From today's stellar Arizona Repulsive, an article that hits close to home. Closer when I realize the last quote in the article is from a girl I taught last year.
I agree, Yoshi, but life isn't fair. And you are too smart to not graduate from high school.
Valley teens again cut class to protest immigration bill
Mel Meléndez
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 29, 2006 12:00 AM
For the second straight day, hundreds of Valley teens Tuesday risked school suspensions, joining thousands of students throughout the Southwest in immigration-related protests.
High school walkouts took place in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas with thousands of students ignoring campus lockdowns or risking disciplinary actions to protest House Bill 4437.The bill would make it a felony to be in the United States illegally.
"This bill is unjust because it discriminates against Latinos," said Maryvale High School junior Alex Keller, 17, who's Mexican-American. "You can't help but feel like you're being singled out when it will basically impact your people."
More than 500 Valley demonstrators, most of them from west Phoenix high schools, gathered at Desert West Park off 67th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard in Phoenix. Hundreds more, including teens in Mesa, Glendale and Tolleson, also walked out of school. Protesters also included middle school students.
"We are protesting that law that makes us criminals," said 12-year-old Joel Ñonte, who walked out of Carson Junior High School in Mesa. "The giant has awoken today."
Many Valley demonstrators Tuesday said a student-led protest Monday inspired them to walk out. By midday Tuesday, Phoenix police estimated 2,000 students had gathered at the Capitol.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Union High School District administrators met with city officials Tuesday to discuss how to keep kids in school. The district's 10 schools are all closed campuses, but hundreds of students walked out Tuesday anyway, with some even scaling North High's fence to avoid turning in their student IDs on the way out.
Federal law requires public schools to enroll all students regardless of their legal status, and students can't be asked how they arrived in the country, said Phoenix Union's spokesman Craig Pletenik.
"We need to engage these kids to know that there's a time and a place to protest and school's not one of them," he said. "You're basically walking out of the one institution that promises you an education and a future."
But some students at the Phoenix rallies said high school is a dead end for many undocumented students who can't afford to attend college or secure a job should they earn a four-year degree without legal status. Several carried DREAM Act posters to highlight the federal act that would allow undocumented high school graduates living in the United States for at least five years to apply for legal status.
"Too many kids feel like, 'Why bother graduating from high school if I'm not even going to be able to get a decent job without my papers?' " said 18-year-old Jajaira Cardenas, a senior at Premier Charter High School in Phoenix. "The law needs to change. It's not fair."
5 comments:
Krys and I are still trying to figure out what the law is if we're trying to make it a felony to be in the country illegally. Isn't it already a felony????
Interesting story, and it's nice to see the kids being articulate (for once). It would be nice if this led them to actually voting for a change. Protesting won't get anything done, but voting will.
According to NPR,it is a felony but is a civil offense, not criminal: "Some want to make it a criminal offense -- punishable by jail time -- for the undocumented to live in the United States (right now, it's a civil offense). Legislation passed by the U.S. House in December does indeed make this a felony. The plan approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee eliminates these criminal provisions, and it also drops all criminal penalties for those who provide assistance to undocumented foreigners, except for those involved in smuggling."
Also, NPR has a great Q&A section online: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5303676 for people who have questions.
i would rather not see high school students missing school BUT at the same time, it does my soul and heart good to see they are actually DEMONSTRATING about something they believe in.
there was an ugly war going on back in the day i was in high school. i didn't remain silent nor did my friends. now, i fear the younger generation sometimes is too complacent and it frightens me
A Rose - I completely agree. I have no problem with the protests - I agree with them. As long as they are peaceful. I'm scared to death of the violence that may ensue - not for me, but for them. I just don't want anything to happen to them.
Ahhhh...you're protesting so it must be a good cause.
Let's consider.
The fact that a bunch of kids are walking out on an overburdened school system means that the kids walking out suffer and those that remain benefit. Sounds good.
The fact that someone would complain that the USA would actually expect immigrants to enter legally is awful. The fact that Americans would support that is disgusting. I'm all for anyone entering the country that wants to. As long as they pay all the taxes and don't abuse our social services. Which is exactly what the majority of illegal aliens do.
Oh yeah. They are not "undocumented" they are illegal. Undocumented means you applied and have not yet recieved papers. Illigal means you walked across the line between checkpoints.
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