unaccompanied

UNDOCUMENTED & UNACCOMPANIED

Because of war, internal conflict, and crime; there significant increases in the migration of unaccompanied children world wide. A 9o% increase of Central & South American children reaching U.S. border. Many Suffering trauma and violence. Read the following and leave your comments. http://www.acluaz.org/sites/default/files/documents/DHS%20Complaint%20re%20CBP%20Abuse%20of%20UICs.pdf and http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/06/child-migrants-surge-unaccompanied-central-america

44 thoughts on “UNDOCUMENTED & UNACCOMPANIED”

  1. I recently started a new show, “Jane the Virgin.” It’s a great show that has twists, turns and a storyline that always keeps you guessing. Jane has a grandmother, Alba, and she is undocumented. She traveled from mexico with her husband to start a family and then her husband died. All she has is her daughter and granddaughter. She has no papers and basically no proof of existence in the US. She was hospitalized because she was pushed down steps and she almost got deported (for comment purposes, I won’t go anymore in depth.)
    This had me thinking. How on earth do we think it is okay to send people who are in need of medical care BACK, when they obviously came here to get away. More importantly, these immigration and refugee crisis is a MESS and I am disappointed. Donald Trump is a hot mess and he is making a circus out of this presidential race but last night, he made a donkey out of himself with this:
    http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/07/politics/donald-trump-muslim-ban-immigration/
    Ignorance at it’s finest.

  2. This topic is such a hot button issue right now. In Kentucky, we see many undocumented students and we need to know how to help them and their basic rights. Several articles I read stated that there are an estimated 65,000 undocumented students in the US. While these children as guaranteed an education in the United States, their access to higher education is not a sure thing.

    Currently, there is no legal wording keeping undocumented students out of higher education, however, there are some schools that have initiated applicants to submit proof of citizenship or legal residency. While many institutions accept undocumented students, they are treated as international students and not eligible for financial aid.

    In 2012 the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) aimed to help undocumented immigrants. However, the DREAM Act has failed to be accepted into law, but President Obama announced that his administration would stop deporting undocumented students based on criteria proposed under the DREAM Act.

    https://nilc.org/dreamsummary.html

  3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/18/france-says-it-will-take-30000-syrian-refugees-while-u-s-republicans-would-turn-them-away/

    I found this article rather interesting in regards to Syrian refugees. This article highlights the news that French President Francois Hollande announced the country of France still plans on accepting over 30,000 Syrian refugees. I find it interesting considering the recent attacks on Paris have many around the world frightened about the prospect of terrorists sneaking into countries with refugees. In America we have Governors and other political heads discussing how to stop Syrian refugees because we are so worried about an attack, but in France where they have just recently been attacked they are still keeping their doors open for refugees.

  4. Victoria Johnson – EDC602
    The topic of Syrian refugees is not only a hot topic of conversation in the US, but also globally. I have the pleasure of teaching several students, from Syria, in my classes. These are third culture kids (TCKs), who moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the nature of their parents work. They were not forced to leave because of war, but left years ago in order for their parents to better provide for them. Listening to them speak about how they cannot return to their homeland is heartbreaking. Their homes have been destroyed. Members of their families were killed. They do not know the status of some of their family members due to the inability to contact them. Then, they read the news, which is hopefully encouraged in all schools, and they see so many words of hatred being spewed across the internet. Words of hatred from politicians all over they world. Words of hatred from non-politicians. They hear their fellow countrymen being labeled as ‘terrorists’ and read about how so many people do not want to help them. It’s painful for these students to read about how many in the world view them. These Syrian refugees are not criminals. They just happen to be born in a country in a civil war. They are humans and should be treated with the same upmost respect and dignity that each and every one of us would expect. Instead of focusing on the bad media press, it is important to see how each and every one of us can help. Below you will find several links to creditable organizations helping Syrian refugees.

    http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.7998857/k.D075/Syria.htm
    https://www.unicefusa.org/mission/emergencies/child-refugees/syria-crisis
    http://www.jdc.org/jcdr/where-we-work/
    https://worldhelp.net/iraqi-syrian-refugee-relief/

    Huffington Post article about how you can help Syrian refugees in the states: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yasmin-nouh/syrian-refugee-relief-organizations_b_8142492.html

  5. http://www.upworthy.com/3-things-president-obama-said-about-refugees-that-we-all-need-to-hear?c=fea

    This is the link to President Obama’s press conference in Turkey regarding the refugee crisis. In a time when many world leaders are taking an anti-refugee stance, I found it intriguing to learn more about President Obama’s stance in support of refugees. He emphasized that many refugees are victims of terrorism and insisted that the United States citizens remain empathic in accepting and supporting refugees in our country. These are just some of the highlights, but the full speech is included in the link.

