Undocumented Asian Students Speak Out

quaker · 06:47 PM

Quote:

Stephanie, 22, has had to take several quarters off of school to earn money for her education at UCLA. She has been a housekeeper, transcribed for writers and even made cardboard boxes.

"If I were to sit down and write a resume, it would be impressive in terms of how lengthy it would be," said Stephanie in an interview with the Pacific Citizen, proudly wearing her UCLA shirt. "Right now is probably the only time when I've had just one job."

Stephanie is an undocumented immigrant, making her ineligible for financial aid and unable to apply for most jobs. For her, the future is uncertain.

Brought to the United States from the Philippines before turning four years old, Stephanie is one of the many undocumented Asian Pacific Islander immigrants who discovered late in life that she has no options for legalizing her status.

Although about 40 percent of undocumented undergraduate students are Asian, according to an annual report by the University of California's Office of the President, the API community is not as open about the immigration issue as the Latino community.

"When you have the Asian students, there is a sense of secrecy and shame." said Stephanie, who asked the Pacific Citizen to only use her first name because of potential risk to her employment.

Stephanie and UCLA graduate Tam Tran have spoken out about their experiences as undocumented college students, seeking to raise awareness of the issue and gather support for legislation that will offer them a pathway to legalization.

A Life-Changing Surprise

Coming up on her 18th birthday, Stephanie pestered her mom to go with her to the DMV to finally get her California ID as an adult.

For the first 18 years of her life, Stephanie had no idea she was in the United States illegally, and she finally found out as she stood at the brink of adulthood.

"It's sort of like being told you were adopted or that you have a secret twin," she said. "You start to question, 'What don't I know about my family?'"

Growing up with her mother reading Us Weekly and her father watching Rush Limbaugh, she only knew about American culture and never learned to speak Tagolog. Stephanie said she has no memories of her life in the Philippines except commercials for Sarsi cola.

"If it weren't for the fact that there was photographic evidence, I would be willing to believe I was born in the U.S.," she said.

Stephanie is unable to apply for a driver's license so she uses public transportation. Because she spends so much time on trains and buses, she appreciates the few opportunities she has to ride in a car.
"When I'm a passenger in a friend's car, it's exciting for me," she said. "It has really made me get excited about weird little things."

Initially uncertain about whether she could attend a public university with her undocumented status, Stephanie eventually discovered Assembly Bill 540, which allows undocumented students to pay instate tuition to attend a public university.

However, Stephanie is ineligible for financial aid. Because she frequently takes time off to help pay for schooling, she estimates it will take seven or eight years to receive her undergraduate degree.

"I feel like I'm in a time warp," she said. "I feel like everyone is growing up so fast because the next thing everybody keeps graduating and everybody keeps moving on."

Remember to respond to the article as it allows for comments.

EDIT: Link won't work, go to google and type "Undocumented Asian Students Speak Out"

kenny1314 · 07-30-2008, 07:42 PM

TRY THIS LINK
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news...2e8bf&from=rss

quaker · 07-30-2008, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenny1314

TRY THIS LINK
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news...2e8bf&from=rss

Thanks Kenny!

free2be · 07-30-2008, 10:38 PM

"Until Congress passes the necessary legislation, Stephanie can only wait and see. " Some people pray to God. I pray to Congress," she said."

taoni10 · 07-30-2008, 10:48 PM

i laughed so hard when people commented they are paying for full tuition for their US citizen kids. I gave up so many scholarship opportunities offered by my undergrad department because i am undocumented. These kids must fail miserably for their parents to pay full tuition.

hrvatica13 · 07-30-2008, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taoni10

i laughed so hard when people commented they are paying for full tuition for their US citizen kids. I gave up so many scholarship opportunities offered by my undergrad department because i am undocumented. These kids must fail miserably for their parents to pay full tuition.

Yeah they still don't get that their kids get in-state tuition if they have lived in the state for a certain amount of time. How hard is that to comprehend? We DON'T get in-state tuition in states we don't live in and haven't graduated from high school in. Makes me so mad they even try to argue and say it's unfair to their citizen children.

juang · 07-31-2008, 12:40 AM

I used to make cardboard boxes and clean a rich guy's house with my mom too, and you dont see me complaining about it

j/k althoug I did had those jobs in the past. Thank god, those days are over.

07-31-2008, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by free2be

"Until Congress passes the necessary legislation, Stephanie can only wait and see. " Some people pray to God. I pray to Congress," she said."

Yeah, well, God's never disappointed me the way Congress does. She's praying to the wrong person (people?).

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Undocumented Asian Students Speak Out