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Undocumented high school students face barriers upon graduation

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Staff

By Charlie Tyson
Staff Writer

“Call me Esperanza,” she said. The Spanish word for hope.

Esperanza, a senior at East Chapel Hill High School, is academically successful and respected by teachers and classmates alike. She is also an undocumented immigrant.

“Undocumented teenagers are no different from [all] other teens in the U.S.,” Esperanza said. “They have the same dreams, the same expectations. They want the same American dream, but they can’t have it because of a stupid little green card.”

Undocumented immigrants in the United States number around 11.9 million, according to a 2008 report by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. The study also showed that about 76 percent of the nation’s undocumented residents are Hispanic – 59 percent from Mexico.

Esperanza was 11 when she moved to the United States. Her father came to the country first, after losing his job in her family’s nation of origin. She was separated from her father for two years before he had the money to bring her and her mother to the States.

Mother and daughter entered the country by plane, clutching travel visas in one hand and suitcases in the other. The visas expired, but her family remained in the States.

For undocumented teenagers in the United States, public high school serves as a refuge, since no proof of citizenship is necessary for enrollment. Yet for many teens lacking a green card, high school graduation marks the end of their academic careers. Undocumented residents do not qualify for in-state tuition for public universities and many hesitate to apply for government-backed student aid for fear of exposing their citizenship status to federal authorities.

These obstacles make college difficult to get into and prohibitively expensive for undocumented teens. To gain admission to public universities, students lacking citizenship must apply as international students and compete with students across the globe for admission. And without aid, private school or out-of-state tuition to public schools is often unaffordable.

Despite such barriers to higher education, some students are able to attend college by winning scholarships.

Esperanza is one such student. Having won a large academic scholarship, she will enroll at a private school next year. Had she not received the scholarship, she would not have been able to attend college.

A daily secret
Although Esperanza is one of few undocumented students provided the opportunity to earn a college degree, her citizenship status remains a closely guarded secret.

“You never know who to trust,” she said. “Before I told my best friend, we had been friends for three years.”

Esperanza said she feared being blackmailed by someone aware of her immigration status – something that had happened to friends of hers.

“You can’t really come out,” she said. “Ever.”

Only a handful of close friends and teachers are aware of Esperanza’s citizenship status.

“Student-wise, it’s only the people I trust the most,” she said. “My best friends. Some of my teachers know; only the ones I trust the most.”

East Chapel Hill High Spanish teacher Sandy Williamson has observed firsthand the weight of such a secret upon students.

“A lot of kids don’t let you know,” Williamson said. “They want to keep a low profile. They’re more likely to be out with someone they have a close relationship with.”

Esperanza said she occasionally overheard remarks about immigration issues at school but always hesitated to speak up.

“Every time the topic comes up, I feel like my ears start turning red,” she said. “You can’t help thinking, ‘Do they know? Do they know because my face is turning red?’ You never want to participate in those conversations because you don’t want to expose yourself.”

An unexpected motivation
For “Maria,” an undocumented immigrant and a senior about to graduate from a high school in a neighboring county, her citizenship status has served as an academic motivator rather than a deterrent.

“College has been a topic of conversation within my family since before I started kindergarten,” Maria said. “I’ve known since then that if an undocumented student wants to go to college, the best bet would be [through scholarships] to top private schools to avoid both discrimination and the financial burden.”

Her work during high school won her offers of a full ride to Harvard, Columbia and other top schools.

“If anything, my legal status has driven everything regarding my academic life,” she said. “Since the beginning of my junior year, I have taken at least four extra classes per semester in the hopes that it would boost me up within the college application process. My current status as valedictorian of my school is also thanks to my drive as an undocumented student.”

Maria was born in Mexico and was three months old when her parents moved to the U.S.

“I didn’t choose to come into this country illegally,” she said. “Sometimes it depresses me that I’m not like everyone else. Though they may not know it, I’m not American. I’m an alien with no claims to either the U.S. or Mexico.”

Maria said her parents worked long hours in preparation for paying her college tuition.

“Seeing my dad’s tired face makes me understand everything they want for me and it makes me understand that what I’m doing isn’t just for me,” she said. “It’s for them. For my parents, for the people who die crossing the border every day, for the people who go to work every single day of their lives in the hopes that their children will accomplish more than they ever could.”

An issue still unresolved
Undocumented and college-bound, Esperanza and Maria are exceptions to the rule. Aware of the difficulties of gaining admission to and paying for college, most undocumented high school students don’t attempt to secure a post-high school education.

Esperanza is troubled by the plight of undocumented immigrant students in the U.S.

“A lot of the time, the only crime we’re guilty of is being here and wanting a better life for ourselves,” she said.

Maria agreed that undocumented students who came to the U.S. at a young age with their parents should not necessarily be held responsible for their undocumented status.

“Most of them had no say in their entry to this country,” she said. “These are the students that have grown up with you, the ones that can accomplish great things, the ones that could change the world – but only if given the chance.”

2 thoughts on “Undocumented high school students face barriers upon graduation”

  1. amiga says:
    June 14, 2010 at 8:09 am

    I would like to mention that the statement mentioning that undocumented students “hesitate to apply for government-backed student aid for fear of exposing their citizenship status to federal authorities” needs to be clarified. Undocumented students are NOT eligible for any type of federal financial aid (loans, grants, scholarships, work-study, and work programs) and most state funds. This is the main reason why many students are discouraged from attending college–most public universities cannot offer any type of financial aid and/or there aren’t many private funds available to assist in paying for tuition. Some private scholarships are available regardless of status, yet these are limited. I would like to request that this statement be clarified because it misleads the reader into assuming that federal funds are available yet are not used because of fear.

    Thanks.

  2. Clay Boggess says:
    June 15, 2010 at 4:59 am

    These youth who are motivated for a better life are indeed the exception. Since they most likely came over not knowing why they were here in the first place there must be a way to provide them with better access to college as well as legal citizenship. It is obvious that they are seeking to become productive members of society. Heck, when an illegal comes across the boarder and has a child, that child has full access to health care, right? Many will say that they may ‘bump’ another student’s access to college whose parents were here legally and paid taxes etc., but that is on the parents not the students. Most of these highly motivated students will hopefully earn a scholarship like Esperanza

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