    1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/11/17/what-americans-thought-of-jewish-refugees-on-the-eve-of-world-war-ii/

      The link above contains two graphics that shows Americans’ attitudes towards letting German, Austrian, and other political refugees into the United States in 1938 and 1939. 67.4% of Americans in 1938 did not want to let political refugees into the country. I find this information interesting given the current situation with Syrian refugees, and I wonder how outcomes may have been different for many European Jews had the United States been more accepting of refugees at that time. Many Republicans have expressed their intent to halt refugees from entering the country or only allow non-Muslim refugees to enter the country. Like another classmate commented, Kentucky’s governor (as well as other states’ governors) lack the control over that policy for several reasons. At this point, I think the United States will accept at least some Syrian refugees, and I’m curious to see how the educational system will work to meet the needs of those refugee students.

  6. This article notes that Matt Bevin opposes Syrian refugee resettlement into Kentucky; however, Kentucky’s resettlement was privatized over 20 years ago so his opinion is not able to influence the actual influx of refugees into Kentucky. The money to assist refugees is given to Catholic Charities of Louisville, who then distribute money across the state. The article also mentions the vetting process that goes into families becoming refugees in the first place. This was an interesting article in light of the events that happened in Paris on Friday and a developing fear that many people have regarding immigrants coming into the United States as well as what we have been learning in class. I’m hoping to learn more about this movement in Kentucky if anyone has any more information.

    http://www.kentucky.com/2015/11/16/4141112_bevin-opposes-syrian-refugee-resettlement.html?rh=1

    1. Your post was very interesting and I am also looking forward to learning more. This article outlines the fact that Kentucky isn’t isolated in its’ lack of ability to refuse Syrian refugees; no state government is allowed to deny refugees. The federal government, not state government, has authority over issues of immigration. The Refugee Act of 1980 gives the president power to admit refugees into the United States. The article makes clear that while governors may be stating that they will not accept refugees into their state, they legally must yield to the decision of the president. However, the article ends by noting that while states cannot turn refugees away, they can make decisions that make the lives of refugees much more difficult. The article does not give specific examples of this, but it makes me think about how Matt Bevin wants to eliminate Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion. This could affect the access refugees have to health care.
      http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/11/16/3722628/no-state-governors-cant-refuse-to-accept-syrian-refugees/

      1. Hello Jamie.
        In response to your comments, true once an alien has been lawfully admitted under federal law, “no state may “deny” them (aliens) entrance and abode.” Hines v. Davidowitz and, Arizona v. United States. Personally, I believe Americans are frighten, in fear of another occurrence of 9/11. Politicians will do and say anything to citizens to gain their trust, in an attempt to avoid admitting refugees in their states. What is compelling, since 9/11, 785,000 refugees gained entrance to the U.S. As for Matt Bevin’s attempt to eliminate Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion, not sure if this is possible. I do comprehend why and reason(s) for his cause, but I do not agree. Listed below are several sites. Remember, each state benefit are not the same or similar. Kentucky is one of the few states that offer considerable state benefits to eligible individuals.
        As for Governors, passing a law to make lives more difficult for refugees in their states, yeah that is possible. Example, 13 states passed legislation regarding drug testing or screening for public assistance applicants or recipients; Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, north Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.
        Some of the states include specific provisions.

        Please visit the United States immigration System http://m.immigrationpolicy.org

        Medicaid benefits http://www.nilc.org/table-ovrwfedprogs.

        Medicaid affordable care act http://refugeehealtha.org/access-to-care/affordable-care-act/

  7. The three approaches to face the overwhelming and tragic global refugee crisis a country can take in educating the migrant and refugee children are the following:
    (a) interculturalism/multiculturalism, (b) non-differentialism, (c) human rights approach. The first is such an education approach that allows each child to have differentiated learning experience. The second approach is opposite to the first. It provides minimal or non-differentiated learning environment. The last approach considers the education as an avenue of empowerment for migrant and refugee children to fight for their rights. In this case children are seen as not passive recipient of a need-based or service-based education, but rather students are considered to be active participants in their own development (Brown & Krasteva, 2013). My questions:
    2.1. Which of these approaches does Kentucky system of education currently employ?
    2.2. Should or should not a change be made in light of the Middle Eastern refugee and migrant crisis? Explain, please.

