From: Boston Globe Editorial:

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Educating immigrants

"LAST WEEK, hundreds of students went to the State House and wore signs with large numbers around their necks. Whether it was 207, 58, or 106, they all wanted the same thing: a House vote on a bill that would make higher education more affordable by letting immigrants who are not permanent residents pay Massachusetts state college tuitions at the lower rates that are charged to residents. The numbers represent the 400 students a year who would benefit from the bill.

Without it, these students are in limbo. One recent graduate of Cambridge Rindge and Latin high school who has lived in Massachusetts for 14 years would like to study business and psychology in college, but she can't afford to pay out-of-state tuition. Instead she's living at home and, like many of her friends, works at a restaurant.

''We really can't get any better jobs without a college degree," she explains.

Critics say the bill would reward lawbreakers. But these are often teenagers who have lived in Massachusetts for years. Some are here illegally. Some were brought here by their undocumented parents. Some have legal but not permanent status, so they don't qualify for the lower tuition or financial aid. All of them come from families that live and pay taxes in Massachusetts. And the bill would require students to file an affadavit saying that they are applying to become a citizen or permanent resident.

To some, this looks like an immigrant issue, a matter of solving their problem. But for the students it's a rational, cutting-edge solution to protect our friends and even our teachers, such as Obain Attouoman, the popular Fenway High School teacher who has been fighting a battle to remain in the United States.

The students are right: This is a community problem. The bill would help Massachusetts move more people into higher education so they can fill high-skill jobs, increase their earnings, and boost tax revenues, a key step given the Census Bureau's recent report of a drop in the state's population.

Legislators should act quickly -- the legislative session finishes Nov. 16. Passing the bill would make Massachusetts the 10th state to acknowledge and advance its identity as a home to immigrant students.

Two of the leading Democratic candidates for governor, Attorney General Thomas Reilly and former Justice Department official Deval Patrick, have endorsed the bill. But Ali Noorani, head of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, believes it might not have a chance in 2006, an election year. And waiting would be a waste, since each graduation means more students are left without academic futures.

Immigration is a controversial issue. But legislative leadership can change it to a common-sense matter of doing the moral, demographic, and economic right thing." (Source:

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What is your take on this issue

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Why does the system here want to make the life of an immigrant harder than what it already is?
Since with exception to the Native Americans, everybody else is either immigrant, son or grand-son of an immigrant in this country, let me ask you this question:

how would we feel if our parents or grand-parents were treated the same way many of us treat undocumented immigrants in this country when they first arrived to America?
Would you be happy? Would you like that?

So, think is it's fair to overchrage other hard-working immigrants that want to get educated and help this country grow or deny them access to education just because they got put in a situation they did ask for?

Think about that!

If it brings more money and smarter brains to our economy and keeps these kids from going into few bad alternative they have like poverty, crime and violence -which would cost the goverment money more to lock them up or deport them- WHY NOT?

Why not? They are allowed to vote.

if they can't even convert spherical coordinates to cartesian coordinates, like I'm sure you can, then they should pay triple, and the americans too.

No Differentials = No breaks.
Why should we support a future generation of slugs who can't think...thats what I say.

Question:

Where would the money come from if the state agrees to pay the difference. Are the immigrants who have become citizens after so much hardship responsible for the education of illegal immingrants?

In these times of war and terrorism how are we able to monitor the minds that we are educating. Should a new law & system be created for these individuals to have a higher education?

These were some of the questions that i thought of as soon as i saw this topic.

I think the guest above raised thoughtful concerns our legislators should consider when discussing this topic.

Yet, let's also keep in mind that most of those kids didn't ask to be put in this limbo. Many of them were brought to this country by their parents when they were babies or children. They just had to fit in the system, love this country and do everything else any of our kids would do which include attending 12 years of school, graduating high school and move on with their lives. But now they are stuck without an option about what's next in they future. The chance of them becoming terrorists are the same as any of our kids becoming a Timothy Mcveigh.

Shortly, I think we should still be cautious and concerned about our security on all the fields of our lives and with everybody; yet, let's be resonable and careful when we use terrorism to deny opportunities to some decent young kids who, like any of our children, are willing to succeed in this country of us opportunity and dreams.

