MarcelinaMariano

1December2015
PHIL106041
LorraineBarnes

FinalPersuasiveEssay

SupporttheDream
InasocietywhereaBlackmanisseenasacriminal,aMexicanwomanasa
maid,oranIndianstudentasaterrorist,citizensfearthesestereotypesandpushfor
stricterimmigrationlaws.Throughthesefearsandlawscomesadvocationforstripping
peopleoftheirnaturalrights,suchasfreeeducation.Aseveryonedoesdeserveto
receivefreeeducation,itisdebatedfairlyoftenthatchildrenofthesesofeared
immigrantsdonothavethelegalitytoobtainthisright.Whyshouldachildofinnocence
bereapedforanactiontheyhavenocontrolover?Everyyoungperson,childofan
immigrantornot,hastherighttofurthereducatethemselvesatnoexpense.
Allpeoplewerecreatedequally,ashumanbeingsitisonlymorallyrighttomake
suretheequalityinAmericaisupheld.ThebackingtothefoundationofTheUnited
Statesevendeclares,Weholdthesetruthstobeselfevident,thatallMenarecreated
equal,thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertainunalienableRights,that
amongtheseareLife,Liberty,andthePursuitofHappiness,(Constitution1).Innoway
isdenyingeducationtochildrenofillegalimmigrantsupholdingtherightsgrantedinThe
Constitution.Thisreasonaloneisahugecontributiontowhythesupremecourtcase
Plylerv.Doevotedinfavorofgrantingchildrenofillegalimmigrantstherighttofree
education.AsSupremeCourtJusticeWilliamJ.BrennanonthecaseexplainsthatBy
denyingthesechildrenabasiceducation,wedenythemtheabilitytolivewithinthe

structureofourcivicinstitutions,andforecloseanyrealisticpossibilitythattheywill
contributeineventhesmallestwaytotheprogressofourNation,"(enotes1).Evidently,
thesechildrenarethefutureofthenationanditisnecessary,bymoralandlegal
obligation,thattheyaresupportedthroughfreeeducation.
Ifchildrenofillegalimmigrantsweredeniedfreeeducation,itwouldgotoshow
thatAmericaisdiscouragingimmigration.Immigrationisanactionthatshouldbe
endorsedratherthandiscriminatedagainst,asitisbeneficialtoallAmericans.Myth
saysthattheseillegalimmigrantsareadragtooureconomy,butUCLAprofessorRal
HinojosaOjedastatesitwouldraisewages,increaseconsumption,createjobs,and
generateadditionaltaxrevenue,(MediaMatters1).Heconcludessofromstudyingthe
pastoutcomeoftheImmigrationReformandControlactof1986.Ontheflipside,a
majorityofthenationadvocatestosendtheseundocumentedindividualsbacktotheir
homeland.But,todeportalloftheseimmigrantswhohaveshowntobegreatly
beneficialtotheeconomy,wouldbeapproximately$285billion(MediaMatters2).The
aidtheyprovidetotheworkforceisalsoafactortoconsider,astheytakethegeneral
laborjobsthatareunfavorableandneeded,suchasagriculturalworkers,sorters,and
plasterers.Theyinfact,donottakeamericanjobsitisrecordedonly4of465civilian
occupationsaremajorityimmigrant,inwhichthose4jobsmakeuplessthanone
percentofthetotalU.Sworkforce(CIS1).Asfarasthechildrenofthoseimmigrants,
allowingthemintooureducationalprogramwillfurthermoreencouragethemtobecome
citizens.Notonlywilltheybecitizensbuttheywillbeeducatedcitizensthatwillbe
motivatedtocontinuetheirknowledgeatapostsecondaryinstitution.Collegegraduates