    1. The accompanied/undocumented children that are coming across the border are bringing all kinds of baggage with them. Scars from abuse, fleeing war, violent crimes, etc. It’s important to remember that these children are children. It appears that they are being treated like criminals and not refugees. I understand that unaccompanied children that enter the country through this measure cannot receive refugee status, it is just wrong that so many have endured such abuse from Americans, that they’ve fled to for safety.
      I do understand the other side of the coin. If we, as Americans fled to another country, what kind of treatment would we receive? It would be terrible. But, we as American’s have human rights laws that must be followed. Our country is built on immigrants coming here to make a better life. As long as you are making a better life for yourself and our country, then welcome to the US. I can’t imagine the pain and suffering many of these children are going through making this journey without parents or family, it’s heartbreaking.

  8. This is a very important topic of discussion. The influx of illegal immigrants into the United States in recent years has created a great strain on the legal, documented, and tax paying citizens of the U.S. While living in Texas, I was able to see and hear stories of how students would come and go depending on where their parents were at. In some cases, several parents never took the time to properly have themselves documented to become members of the U.S. While they did this they would have children or families that would be in safe harbor because of how the U.S. laws are written. I think a question to ask would be, if a family that is undocumented becomes detained and sent back to their country, what should happen to their children. Law says their children are U.S. born citizens, but is it better to be raised by your family or raised by a family living in the U.S. Everyone should have the ability to become a documented citizen. I do strongly believe that if you are undocumented, and you’re not paying taxes you have ZERO rights that are afforded to the legal citizens of the U.S. I also believe that in order to vote you should have to have a photo ID, and your last two tax statements. IMO

  9. http://www.wsj.com/articles/john-kerry-says-u-s-to-admit-30-000-more-refugees-in-next-2-years-1442768498

    As the United States commits to take more refugees from war-torn and impoverished countries over the next few years, many American schools will have to deal with the increased influx of both documented and undocumented students. Lost River Elementary school in Bowling Green, KY is an example of a school that will be directly impacted by this. The International Center of Kentucky, which is a refugee resettlement center, is located within the district from which Lost River Elementary draws students. Currently, over 50 languages are spoken within the student body. Many of their students face challenges, such as language barriers, lack of resources, and past traumatic experiences, and a number of their refugees students have never even attended school because they lived in a refugee camp during their school-aged years. Teachers at Lost River and other similar schools are held to standards that ask them to attain the same levels of student achievement in their classrooms as the predominantly middle/upper class elementary school in a different part of town. I think it is important to help with the global refugee crisis, but I think the United States should think about the impact that increased immigration from places of conflict will have on our schools. Perhaps entire schools or special classrooms within existing schools dedicated for helping immigrant children transition to the United States educational system is something to consider.

    1. This article relates to our group project, which focuses on refugee students in Fayette County Schools. I think it is a great idea to allow more refugees into America, because after all we are supposed to be a country that promotes freedom. These refugees go through traumatic and violent events and they want to come to the US for a better life. I hope that there will be more refugees who are accepted into America over the next couple of years. I feel that this will make America more diverse and better for the future. Also, this will help because some schools Fayette County don’t have any refugee students.

  10. I have studied abroad and I hope to teach abroad this coming semester because I find incredible value in immersing myself in other cultures. As a teacher, I need to be able to relate to my students and understand where they come from so that I can be better prepared to teach them in an effective manner. The more experience I have with other cultures and the more I know about other parts of the world, the better equipped I will be to help foreign and migrant students that I will have in my classroom. It is important as a teacher to understand that not all students are the same, and they certainly do not all come from the same backgrounds.

  11. This article captures a very real story of a boy named Jose. He’s an undocumented youth living with his Aunt and trying to put down roots here. The country he comes from is dangerous and he’s has siblings still living there. The struggles he deals with are real and very sad. Often times, we forget that the undocumented immigrants have a name and face. They deserve for their voice to be heard. I enjoyed reading this article because I could sense the boy’s feelings of hope for his future if he were to stay in America. I wish that we could keep all of the undocumented children that escaped war but I know this is impossible. I’m not sure what the solution is for the undocumented immigrants. http://www.npr.org/2015/03/09/390694404/many-unaccompanied-minors-no-longer-alone-but-still-in-limbo

  12. I recently read this article about how the immigration courts are in crisis mode due to the flood of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Many families have been waiting months or even years and now they will wait even longer to learn if they will be deported or not. There are 60,000 undocumented children in the court system and most of them will are not being represented by lawyers. They stand a very slim chance of remaining in the States without representation. This means they will most likely be sent back home to a war torn, dangerous country. http://www.npr.org/2015/02/23/387825094/immigration-courts-operating-in-crisis-mode-judges-say

  13. The current discussions around undocumented people residing in the United States has made me wonder exactly where they people are living. I found an article with 7 maps that show the distribution of undocumented people living in the United States. These are broken down into the percentage of Mexicans, workers, children, adults. It’s very interesting to see the percentages of undocumented people by state. Here’s the link http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/11/21/the-undocumented-immigrant-population-explained-in-7-maps/

  14. Being part of the green card group really opened my eyes to an issue that I was pretty naive to before this class. I can confidently say that I have much more knowledge regarding the issues of undocumented students in America, and what being undocumented looks like for their future. The field experiences allowed for us to work face to face with people who are involved with undocumented students. We were also able to talk directly with Latino and undocumented students themselves, to better understand their concerns, optimism, and plans regarding their future.

