Are Children Of Undocumented Immigrants Entitled To A Public Education?

The US government has an ethical obligation of providing the children of the illegal immigrants with public education. The children of immigrants should be treated equally to those born in the US. Indeed, the constitution guarantees equal educational opportunities to all children (Geraghty 2). Children of the illegal immigrants are part of the vast fabric of the society only that they find themselves trapped in a cynical shadow of immigration. Therefore, they should be treated equally and educated since they are the future of the country.

One primary reason for educating children of the illegal immigrants is the fact that most of them want to be part of the American Society that participates in the development of the economy. As a result, they are determined and committed in their academics to become famous entrepreneurs, investors, and inventors. Their hard work is driven by the determination to live in better environments than their parents (Geraghty 4). Also, the understanding that their home country is no better makes these children work extra hard to ensure that they secure part of the American pie. Those children who are fortunate to get a university degree are often grateful to the land and usually do great things that benefit the entire society regardless of the status of the residents. Some also establish fruitful trade links between their motherland and the America, which is also an added advantage to the economy.

In the 21^st century, the children of the immigrants have formed one of the fastest growing segment of the US population (Geraghty 3). About 20% of the children below the age of seventeen live with an immigrant parent (Tienda and Ron 3). The trend in the growth of the children of the illegal immigrants portrays that if the problem is not solved at this stage, a significant portion of the future generations in the US will be uneducated, dependent and passive participants to the growth and development of the country’s economy. To avoid such future problems, educating them will play a crucial role in achieving economic mobility as well as decent social integration.

By educating the children of the illegal immigrants, the US is solving a problem that would devastate the future generation significantly. Studies indicate that more than 10.8 million children aged 5-17 are either native born or foreign-born children of the immigrants (Pong and Nancy 1543). The future economic, political and cultural repercussion of this demographic may be immense if the problem is not addressed early enough. Furthermore, if the children of the illegal immigrants are well-educated, they will be part of the future industrial and technical labor force reducing the chances where the US would be forced to outsource the work to foreigners.

Children of the illegal immigrants form part of the fastest growing segment of the US population. Educating them will provide the US labor market with a hardworking, and determined workforce who not only work to show their gratitude to the land but also want to contribute to the development of the country’s economy actively. It would also introduce talented entrepreneurs, investors, and inventors to the US. Also, educating them will help in solving economic, political and cultural impacts that would face the US in the future where more than 20% of its population would be unemployed and with no access to better social amenities.

 

Works Cited

Geraghty, Diane. "Undocumented children and families in America: An interdisciplinary exploration of challenges and emerging opportunities." Child. Legal Rts. J. 33 (2013): 1.

Pong, Suet-ling, and Nancy S. Landale. "Academic Achievement of Legal Immigrants’ Children: The Roles of Parents’ Pre- and Post-Migration Characteristics in Origin-Group Differences.” Child Development 83.5 (2012): 1543–1559.

Tienda, Marta, and Ron Haskins. "Immigrant children: Introducing the issue." The Future of Children 21.1 (2011): 3-18.