Tania Dorado
English 2150, Dr. Blankenship
April 6, 2016
Paper 2: Narrative Argument
Dear Dr. Blankenship and Writer’s Group:
The title of my paper is Education Equals Success. The audience that I have in mind for my piece are undocumented students and people who don’t agree with DREAM Act. This makes a difference in how I am approaching my paper because I am writing the cons that people wouldn’t want the DREAM Act to pass. The purpose of my paper is for people to be aware of the DREAM Act and know that having this passed on would help everyone out. The thesis is that the DREAM Act would make a positive impact to our society. I support it in the following ways: I describe what this legislation proposal is and exactly how it would help, mainly the economy and families both the undocumented student’s family and the American citizens. I also give information about another immigration policy, the Immigration reform. I connect both the DREAM Act and this reform all together at the end of my paragraph.
The hardest part of this project has been looking for more in-depth information about the way the DREAM Act would increase revenue. I think I’ve done well with explain my paragraphs. I think I need more work on the immigration policy topic and my conclusion.
My questions for you as a reader are:
-Am I repeating some of my paragraphs or thoughts?
– Would you need more information on how the economy would be affected or less information?
– Are some of the topics clear?
The changes I made to my final draft after feedback is the way I organized my paper. I changed the introduction paragraph. I moved my first paragraph to be second because I it wasn’t a good way to hook my readers in. I also added more information about the immigration reform. I wanted to give details about this policy and I think I made a good transition from the DREAM Act to this policy but I also said how both would be helpful. Another change I made to my paper was taking out sentences that were either redundant or repetitive. A small change but very helpful I made was going back and reading my paper at least two to three times and editing my grammar. There were times my paragraph weren’t written well. For example, they didn’t make sense to me or when I read them out loud they didn’t run smoothly. I think I improved them much better.
Education Equals Success
Some might argue that succeeding in life requires you to have an education. I agree About 11.3 million illegal immigrants enter the United States. One of the main reasons they come to the “land of the free” is because they want to succeed in life. My family moved to America for that main reason. In the Latino community it’s very important for kids to go to school and become something. I am an undocumented student and to me education is important. Having a higher level of education means that you can achieve the American Dream. In order to achieve it you would most likely need to go to college. Growing up my mother would take my sister and me to elementary school very early just as the doors would open up so that we could be the first ones to go inside. I remember having to wake up early at 6 am with the Sesame Street theme song in the background and I knew it was time to wake up. My mother wanted us to learn something new every day. She had always mention that she wanted us to get a good career and in order for that to happen we had to get good grades. Coming from a Mexican culture, education is crucial for the students. Families feel that if you get some sort of higher education it will bring some success to their family and to you, the student. My relationship to education is simple, I like to learn and till this day I’m still learning. English isn’t my first language and there are many times where I have to be corrected in the way I say certain words or phrases. To some this may be embarrassing but I think it’s better to be corrected then be speaking the wrong way. Now being that I am in college I can say that the process to get in wasn’t that hard for me compared to other students living in different states.
The DREAM Act would make a positive impact on our society. The DREAM Act is an acronym for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, a bipartisan piece of legislation created by both the Democratic and Republican parties in 2001. This bill is meant to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented children who grew up in the United States. This legislation would give undocumented students legal status if they attend college or serve in the military. By passing this bill it would help undocumented students go to college and they would be resisting stereotypes of these students and other minority groups such as the Latino community. Having the DREAM Act pass would be beneficial not only to our society but to these student’s families. People who either support or don’t support this bill need to be aware of it, know the facts of it and know the affirming values that the DREAM Act has to offer. Having an education is important to everyone especially undocumented students and their families, the DREAM Act would not only help their family but everyone in our society.