    The other projects have also made me more aware of issues in education, especially with the LGBT and violence and trauma groups. I think that it is easy to get wrapped in up in our own worlds when we are busy teaching and carrying out the daily responsibilities of our jobs, but being aware of these everyday issues that hinder education and student success can help our students feel safe and valued. While I don’t know all of the right answers, or if there are right answers, I know I am at least more aware of what students go through to get an education.

    Our group decided to take on a challenging topic in which there is a lot of room for growth and improvement for serving these students. Over the course of the semester, I think my group learned a lot about the undocumented student population, and from the creation of our final project we have the potential to positively impact the local Latino population.

  15. Before researching undocumented students for this class, I was unaware of how large the issue actually was. I have certainly learned a lot through this course and through my own research. After reading this article, I thought it was a good resource to inform people on the magnitude of the issues surrounding undocumented people in the U.S, especially undocumented students in schools. I know a lot of teachers/ educators are simply unaware that these students are immigrants or undocumented, especially those who speak fluent English. Teachers, more than likely, won’t have any documentation that the student is an immigrant unless they are ESL students or have specifically told the teacher that they are immigrants. Many times, these students have endured multiple hardships or jumped a series of hurdles to even be in school in the U.S. To simply keep teachers up to date on these issues and let them know what additional assistance these students may require could help them immensely.

  16. My group and I have been working on our final project for the semester, creating a program between two schools in Lexington, KY (one with high latino population and one with a low population), that will allow students, parents, and families to learn more about cultural diversity and exchange in our society.

    This PF has 20 noteworthy latinos ranging from Lexington, to national and internationally known individuals that will inspire a sense of pride for our latino population as well as teach others about the well known latinos in America.
    There are 4 latino recipes that will help families to try new culturally enlightening foods and immerse themselves in a different cultural cuisine.
    Lastly, there a 15 activities planned for families as a whole, parents, and students that could occur during this program.
    We would love to receive some feedback on the program itself and if you would like to use this program in your school or in other schools, please do!

    PDF posted below:
    http://www.pdf-archive.com/2015/04/26/edc-550-cultural-exchange-program/edc-550-cultural-exchange-program.pdf

    1. I’ve learned quite a lot from this class when we chose to do our presentation on Undocumented students. Before this class, I had never looked into the issue of undocumentation in America, and now I have heard from local programs and groups at the University of Kentucky that work with immigrant and undocumented students, I have met and talked to many different immigrant students about their goals and aspirations, and I have worked with my group to create this program which I feel can open the eyes of many parents and families to similar issues that I myself never knew about. I have really enjoyed learning and feeling like I am making a difference with the undocumented and immigrant community.

      The other groups have also taught me a lot– i have learned more about the LGBT community, I have found why technology is important in the classroom for students with disabilities, and I have learned the effects of violence and trauma on students in our education system today. All of these lessons have opened my eyes to the more current issues of society that often aren’t discussed, and I am glad I can take this knowledge into the education field.

      I have enjoyed working with Courtney, Brenda, and Morgan on our topic this semester and I am especially proud of our final project!

  17. I’m not sure if anyone is familiar with the 30 days series with Morgan Spurlock, but I got introduced to it in my Intercultural Communications class. The documentary that stood out the most to me had to be the one on immigration. If you have the time, please watch this video. A minuteman vehemently opposed to illegal immigration spends 30 days with a family of illegal Mexican immigrants in LA.

    Disclaimer: get your tissues ready.

    https://vimeo.com/11155073

  18. The Atlantic had a great piece on Undocumented students this week. It shows just how much undocumented students can bring to the American classroom. The author argues that these kids are in many ways more “American” in their ideals than the typical American student.

