March 13, 2015 - 01:23
" Give them a decent education and they'll make it in this new land- that has been the immigrant story ever since the first European settlers came to this new world. But toss them on the education scrapheap, as opponents of the DREAM Act are doing, and they'll live futureless lives."
Kirp's quote above in Improbable Scholars formed a mental web map for me and allowed me to connect the dots to certain issues interconnected to education. To start with, access to education was never intended for anyone else but white, wealthy, high social class men. Not even women were allowed to attend school and get an education, let alone minorities. Only white men had the privilege of receiving a "decent education." Only they had the opportunity to make it in this "new land." Education was never intended to be offered/ available for every individual in our society. Therefore, unfortunately, no, that hasn't been the immigrant story ever since the first European settlers came to this new world.
In reality, we have always been tossed on the education scrapheap, expected to live futureless lives. Immigrant families come from predominantly low-income background, being able to only offer their children a public school education. Unlike upper wealthy high class families can offer and provide their children with the opportunity of attending elite top quality education schools. Finding a decent education for students with an immigrant background and a supportive support system is harder said than done. Opponents of the DREAM Act, unfortunately are not the only ones tossing these students in the education scrapheap...but our whole education system from it's very founding foundation has. The problem isn't having to persuade nonsupporters of the DREAM Act to support students with an immigrant background, the problem is proving these students with the adequate access and supplies to a decent education in the first place which starts with urban public schools all around, not just students who share "interest" in fighting for their education.