In New York, undocumented students are more likely to go to CUNY colleges. CUNY colleges, which are very affordable for these students and they don’t need a social security number to apply. In 2002 George E. Pataki signed a law legislation that allowed undocumented students to go to college and pay in-state tuition. However, as years have gone by the tuition has increased and this means not many students have the luxury to take four or more classes and be a full-time student because they have to work and pay out-of pocket for their education. If the DREAM Act were to pass these students wouldn’t have to worry about being able to afford a higher education level. In the article, For Undocumented Students at CUNY, Obstacles Remain Frank DiMaria states that although undocumented students can apply to colleges, mainly to CUNY schools, sometimes the education system isn’t always very helpful to these students. There are many obstacles that stand in the way when an undocumented student is trying to apply for colleges. For example, DiMaria wrote about Santiago Hernandez, an undocumented student from Mexico who had issues submitting his immunization records that showed proof that he had received the meningitis vaccine. Although he didn’t receive that certain vaccine that is important to get if a student wants to apply for a CUNY school, he could still show other immunizations he had received. But the clerk at the office didn’t know that Hernandez could still submit the records that he brought in and sign a waiver. “It’s really confusing. What Hernández experienced was a sense of hopelessness because there are so many confusing tiny but difference-making obstacles” (8). Most undocumented students apply to their obvious choice, CUNY, for many reasons. It is affordable and students don’t have to worry about their citizenship status. Students still find obstacles in their way to achieve their goal in getting that education.
Another obstacle undocumented students face and that the DREAM Act would help with is financial aid. Since I am an undocumented student I have to pay tuition out of pocket. I have to work part time and save the money I earn and invest it to my education. Also depending the amount of classes I can register for I’m able to see how much I would pay and if I see that I can’t afford to pay the amount, I would drop the class and just take the classes that I can afford. For example, last semester I was able to only take two classes because the pay tuition was going over three thousand dollars. Not only would the DREAM Act help these students with paying tuition, they would also help them graduate on time. I knew from the start when I was applying to colleges that I would graduate a few years later than all of my friends because I’m not able to be a full time student every semester. My High School counselor told to me that I would have to take at least one class per semester to pay it off, nevertheless, I worked over the Summer to pay off four classes and nearly cost me over four thousand dollars. The DREAM Act would help not only me but everyone in college to go without the stress of the issue of money.
The thousands of undocumented students that graduate high school have the potential to be future doctors, teachers and entrepreneurs. However, there are people who oppose to passing the DREAM Act. They aren’t fully aware that this legislation can bring positive outcomes. These undocumented students known as DREAMers could boost economic growth and improve our nation’s fiscal health. What the DREAM Act would bring are creations of new jobs, add taxable income, and most importantly increase revenue. One of the reasons that senators haven’t passed this bill is that, they believe that these DREAMers would be stealing jobs away from the native-born Americans. Many DREAMers are here to contribute to what they call their home and not “take away” jobs. They would earn their jobs just as any other American citizen. What these senators don’t understand is that the DREAM Act would be creating about 1.4 million jobs. One way some DREAMers can improve our economy is some want to create small businesses, small restaurants and companies thus creating jobs. What the DREAM Act would also do to these students is that while they are on the path to citizenship, they are more likely to become more qualify for better paying jobs that allow them to buy more goods and services. These students would invest in the U.S economy. They would also invest in their own education, would open bank accounts, and also buy their own homes. In the article, The Economic Benefits of Passing the DREAM Act, Raul Jara and Juan Carlos Guzmán show data and information on how the DREAM Act would make a positive impact in our economy. The New American Economy, a partnership of more than 500 Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors and business leaders make a case for the immigration reform as a way to boost economic growth and create jobs for Americans. Both of these writers reported what it would be like in 20 years if the DREAM Act passed, starting their studies in 2010 and showing the effects in 2030. Not only would it help the undocumented student’s families but it would also help American citizens. Jara and Guzmán explain that the DREAM Act would also involve different immigration policies to help these DREAMers and American citizens. They’ve gathered information and have estimated how much the economy would benefit from this act. “We conservatively estimate the combined economic benefits of the DREAM Act would be approximately $329 billion over the next 20 years, leading to 1.4 million new jobs and at least an additional $10.2 billion in tax revenue” (16). These are only some ways the DREAM Act would make good change to our culture. Another way the DREAM Act would help these students is that they would be resisting stereotypes that are made towards them. Since the DREAM Act is targeted to kids that were brought here before the age of 16, the families are more likely to be part of minority groups. These students are generally Latinos. Latinos, a minority group that have stereotypes of them not going to college or being drop-outs. The DREAM Act would likely reduce the dropout rate for not only Latinos but to all immigrant students. In order to qualify for this proposal, the students need to graduate High School, get a diploma or GED. With the DREAM Act students would have to stay in school and go to college.