    “In fact, I view these students as assets to the classroom and school community. I want them there. Perhaps U.S. citizens who wish that undocumented students would disappear from public schools fail to recognize how much they have to offer to America’s education system.”

    http://m.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/04/what-undocumented-students-bring-to-the-classroom/390333/?utm_source=SFFB

  19. I recently found an interesting scholarly article that discussed how immigrant children can suffer on the psychosocial development standpoint. These students are constantly looking to their parents, who are a part of their culture, for support, but because their parents are so separate from the alien world of the public school community, the children are often ill prepared for how to adapt to school properly. It’s a very quick and interesting read and I’d be interested to hear other people’s thoughts on the article.

    http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/profiles/upload/Young-Immigrants-90-Moved.pdf

  20. This article enlightens readers on the high prevalence of undocumented persons in the United States. More specifically, the article highlights the number of undocumented students appearing in schools across the United States. In most cases, educators are either uninformed, or unaware of the number of youth in their classrooms that have migrated to the U. S. Because these students are immigrants in U.S. classrooms, they have more than likely endured extreme circumstances while living in their home countries, while traveling to the U.S. and even after arriving in the U.S. As such, it is imperative that educators are aware of and understand what these students could have potentially gone through in migrating to the United States. The better aware of and alert educators are of the issues relating to migration, the more likely these students will be provided with the utmost educational experience in the U.S.

  21. New article by the Pew Research center says that a number of states where 46% of the undocumented immigrants reside are collectively suing Obama for his executive action of relief from deportation for some undocumented. check out the link and voice your opinion. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/11/states-suing-obama-over-immigration-programs-are-home-to-46-of-those-who-may-qualify/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=92dcd93496-Hispanic_newsletter_2_13_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-92dcd93496-399412737

    1. This article provides readers with information about the high percentage of undocumented people in each state and provides insight into the number of undocumented students that are flooding schools. Many of these students are dealing with the issue of deportation or meeting the requirements to stay in the US. Thus, they bring a ton of stress, anxiety and fear into the classroom which impedes their ability to learn. I enjoyed reading this article and getting the number of undocumented people per state. I find it interesting that the states with the highest percentage of undocumented people (with the exception of California) have joined the lawsuit against Obama.

  22. I certainly agree that educator’s everywhere should pay attention to these articles and realize that education goes past the information from the books we are trying to teach. As educators we need to be ready to respond and help these students with support and information for how we can help these children improve their already troubled lives.

  23. This article is an eye-opener for many people. Many times we are uninformed and do not realize how many youth migrate to the U. S. I feel like getting the subject out there will help these children have a better life by receiving the support they need to overcome the trauma they have endured.

  24. After reading these articles and becoming aware of how many children migrate to the US by themselves I am shocked. I was born and raised in California and was able to see first hand the large population of Latinos that resided there, and to think that some of the children who I saw each day may have traveled there themselves is astounding to me. I was also able to see how my teachers reacted with having ESL students and feel that teachers should be fully capable of having ESL students in their class and helping them cope with the traumas they have faced so early on in their lives.

    1. I think the article hit a good amount of high points that highlight why hispanics attend a community college or why they don’t. Many of the latino students attend community college because they do not have the means to pay for it. Hence, many latino students do not try during their high school career because they limit themselves because they can not receive the same amount of help as other students.

  25. Some youth are thrown into slavery (child labor and sex trafficking). Is our government doing anything about these atrocities? Something we don’t hear about.Why doesn’t the news industry look into this?

  26. Before reading these documents I was unaware that so many youth migrate to the U.S. by themselves. These children have endured extreme circumstances in their home countries, traveling to the U.S. and after arriving in the U.S. I’m not sure what the right answer is, if there is one, in making the transition smooth and welcoming. I think as educators, lawmakers, and social workers, we have a lot of work left to do to make sure these children receive the best support possible.

  27. Not only in the U.S. but around the globe there are more and more youth arriving unaccompanied by adults. Many European countries are implementing innovative strategies to assist these youth in becoming part of their new environment. Even so, learning a new language and the customs of a new homeland while dealing with loneliness and the traumas of their past make life very difficult for them.

    1. Yes. Educators need to be made aware of this situation so they can better support and instruct their students. Many of the teachers I’ve worked with are clueless about the violence, trauma and struggles that ESL students face.
      On another note, this article discusses universities making financial provisions for undocumented students to attend at lower costs. Unfortunately, many states don’t have programs that support undocumented students higher education. I wonder if providing college at a lower cost is an incentive for these students and if it would cause an even greater influx of undocumented migrants. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/08/04/essay-academic-performance-undocumented-and-other-immigrant-students

  28. As a past ESL teacher, I’m familiar with international students from a variety of countries. However, I’m shocked to learn that many children migrate to the US alone. I’m even more surprised that the numbers are so high. I can’t imagine the difficult task of educating a class full of migrant ESL students with the emotional and physical trauma that these kids have endured.

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