Open Leter

An Open Letter From Undocumented Students
By Mary Jewell
In this election year, the dysfunctional immigration system in the United States is back in the spotlight. While presidential candidates debate how to solve its problems, and state and local governments pass reactionary legislation, it is estimated that more than 1 million undocumented-immigrant children attend our schools every day. Yetwe are failing these vulnerable children. Their achievement levels and school success are among the lowest of any demographic group, and their high school dropout rate among the highest. Regardless of the political wrangling on this issue, or anyone's personal politics, it's time that we acknowledge these young people, their needs, and their potential.
Most undocumented students are alsoEnglish-language learners, and often come from families in extreme poverty. Though the education community doesn't yet have all the answers to these difficult issues, we are at the very least comfortable discussing them. But students who are undocumented immigrants face unique challenges which often go unnoticed, and unaddressed. It's almost as if we are afraid to bring it up at school, and in theclassroom.
I've worked closely with undocumented students for more than 15 years in public school. I've shared their joys at academic success and college acceptance and their heartbreak at the deportations of family members. Such students have shared their undocumented reality with me, and what they've taught me can help all of us become better teachers and more compassionate human beings. With my help,some of my past and current students have written the following open letter to the education community explaining what they need for us to know about them, with the hope that it will help other students like them.
To Whom It May Concern:
We are not responsible for our immigration status. Our parents brought us to the United States when we were small children. Many of us have grown up here, andwe feel like we belong in America more than we belong in the countries we came from. We know that many Americans don't want us, so we feel like we don't really belong anywhere. We had no control over the decision our parents made to bring us to the United States without legal permission, so please don't hold our legal status against us.
We understand that going to school in the United States is apriceless opportunity, and we know that our families have sacrificed a lot for us to be here. But it can be difficult to focus on school. Sometimes we have family pressures that other kids don't have, like working to send money to family members in our home countries, or to make up for the income someone who was deported was earning. Because our families can't get the same kinds of government aidother poor families can get, life can get really difficult sometimes.
It's hard to live every day with the uncertainty and fear of being undocumented, too. Every day we're afraid that our parents won't come home and we'll have to take care of the rest of the family. Or that someone at school will find out our secret and that we might get in trouble with the authorities. We're not adults yet, butbecause of these constant worries and responsibilities, sometimes we are expected to act like we are. But we're mostly just like other kids. We're going to do things that don't make sense, and we'll make mistakes, so please just have patience with us.
At school, you tell us that education is the way to a successful life, and we want to believe you, but in our case it's not that simple. We knowthat most undocumented students don't make it out of high school. Even if we do graduate, our job prospects are limited because of our immigration status. It's difficult, sometimes, to stay motivated to finish school when we know it doesn't mean a better job, or a better life.
We dream of going to college and becoming engineers, teachers, and business owners. But these seem like impossible...