I’ve seen that there aren’t many Latinos going to colleges and that could be for many reasons. One is that they can’t afford to go or the topic of going to college isn’t spoken at home. For me it wasn’t an option to not think that I wasn’t going to attend college. It was something that I had to do just as if I was going to finish middle school or high school. My family’s background influenced me to go to college. My mother always pushed me to go to college, she reminded us (my sister and me) to complete it and find a career that we enjoyed not just get a paycheck but for us to appreciate our work in our careers. Although we are in the 21st century there are people who still make stereotypes about other cultures. Being Hispanic there are already stereotypes being made about students and colleges but being Mexican it adds more negative labels to not only these groups but other minorities. Even in the politics there are stereotypes made of students and their cultures. Donald Trump is a prime example who has stated over and over again in his speeches about minorities and his thoughts that aren’t at all true. One speech that most people have heard are about Mexican immigrants and this affects these students. The stereotypes he has made aren’t true. According to Trump:
“…They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, some are good people! They’re (Mexican government) sending us not the right people. It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably from the Middle East… The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.” (Trump 4)
Because some have the wrong ideas about these groups, they are affected and in this case it delays the DREAM Act to pass. DREAMers would stop these stereotypes, show that they want to succeed in life, be someone and give back to their country that they were raised in, the United States of America. After all, this country is the “land of the free” but is it completely free if students who were brought here as kids, without a say, have a fault that they want to learn, get a higher level education and can’t because they are very limited to how far they can go.
This legislation proposal also brings up other issues that involve immigration policies. One of the biggest talked about policy is the immigration reform. The DREAM Act and the Immigration Reform both would definitely change America to say the least. These two would open up doors to many opportunities to these immigrants. They would give the chance to live the American Dream. In 1986, President Ronald Regan signed one of the “most difficult legislative undertakings of recent memory” but it would “further generations of Americans and be thankful for.” Regan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), legalizing approximately 3 million immigrants. In the Article, Lessons From The Last Legislation Program, Rob Paral, gives evidence that 30 years later this reform has had positive benefits. According to Paral, “new legalized immigrants will become better educated, earn higher wages, heighten consumer participation and not rush to sign up for the public dole once legalized.” One way the IRCA has helped out over the past years is through the education. IRCA immigrants became better educated. For example, in 1990, only 30 percent of IRCA immigrants 16‐24 years old had a high‐school diploma or better and by 2006 (when that group was 31‐41 years old), the share had increased to 58 percent. If that reform was able to accomplish that, who knows what the DREAM Act or the 2016 Immigration Reform can accomplish and not only in the education field.
Many families and individuals come to this country for a better life. My family moved here for that main reason, other families move here either because of their religion issues or because of wars back home. Why are undocumented students limited to education, don’t all the kids in the “Land of the Free” deserve to get a higher level education? The DREAM Act gives opportunities to these undocumented students for a better life and at the same time they are giving back to their country. I am an undocumented student and having to deal with these issues and knowing that a Bill would help out is something we the DREAMers want to pass. The DREAM Act would make a positive impact to our society. Having an education is important to many of us because we want to have a career and achieve our goals in life.
Works Cited
“DREAM Act: Correcting Myths and Misconceptions.” National Immigration Law Center. N.p.
Sept. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.
Huerta, Erick. “The “Dreamer” Stereotype – No Two Dreamers Are Alike.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.
Jara, Raul C., and Juan Carlos Guzman. The Economic Benefits of Passing the DREAM Act (n.d.): n. pag. American Progress. New American Economy, Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.
Kavoussi, Bonnie. “DREAM Act Would Create 1.4 Million Jobs: Report.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.
Miranda, Luis. “Get The Facts On The DREAM Act.” The White House. The White House, 01 Dec. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.
Paral, Rob. “Lessons From The Last Legislation Program” (n.d.): n. pag. Immigration Policy Center, Nov. 2009. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
Piccoli, Sean. “DREAM Act Advocate: Immigration a Defining Issue for 2016.” Newsmax. N.p., 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.
Thayer, Eric. “What Is the DREAM Act?” HowStuffWorks. N.p., 21 July 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.
Valencia, Stephanie. “10 Reasons We Need The DREAM Act.” The White House. The White House, 03 Dec. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2016
Walker, Hunter. “Donald Trump Just Released an Epic Statement Raging against Mexican Immigrants and ‘disease'” Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 06 July 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.