Dear Friends:

If anyone had the displeasure of watching Fox 25 News this morning, you observed an attack of almost discriminatory proportions against all immigrants (legal or undocumented) in response to Tom Reilly's support of the Dream Act. The anchors of Fox 25 News abused of their position to attack and ridicule undocumented immigrants. At one point the lady anchor, responding a ridiculous comparison that illigal immigrants are like burglars that enter our houses ininvited, said that (parapharsing) maybe they should give them what they want (i.e. in-state tuition) for fear that "they might kill us." I was outraged by the cynical attacks made by Fox 25 News against all immigrants. I was even more perplexed that these 'educated people' could not understand how Tom Reilly could support such a cause since that will not translate into votes for him! We often criticize public officials for selling themselves for votes, but apparently Fox 25 News believes that is a noteworthy trait.

I hope this fuels some outrage in you as much as it did in me, and moves you to write to Fox (http://www.fox25.com/ - click on Fox25 Morning New, on the left column, then on 'Mail Call') to express how you feel. I hastily wrote an un-edited e-mail to them this morning, which I will paste below so you can read.


===

In Support of The Dream Act & Tom Reilly:


I was surprised to hear some of the comments in opposition to Tom Reilly's support of the Dream Act, and even more surprised that you did not receive a single e-mail in support of this very important bill. More importantly, I was disgusted to hear some of the comments by Fox 25 News anchors in this matter. Forget about simply reporting the news, you guys went on the attack, speaking as if the children of undocumented immigrants should be given no thought simply because of their undocumented status in this country; you compared immigrants to burglars and said that maybe we should concede to them (with re: to this bill) for fear that "they might kill us." You offended every immigrant, legal or illegal, and minority for that matter (since discrimination doesn't exist only against immigrants), that ever lived in this Commonwealth. I ask that African-American anchor lady how she would feel if someone said they would concede to her request for fear she would kill them. She would be screaming discrimination before the person even finished the sentence. What was she thinking!!!?? I am an America citizen and, after what I heard from you guys at Fox 25 News, I am disgusted that you and I have that in common.


By the way, you didn't even try to report the benefits of providing in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. These kids are exploited by American shop owners who hire them under the table and close their eyes to the fact that these kids are still going to school. Infatuated with the money they are making, they soon drop out of school because they have no financial support at home to stay in school... more importantly, because they KNOW their ceiling of opportunity is closed shut after High School. For those that e-mailed Fox 25 News and were worried that they were 'footing the bill' so these kids could go to school, you should know that you are paying much more now that these immigrants have been forced into a life of destitution with no chance of upward social mobility, depending on free health care, among other benefits afforded to the poorest of society, and paid by our taxe contributions. Let these kids have an opportunity to provide to their families, to study, to become someone in their lives other than being chained to a doomed future. They are not asking for a hand-out or even "preferential treatment" as one of your anchors put it; they are simply asking for equal treatment. Let these kids participate in society, pay taxes, and provide for themselves and their families. This will ease an awful burden from the State and our pockets (if that's what you are worried about); it will allow them to contribute to society, not just drain its resources; most importantly, support them because that's the humane thing to do! I applaud Tom Reilly for his support. As Fox 25 News put it, 'what does he have to gain?' Well, I am glad he is not as hypocritical as you guys! We often complain that public officials sell themselves for votes, and now that one is actually doing the right thing he is also being criticized. Shame on you Fox 25 News.


Sincerely,


José Gurgel

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x 25 Morning News
WFXT Boston

To Whom It May Concern:

The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS), a private, nonprofit health and social service organization that has served Portuguese speakers in eastern Massachusetts since 1970, is writing in response to the unfortunate comments made on FOX 25 News regarding immigrant students and Attorney General Tom Reilly’s support of the In-State Tuition Bill (H.1230). This bill, now awaiting further action at the State House, would allow eligible non-citizen immigrant youth to attend Massachusetts higher educational institutions at in-state tuition rates.

For the past 3 years, students, community members and organizations at all levels, including MAPS, have been advocating for the right to an education for those who, despite their good grades and academic achievements, are unable to afford the cost of out-of-state tuition (three times that of in-state tuition). Similar legislation has already passed in 9 states including Texas, California and New York. Students from the MAPS Youth Programs have been involved in a continuing effort to support this movement and defend their rights to access higher education. They have met with legislators both at the State House in Boston as well as in the Capitol in Washington, D.C. They also have put together a photo exhibit at Harvard University on their immigrant student experience, and participated in several rallies for this cause.

