im having a huge debate in me. help!
 

so as some of you know, im still in hs. and in my ap english class were studying argumentative writing. my class is analyzing mlk's argumentative speeches and one day after class i stayed behind to keep reading one of his not-so-famous-speeches. (he has a lot of things that can support the dream act!) well, my teacher asked if i needed help and she started talking about an old debate she had in her class based on immigration. so i told her i was undocumented. (shes one of the 2 teachers that know. she NEEDED to know.) i asked her to help me strengthen my arguments ,especially on this immigration area, and i told her about all dap is doing to “fight” for the dream. she was completely, and unbelievably touched and amazed.. it was weird. Point is, she gave me this 100 page package to read on pros and cons of an immigration reform. Including the dream act. And soon were going to start argumentation on immigration. But, I don’t know. Im really scared. My teacher asked if It was ok with me and I said yes but im not so sure anymore. Im scared to accidentally put myself out there, to get too emotional, to break down in front of my class. I don’t know if I want to go through with it anymore. Yeah, I realize that it will make me stronger, especially in the legal area, but not everyone in my class has a noble heart, and I don’t want to get up in the middle of the class and start arguing with them. .. I don’t even know how I feel anymore. I’m scared to go through all the horrible things people can say. .. again. Ah! Help!.. any advice?

Re: im having a huge debate in me. help!
 

I would suggest that you don't reveal your status in class, and if asked about it, to lie. You can tell your plan to your teacher beforehand. I agree, there are some real bad people in high school who will try to hurt you, in addition to the bastions of support like good friends and teachers like yours.

When prepping for the argument, take the role of someone in the third person (namely, a USC who supports DREAM and CIR in general) so as to avoid any emotional issues. Try to mix logic--what supports your argument--with emotion--what gets people to "turn on" to it and be more receptive to its logic. In fact, MLK was a master at this. If you haven't read his letter from Birmingham jail yet, do so.

Good luck and don't sweat it! :-)

Re: im having a huge debate in me. help!
 

You are lucky, my high school didn't have classes like that. Just remember that your teacher supports you and if people start personal attacks or get too nasty she will handle it. There is always a moderator.

I sometimes write little notes in unexpected places to remind myself of things I have to do. You can just write on top of your notecards: LOGIC, LOGIC, LOGIC so that way you can get back to logic-based arguments in case your emotions start to get out of hand. Or you can write motivational notes to yourself that you think will help you get through it.

Also, if you prepare well you will breeze through it.
Being well prepared = confidence. If you are confident you will be less likely to be affected by what others say. Having a few logical comebacks really gives you a sense of power.


Don't worry, you will kick ass!

Re: im having a huge debate in me. help!
 

We have had immigration debates in class before and it actually worries me how little people know about immigration law, it doesn't make me want to break down and cry in any way, I just wish I could help them understand better because they seriously don't have a clue.
I think you'd be fine, if I've gotten through it, I'm sure you will too.

By the way, I am not sure which of MLK's writings you might be talking about, but one of my favorites is "Letters from Birmingham Jail", it has very strong arguments that might help you prove your point.

I wrote a paper a while back (and I do apologize for the horrible grammar and stuff) but you can go ahead and read it if you want, it might help you. Click on these links.

http://dreamact.info/forum/showthrea...irmingham+Jail

http://dreamact.info/forum/showthrea...irmingham+Jail

Re: im having a huge debate in me. help!
 

I wrote an eight page essay on the Pros of legalizing undocumented immigrants, and mentioned dream in it too. It was a well written paper, my teacher complimented me and since its a very complex issue that not many "young" americans are concerned about and many blindly oppose it, she wondered how was i so familiar with it...so i told her i had relatives who were in that situation (The good tax paying kind :P) and in the paper i kept saying "WE" as in "We, americans."

So yeah, when talking about it, portray yourself as an american who supports a CIR or the Dream Act. Tell your teacher before hand just in case.
Dont be scared! This is a good chance to show your class that all those "myths" about us illegals are not true (aka stealing jobs, stealing spots in college, etc).

Re: im having a huge debate in me. help!
 

Just make sure you do not reveal your status to the whole class, some kids are very mean and can get you in deep trouble.

Re: im having a huge debate in me. help!
 

I agree with everyone else. Take the stance of a supporter but don't say your true status. Some people are very closed minded (I have encountered them) so they probably won't take the news so lightly. So just tread carefully and if you feel that someone is starting to attack you, glance over at the teacher or with all of the information you have you can just stop them dead in their tracks. Good luck!