At last week’s Becker-Rose café, Rose House GRF Esmeralda gave a talk concerning individuals who lacked a sense of identity as they grew up. These individuals are typically young children who had been brought over illegally over to the United States by their parents and thus lose a lot of the benefits that American citizenship provides. One point that Esmeralda emphasized was the lack of financial support for education. The reason for immigration was usually for a better life, but there is no social mobility for undocumented individuals since education may already be limited. Compared to registered individuals, the undocumented have to pay full tuition for wherever they go, and with the ever-increasing prices of college tuition, it’s clear that many of them would not get the education they desire to prosper for a better life.

I was glad that Esmeralda talked about this issue because I never have gotten exposure to people who are undocumented for their whole life. A lot of the other Rose Scholars posts have referred to Spanish television as a way of letting people know about the troubling circumstances these young people face. But since my parents primarily watch Chinese television, I think it’s eye-opening to see other ongoing issues that I didn’t even know existed. And throughout all my years as a student, I don’t think I’ve been taught about this types of issues or what others can do to assist them. I think this just shows how certain systems neglect social groups, but I hope that in the future, we do see improvements politically to assist their community.