MAPS’ efforts extend also to support for the federal legislation known as the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act- S.1545 . This bill would make higher education more accessible to immigrant youth, regardless of their immigrant status, as long as they had grown up in this country, stayed in school and kept out of trouble. This would help students to apply for legal residency so that they could work, enter college, and become full contributing, active participants in American society.

The issue of access to education and other social services to all community members is a matter of justice and equity, not a political game or a national security matter, as it is often turned into. Every year it is estimated that more than 65,000 US-raised students, who graduate from American high schools and have been living in the US more than five years, face limited prospects for completing their education or working legally in the United States because they were originally brought here by parents lacking immigration status. The students who are being prevented from completing their education are valedictorians, award winning and honors students, and potential leaders. By not rectifying this situation, what are we telling our youth to do, or what alternatives for their future are we giving them?

MAPS hopes that the public is better informed on the specifics of this legislation and that Fox News will in the future refrain from derogatory comments about hard-working, tax-paying immigrants and their children who are only in search of a brighter future and academic opportunities similar to those of their US-born counterparts.

Sincerely,



Paulo Pinto, MPA
MAPS Executive Director

Regarding the comments in opposition to Tom Reilly's support of the Dream Act:

Personally I see America as is a land established, founded on and sustained by immigrants. People from all corners, countries and continents of the world, have moved to this land and made it what it is today – the land of opportunity. However, the opportunities that are designed for all are not available, even for most. For current immigrants, those opportunities have been fewer and harder to come by lately.

Massachusetts, as one of the oldest states in this country, has been from early on, due to his coastal location, its proximity to New York City, a safe haven for immigrants since the 1800’s. This state has experienced immigration from early on and its social, political, and cultural dynamics have been shaped by immigrants and made the state what it is today. Legal or undocumented, today immigrants make up about 10% of this state’s population, most of them pay taxes, even if they are not voting or considered “part of the system”. With public policies that continually restrict the access to health services, limit the admittance to public benefits on housing or education, and with increasing inflexible employment laws, immigrants in this state, are bound to become ill, homeless, uneducated and poor.

The fact that Massachusetts, is the “the Mecca” of national academia, puts education in the forefront of local immigrant’s struggles, perhaps even more than labor. There are definitely issues of economic class involved, issues of inequities and injustice. Or why do Universities grant Visas to many foreign students from all over the world to study here, at astronomical international student fees each year, when other fellow students from perhaps those same countries and with even better grades (with already a high school education from this country) can’t access the same system.

Immigration is no longer a policy area that can be ignored, hoping that it will go way, get better, decrease or stop. Immigrants are here to stay, for when and if they leave there will be others to replace them. Whether you agree or not with the Dream Act Legislation, get the record straight about what it means and what it would provide, instead of bashing something because of personal or racist biases, destroying the advocacy efforts of so many. Lets all reflect on how we can collectively come up with a solution, or at least a plan considering all areas of this complex issue, instead of making unnecessary and irresponsible remarks that only fuel the controversy rather than informing people.

Illegal Immigrants are here illegal. They are in violation of the law. They should not blame the taxpayers of the commonwealth. They should blame their parents who brought them here. There is no way illegals should have the same rights or privileges as citizens or legal immigrants. That Native American rant is also getting old. The first jobs that illegal immigrants take are those of legal immigrants. Wake up Legal Immigrants!!!!

I have nothing against illegal immigrants being allowed to attend college paying out of state tuition. My only concern is how it would affect the legal immigrants.... As we know for a fact most immigrant attend high school that are not well funded therefore face disadvantages when taking standardizes test, which can possibily lead to rejection from colleges and universities.. If illegal immigrants are allowed to attend college paying out state tuition ( keeping in mind is away more than in state tuition) it can create a competition for the legal immigrant that have the same grades and attritubes, becuase schools can choose the one that will pay more.... Just my 2 cents

Legal Immigrants and Minorities get pushed even lower. More competition for slots open in Minority Programs, Scholarships, and Grants. Legal Status people will get pushed aside. I know many legal Cape Verdeans who's first jobs in the United States was in restaurants. Today it is impossible for a legal immigrant to get a job in a restaurant. The illegal will make the same wage but the restaurant owner wins out when they are not paying FICA and SS Taxes. Who loses?