… which hasn’t met all of America’s agri needs
https://www.michfb.com/MI/Farm_News/Why_ag_labor_shortage_is_getting_worse/
https://migration.ucdavis.edu/rmn/more.php?id=1663
http://naturalresourcereport.com/2016/04/personal-story-behind-farm-labor-shortage/
Nvm.
Schools allow students to apply without a SSN. You need one for federal financial aid, but the school can do what it wants with its funds, and so can states (to a degree) Every state that allows undocumented students to attend at resident rates is giving ‘state aid’. The problem is if the student doesn’t get a full scholarship, the undocumented student can’t apply for many outside scholarships or any federal aid (and some state aid) to make up the difference. It’s often the case that only those undocumented students at the top of their class can attend college because they need full ride scholarships.
I bet few who heard the admissions of these girls at graduation were shocked that they were undocumented. Their schools may have known, but by federal law they have to let the students attend school. All the children who came across the border last summer were allowed in public schools, and all are undocumented.
I thought there was a “dreamer act” that protected children brought here by their parents. Did that not pass? There are kids brought here while very young who don’t speak Spanish well and it may be cruel to return them to a culture that is as foreign to them as it is to us.
Okay, I see the federal act did not pass but some states have one.
http://college.usatoday.com/2015/02/26/5-facts-you-need-to-know-about-the-dream-act/
I’m no fan of illegal aliens but a high school valedictorian who can get admitted to Yale is probably going to shape up to be a pretty good citizen if given the chance. She’ll probably pay a lot of income tax one day.
There is a lot of misinformation in this thread.
I teach (20+ years) at a public 2 year college in a state that has no income tax. All of our colleges and universities are funded through sales taxes and property taxes.
About 1/3 of my students are immigrants. Half of those are undocumented through no fault of their own. They’ve lived in this state for most of their lives. Some do not speak or read their parents native language.
These students and their parents have paid into our system in the same way that everyone else in our state has: through their sales taxes and property taxes. And yes, most of them are renters. But so are most of the citizens or documented immigrants that attend our college.
At all of our two and four year colleges, undocumented students pay out of state tuition UNLESS they can prove that they have lived in the state for 3 years. Note that the threshold for instate tuition for citizens and legal residents is only one year. Yes, some of our undocumented students have paid 3 x as much into “the system” as recent transplants into our state.
They do not qualify for federal financial aid. They do qualify for some forms of state financial aid. But again, they’ve paid into the system as much or more as any other students in our state.
They do not need a social security number to register as a student. The college will issue them a student ID number.
I am a white middle class politically moderate woman and the mother of two valedictorians who attended our state’s flagship school in STEM fields, paid for 1/2 of their own expenses, and finished (or will–DD is a rising senior) school with high GPAs. Compared to the students I teach, my kids’ experience has been a cake walk.
I am usually averse to making generalizations based on race, but if I had to, and because this is an anonymous forum, I can say, without reservation, that my native born American students have a FAR greater sense of entitlement and a relatively c$%&&( work ethic compared to my immigrant students. My experience with these Dreamers has changed my perspective, my politics and my parenting.
Here is a book about four undocumented high school students and their quest to go to college.
As mentioned above, these students did not have social security numbers and therefore could not legally work or get a driver’s license, and without identification it is of course difficult to fly anywhere.
In some cases, they have siblings who were born in the USA.
Having lived in the USA for as long as they can remember, their only options were to try and become legal citizens (virtually impossible) or return to Mexico.
As a result, they live in a sort of no man’s land.
For those who are undocumented, It is very, very difficult to get into a college with sufficient scholarship money to attend. (Most come from poor families and the families cannot pay.) The number who accomplish this must be very small.
https://www.amazon.com/Just-Like-Us-Mexican-America/dp/1416538984?ie=UTF8&Version=1&entries=0
The 17-year-old valedictorian of Crockett High School in Austin, Texas, proudly tweeted about her accomplishments Friday: “Valedictorian, 4.5 GPA, full tuition paid for at UT, 13 cords/medals, nice legs, oh and I’m undocumented.” After posting this, Mayte Lara, who graduated with honors Friday, was greeted with flood of Internet hate. “I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to Twitter. I’ve realized that social media is filled with so many mean people, who always have something to say,” she said. “But I just want everyone to understand that my tweet wasn’t made to mock anyone. I just wanted to show that no matter what barriers you have in front of you, you can still succeed.** And I do pay taxes, have a DACA which allows me to work and study here, and I have a Social Security number.”**
http://www.drudge.com/news/199893/valedictorian-gets-backlash-being
Deleted. Post was similar to alh.
