First, let’s get some terminology straight. It's not "illegal aliens," "illegal immigrants," or anything in between. Just think about what it would feel like if you or your family were called one of those names. Believe me, it's dehumanizing to hear someone call you that.
You may be asking, why do I care about this—it doesn’t affect me or anyone I know. Well, you are wrong. For one, if you know me, you may (or may not) know that I came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant. And even if you don’t know me, chances are that you may know someone whose parents are undocumented. Honestly, though, even if you don’t know anyone that's undocumented or has an undocumented family member, this community needs to be recognized. Undocumented immigrants are human. We don’t leave our country because we want to, and we certainly don’t come into the U.S. thinking of ways “to take jobs,” “enhance crime,” or whatever other common, hateful rhetoric this community receives from politicians and some American citizens.
Now, I want to make a quick disclaimer: I'm not saying that this is the experience of every undocumented immigrant because, let’s be honest, usually undocumented immigrants do not have even the slightest opportunity to get into a higher education institution. Either way, the point of this is to shed some light on a community that doesn't get a voice.
Let’s get to the point here. The significance of higher education for an undocumented immigrant is worth more than I could ever put into words. Higher education doesn't mean money. It doesn't mean stability. It doesn't mean a big house. It doesn't mean a good car. Not that any of those dreams are bad, but an undocumented immigrant most likely has something else on their mind. They have poverty, hunger, and sickness on their mind. That's what we know from our home country. Although, luckily, in my family there's nobody that has to survive on a glass of water with sugar, there are many immigrants that have lived in those conditions. But either way, the living conditions in other countries are on a different level of poverty in the United States (not to undermine the struggles here).
Higher education for undocumented immigrants means shoes without holes for our cousins, medication to treat our grandma’s diabetes, and roofs for our families made out of better material than just sheet metal. A higher education means a better chance for our 12- and 13-year-old cousins to continue their education. You may be thinking that this is a lot of weight for one person to carry. The truth is that, yes, it’s heavy. But for some reason, as undocumented immigrants or children of undocumented immigrants receiving a higher education, we were chosen. We were the ones given a second life, a life to reach the "American Dream" to break the cycle of poverty, hunger, and sickness.
I urge you to think about this when you hear about undocumented immigrants and when you hear about legislation like DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Legislation like this gives access for young undocumented immigrants to enter a higher education institution. These opportunities bring life to our community. As American citizens, you have our voice. You can vote for people that will really make a positive impact on our community.