areproventobemoreinvolvedincommunityprogramsandsomeformofpolitical
progression.Thisleadstomoreparticipationinvotingwhichcreatesahealthy
democracyofeducatedindividuals(Evolllution1).Evidently,immigrationwillhelpcreate
abettereconomyandallowthechildrenoftheseimmigrantstopartakeinour
educationalbenefitswhichwillshowimprovementinourgovernment.
Asidefromeconomicbenefits,theseimmigrantscreatediversityinourcountry.
Thisisessentialtohaveabetterunderstandofourworld,abetterappreciationofour
ownculture,andabettersociety.Diversityintheclassroomisespeciallyimportant
becauseitimprovespositivesocializationbehaviorsamongchildren.Italsoimproves
illiteracylevelsthroughthevariousdisciplinesandsubject,improveslearningby
allowingindividualstoengageindifferentfieldsofchoice,andimprovesattentionby
forcingschoolstoprovidealternativelearningabilities(Benefitof1).Abetterculture
couldalsotakeplacebyallowingimmigrantstostayinAmericafortheirchildrens
educationbecauseitwillkeepfamiliestogether.Immigrantsdepartfromtheirmaiden
countriesinordertogivetheirchildrenabetterlifeandwhentheygetdeported,they
leavetheirchildrenbehindscaredandalone.AsreportedbytheU.SFosterCare
Systemreportin2011,morethan5,100childrenhadundocumentedparentswhowere
eitherdetainedbyimmigrationofficialsordeportedandunabletoreunitewiththem
(ThinkProcess1).
Oneimportantactthatwealreadyhaveimplementedtosupportthiscauseisthe
DreamAct,whereanundocumentedimmigrantcanattendapostsecondaryinstate
institutionifresidedinthatstateforthreeyearsormore.Thiswouldbethenextstepfor

undocumentedstudentsafterreceivingfreeeducationasaminor.Thisactinitselfwill
add$329billiontotheUnitedStateseconomyandcreate1.4millionjobsbytheyear
2030(AmericanProgress1).OfthecurrentresidentsintheUnitedStates,2.1billion
studentsqualifyforthisactandwouldcontributetothenecessaryhigherlearningjobs
thecountryisbeginningtohaveastrongdemandfor.AnothercontributiontheDREAM
Actobtainsisthereductionofhighschooldropoutratesandeventuallyincrease
revenuesinourcommunities.TheDREAMActshighschoolgraduationrequirement
providesapowerfulincentiveforstudentswhomightotherwisedropouttostayin
schoolandgraduate(AmericasVoice1).Throughadoptingthisoperation,therehave
beenmanysuccessesandeducatedpeoplewhoarenowbeneficialtooursocietysuch
assophomoreatHarvardUniversity,EricBalderasorfinancemajoratGeorgetown
University,JuanGomez.
Onemajorargumentthatperiodicallyarisesonthetopicisthatimmigrantsdonot
paytaxeswhichfundsoureducationalsystem.Thisinfactisamyth,whileimmigrants
in2012paid$11.8billioninstateandlocaltaxes,inwhichtheaveragestateandlocal
taxrateofundocumentedimmigrantswas8%.Thispercentageisonly1.45%lower
thanthehigheststateaveragetax,Tennessee,at9.45%(TaxFoundation1).Another
pointthatisbroughtupisthattheseimmigrantsareillegal,soweshouldntbe
supportingthembygivingtheirchildrenfreeeducation.Inwhatwayisitconstitutionalto
punishthechildofacriminal?Thesechildrensrightstoeducateandbetterthemselves
needstoupheldandpromotedinallstates.

Immigrationhasbeenacontroversyforyearsdatedback,butdebatingwhether
ornottotakeawayeducationalopportunitiesfromayoungpersonisanobrainer,itis
unconstitutional.ItwouldbehypocriticalofAmericatoretractanindividual'sunalienated
righttoLife,Liberty,andThePursuitofHappinesswhenitisimplementedinThe
Constitution.Itwouldalsobearetractionofthepossiblecontributionthatpersonhasto
theUnitedStates,anactionthatcanneverbeuncommitted.Astheyounggenerationis
thefutureofourcountry,itisdetrimentaltolimittheseyoungpeoplescapabilitiesin
education.Onabroaderspectrum,theconstitutionhasmanypossibilitiestogrowand
becomegreaterthaneverwhichisasubstantialnecessityinthistimeofaGreat
Depression.Butmostimportantly,abettersociety.WhenAmericanofficialsandlaws
begintorespectandadoptimmigrantchildrenineducation,itwillflourishintodiverse
andantiprejudicecommunity.Apeacefulcountry,andeventuallyworld,iswhatthe
peopleoftodayneedtostrivefor.Whenallowingeveryindividualtherighttoeducation,
thefirststeptothattowardchangewillbetaken.

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