William Perez

2.5**

Perez is a professor of education and an applied developmental psychologist. Here he turns his attention to teens and young adults whose path to being productive citizens is hampered (or completely derailed) by their immigrant status. The stories of 16 students, all of whom were brought to the United States as children by their parents, as well as four additional young adults who have achieved legal status, are used by Perez to illustrate what he terms the USA’s “broken immigration policy.”

Boiled down to its essence is the “between a rock and a hard place” situation these young immigrants find themselves in. They didn’t ask to be brought to the United States. They faced considerable challenges in getting a basic education .., usually as a result of language barriers, but sometimes as a result of outright discrimination by teachers. But they have grown up in America. They don’t know their native land; some don’t even speak Spanish. All the students profiled have excelled at school, believing that education was the way to succeed. But despite their success – academic and otherwise (National Honor Society, valedictorians, soccer stars, talented musicians, leaders in community organizations) – they find their path blocked by their undocumented status. They get accepted at prestigious universities, but cannot attend because they cannot apply for financial aid … or can’t get on a plane to go to a distant college without an ID. And once they have graduated, they can’t get employment.

These are young people who have succeeded in the American system through hard work and determination, who have both native talent and acquired skill, who are eager to contribute to the society and country they call home. The DREAM Act would give such immigrants legal status if they achieved certain academic and/or civic milestones.

I give the book only 2.5 stars because it’s written as an academic paper. It’s dry and repetitive and the stories don’t really come to life. I was expecting something more along the lines of The Freedom Writers’ Diary, but this didn’t have that kind of emotional impact. Still, I feel a certain passion for this subject because I think of my father … who was brought to the US by his parents when he was an infant. Who did all his schooling in the US (in English). Who was working as a butcher at the slaughterhouse when WW 2 broke out and he was drafted into the military to defend the nation that hadn’t claimed him as a citizen. He DID get his citizenship before going to the Pacific (where he made seven landings with MacArthur’s troops, including being among the first to go into Hiroshima after we dropped the bomb to help clean up). Why not allow such young people the opportunity to gain citizenship and serve their country … the only country they have known?… (mehr)