eliminated crime and drugs, and have a passable health-care system, etc., then -- and ONLY then -- will I consider "college" as a guaranteed right for every Oregonian that should be paid for out of tax dollars. Here legally or not. And then -- and ONLY then -- will I make one iota of an effort to change the current system that punishes illegal alians. Not that I'd WANT to reward illegal alians, but as I said that's not even on my radar screen for public necessities right now.
Again, I feel bad for Carlos, but I feel even worse for the tens of thousands of victims of crime in our neighborhoods, and the hundreds of thousands of families who are un-insured, to cite two examples.
Where are YOUR priorities for spending MY tax money?
I feel for Dear Carlos. Yes, we all have our story in life; however, food for thought. I am second generation born in this country. My grandparents immigrated legally through ELLIS ISLAND, kinda the way most European and other immigrations throughout those countries came. Growing up outside of Boston, during the 70's was no treat. In the early 70's, the Vietnam War was still going strong and Affirmative Actions was taking hold in this country. Federal, state and city employee opportunities were ensuring they would enact this new law. I was a teen with little resources, and had WW II Veteran father who could only correlate college with those whom objected to the war. Nevertheless, all the grants and financial assistance primarily was targeted to minority categories.
To pay for college I joined the US Air Force and not that you have too, but I served 20 years, and numerous missions from airdropping food over Bosnia/Hergonvia to war in the Gulf War I. Naturally I received all my GI Benefits; i.e., college tuition leading to an Associates and Bachlors in Business. I guess what I am trying to say, I know what compassion is and seen the worst in men and countries. I think Carlos shoould be affrord the opportunity to pursue his educational goals; however, being undocumented he has no legal right to be in this cournty, nor infringe on the hard working people that pay taxes for these schools -Sorry, but there are legally born that are not getting the educational attention due to the over crowed schools undocumented students cause.
I guess while I was serving my country some law changed that you don't have to be a citizen to enroll in PUBLIC US Schools. When did that change?
Bottom line - we don't have a Ellis Island, nor Angel Island anymore, but maybe its time!
USAF Vet
My objection to this idea is that it's fundamentally unfair to students who are here legally. U.S. citizens from other states have to pay non-resident tuition. Foreign students here legally have to pay out-of-state tuition.
A student visa is the easiest kind to get. I don't understand why people demand special privileges and discounts for "Carlos" at the expense of other students who play by the rules.
If you think tuition is too high, then do something about that for everyone. Don't single out illegal immigrants for special treatment.
Did anyone notice the part of the article where the author mentions Reed students scrounging for food in the cafeteria? The author acted as though this was normal behaviour and that "Carlos" was naive for not knowing what the other students were talking about. Is this some sort of I wanna be a street punk thing or are there Reed students that can't afford to eat? $45k a year for school and scrounging food in the cafeteria. WTF?
Carlos, there is a way! Join the US Army, just like I did and I am now a legal citizen.
For what it's worth, yes, some students scrounge in the cafeteria -- this is a normal thing for Reed. It cuts down on the amount of food waste we produce (think about the person sitting at your table that always goes, "you gonna eat that?"). Plus, yes, a lot of students at Reed don't have a ton of money. The very fact that the school is so expensive means that many students choose to go into debt to attend. I think that it's extreme to say that people can't afford to eat, but it's a good way to save money if you're on a tight budget.
I know it seems weird to someone who doesn't go to Reed, but this is a totally normal & accepted thing within the Reed community! It isn't so much "wanna be street punk" as it is "Reed tradition."
As of yet people keep arguing in circles. I know that many of my relatives who are citizens don't go to college because they aren't smart enough for it and that is the sad truth. Someone who is a legitimate US citizen or resident has many opportunities to succeed in general. Of course all of this takes hard work and dedication. During elementary and secondary schoo, I did not see any of it among these so called 'law abiding citizens.' Instead of toiling in study, they follow the laws with binge drinking and partying! I have spoken with an admissions counselor at a public university in Illinois and she comments that undocumented students are one of the most hard working students in comparison with their legal counterparts. Interesting, isn't it?
Those who have a strong passion to succeed and help others should be rewarded.
First of all, I have read through all of the comments. Yes, everyone has brung some strong points to the table. After all, the fist ammendmment from the Bill of Rights grants us the right of expression. From my point of view, it is not right for any one to say that illegal alien students take away the opportunity of a legal student to succeed in school. What im trying to say is that an illegal student doesn't take the drive of success from any one, they just have more. I'm not saying that they are all perfect scholars, because just like in any culture, there are a few ugly ducklings. There has been a lot of commenting on the fact that illegal immigrants take advantage of social services and that thats what they live on. I want everyone to know that first of all, illegal aliens are not eligible for these services. Second, most immigrants are too scared to ask for any of these services because of the fear of being deported.
Plus, I know how Carlos feels. I am also a generation zero immigrant. Meaning, that together with my parents, I immigrated to America illegally. It's hard to be a student of this class because we are always the blame for the failure of all the legal students. I feel very appalled when when people say we take away opportunities for others because it's not like we are holding every one down and telling them, "You will fail so I can succeed". Like I mentioned earlier, every one has different amounts of drive that is under no one's control.
I could see why people might say how come we cant go back to Mexico and just continue our lives there. We are citizens of Mexico, and that's where we should be. Right? Im not here to tell people that this is wrong, because it is an option that we have, but I just want people to understand that this would be something hard for us to do. How would any one like to grow up in a country that isn't perfect, but offers many commotities, and then all of a sudden have to go to another country where situations are so bad that many of its occupants are dying to leave it.
By the way, I totally comprehend that a lot of people will diss on my comment; however, this will not let me feel like I am being squashed. Feeling oppressed will only strenghten me. People refer to us as pollution to society and want to filter us out, but just like Los Angeles smog, we will never go away. The more people try to get rid of us, the stronger our will to succeed will be.
VIVA LA RAZA!!!!!!!!
Good luck - Carlos! - I hope that someone handles your tuition and allows you to reach your full potential.
And may we get legislation soon that does not discriminate against situations like yours.
-Crime does not pay. Or does it? The crooks and the crooked politicians (of both parties) want it to.
-Since "Carlos" is a citizen of Mexico, couldn't he go to college there? I guess he'll have to learn the lesson, like many people have, that you can't always get what you want.