Well, I don’t buy that. “oh and I’m undocumented” was certainly a politically statement. Not saying it’s wrong or right. Besides, if she has a DACA, she’s not totally undocumented and had no need to be provocative. She provoked by stating “undocumented” but then say actually my being here is legitimatized? She took advange of what the law allows. She had no reason to be provocative in the first palce. A bit of thanks would have been nice. After all the US does more than most countries and certainly more than what her own country would have done in an equivalent situation.
Good for them! Their accomplishments should be celebrated, not denigrated. What would people rather happen? That they not be allowed to go to college, graduate and contribute to society in a positive way?
The other valedictorian who is going to Yale (via Questbridge) is a friend of my D’s. I’m told she is a terrific girl and well deserving of the Questbridge scholarship.
You would think by some responses the USA wasn’t made up of immigrants. How quickly some of us forget our own ancestors came here for the opportunities generations ago. They’re not any more provocative then many of us who have opinions on certain hot button issues such as this. Another great thing about USA is free speech. They can say what they want and so can the rest of us. I say good for them. They are making the most of the opportunities they have been given. Not enough people do that.
“they should be able to figure it out.”
I think they are aware of the risks (to the extent that any 18-year-olds understand any risks). They may well have had family members deported. Whether you agree with their cause or not, this isn’t a matter of stupidity. Announcing undocumented status is essentially civil disobedience. It’s putting yourself in harm’s way to challenge a law you disagree with. The Freedom Riders were asking for trouble, too.
Good for them! Their accomplishments should be celebrated, not denigrated. What would people rather happen? That they not be allowed to go to college, graduate and contribute to society in a positive way?>>>>>>>>>
No one has denigrated their accomplishments, not at all. We are just wondering about “coming out”, what might happen now, should they have done this, how can undocumented folks “get by”, etc.?
I am a U.S. citizen, I take everything for granted. I don’t know the obstacles and hoops undocumented aliens face every day in order to keep going. It would seem we have a whole lot of accommodations in place, such as DACA, as mentioned, several states issue drivers licenses for illegals, and someone here said it’s federal law that kids cannot be turned away from school.
It isn’t something I know anything about, so these girls doing this has sparked my interest. The DACA subject is really interesting and frankly, it’s a relief to know someone who is “found out” has options.
To me, what the UT girl said was flippant. Especially putting her undocumented status next to “having great legs”. And having a DACA means she really isn’t undocumented (which she was quick to point out!). The social media backlash was inevitable, but it’s still a minor incident and I’m sure she can recover from it. Live and learn.
The phrasing that the Yale girl used sounded more sincere. I’m sure both of them are and will continue to be productive people whether they’re official citizens yet or not. So many Latina young women don’t even think about attending college, so they are doing just fine.
Along those lines…the question about college admissions has been asked and answered. But I wonder, once they get their college degree, how do they get a job without documentation? Wouldn’t a position that one would seek with a college degree be difficult (impossible?) without the appropriate documentation?
Please STOP calling the undocumented residents “illegals”. One’s legal status does not define who one is, and frankly, the term “illegals” is derogatory! I am shaking my head at the things I am reading here… Honestly folks - these are two 17 or 18-year-old kids celebrating their very, very hard work and accomplishments. They were children when brought to this country, through no fault of their own. We should be embracing them and delighting in their accomplishments. And the tweet? Charming, tongue-in-cheek and celebratory in nature. I love it and say CONGRATULATIONS to them both!
“Wouldn’t a position that one would seek with a college degree be difficult (impossible?) without the appropriate documentation?”
Difficult, but not impossible. Some open their own businesses or join a family enterprise.
“Difficult, but not impossible. Some open their own businesses or join a family enterprise”
But that doesn’t make it legal for them to work. They still need a SSN with ‘right to work’ status on it. There have been a few lawyers given bar cards and yet they still have no visa or other right to work. I don’t think it is right to just ignore the laws that all the rest of us have to follow.
Not saying if it’s right or wrong. Just saying that it happens – these students do use their degrees.