The College Path: On (Not) Making it to College

Now back to my college talk--which I had postponed for a bit.

This time I would like to talk about why some students made it to college and why others did not.

I would like to point out my privileges first, which really speaks to some of the advantages I had over other students. My family was here when I was in high school, so I always had a place to go after school, I had food to eat every night, I had someone, usually, to call me off when I was not doing what I was supposed to [if you know what I mean...]. It also meant that I did not someone to support where my families comes from. I did not have to be committed to bringing an income home, but I am sure my family would have appreciated it if I had been working all the time. Often times I had someone come to my school deals, such as those infamous parent-teacher nights. Mine always went well because I was so smart (NOT!).

Also, I am a male and that really cuts to the chase. Because of my gender I was able to stay after school without being harassed as a female would. Also, I was able to volunteer at places and not worrying about what time to come home--taking the bus was not worry for me because I did not worry about being attacked or anything like that. I walked the streets at night that was fine, again, because as a male I was less likely to be assaulted.

Another thing is that my way of living was more acceptable in our society here. The way I dressed is more acceptable here, so I got more credibility on that. I also spoke with manners, most of the time, and that gave me an advantage over others as well. All of this is a big deal because how one is perceived either opens or closes doors and certainly many were open to me just because the way I looked.

I was part of school programs that gave me some guidance to getting to college. This is something many students don't have access, especially if they live in rural areas of the state. For some time I had been asking for after-school something, so there is also the problem some students face: is the environment safe enough for them to ask for some guidance? If a student does not feel safe, she is not going to ask more likely.

Now, there are systematic problems as well. The education system, tied with the workforce one, is not designed for everyone to make it. Low-skilled (not professional-educational attainment based) workers are needed for the economy to subsist, which is why immigration is crucial for the U.S. to make it day by day. Also, if every student were to make it college (St. Paul has one of the highest rates of student graduation in the country, but it is about 30% only!), we would need to stop constructing prisons and construct more schools, which will not bring any profit, right? We will also need to create more jobs that pay livable jobs with benefits all the other jazz that comes with that and again, that would not compliment the economic system we have today.

Moreover, there are not many we know who had really made a breakthrough. The only people I knew who had been successful were my teachers and most of them were white, and the ones who looked like me either got "replaced," "transferred," or worked part-time only. There were many negative messages coming to us through school and of course where we live because our families are working jobs that don't pay much, don't require an degree but hard or tedious physical labor. Really, we have a great lack of role models.

Moreover, the environment in which we live certainly affect us. We don't have heroes pointing to college, so we might not think about doing something after school. Immigration is a daily topic in our lives, so many things, if not everything, ends up being about immigration. And there are laws related to immigration that prevent some students from having access to some schools.* Being undocumented can mean many things and in the mind of many, not being able to go to college has been embedded in their minds, both by anti-immigrants and pro-immigrants.**

Then we have friends dropping out of school right and left, which really pushes some to drop out as well. I remember seeing many of my friends just leaving school for work. They then had money and all that and the rest of us of course want to have what they had, materially at that point in life. And then you have no way for schools to try to assist students, not that I know that is.

On top of all of that, we have the distractions that are just not avoidable. These are falling in love with someone, a good deal at a job, gangs that provide some support when one does not have it at home, those damn drugs. Sexual orientation creeps in this too since families might throw someone away for identifying as gay and for others for not working even if school will be more beneficial in the long run, ETC! It can really get to be a tough one.

And then you have our families that do not know much about the college process. This really gets hard because if one wants to go to college, convincing the family is hard. If a student does not want to go to college, then that does not become such a big deal anyways because we all think college is not possible.... Family is a big thing, so I will talk about it in another blog post.

Over all, I had the family support many of my classmates did not. Many had to work in order to sustain themselves and often times support someone back where they came from, so priorities became a bit different: work to support family over school, which does not give immediate results and it would be naturally for some to just work because that is the only way a family will survive.

Now that I can be a role model, I get out there whenever I can to show students like myself that it is possible, damn hard, but possible. And really hope more students, undocumented and not, join me in the Movement of Inspiration, something both the anti- and pro-immigrant foes do not care much about.

I also have to say that personal responsibility is important, but sometimes, I know, the systematic failures are more powerful than a human being. And yet those who succeed do it themselves, with the assistance form others. No one does it alone, so seeking assistance is crucial and having the resources is just as important.

Now going to go keep on contributing in changing the world, after I do my homework....

The Honorable P

*Which is something some advocates fail to point out, but that's another topic I will cover another time, maybe when I am less frustrated about it.
** Related to above thought

Hate & Violence Gets US Nowhere

School has kept me busy and wished time allowed for more writing because I have been going through many things. But, the most recent is here.

Today I was able to attend a really for immigration reform in Minneapolis. It was quite a different kind of rally: it was combined with door-knocking, just as campaigns are done and how one gives a face to the movement.

There was also singing (some of us are not very gifted in that, I noticed), chanting, and walking in unity.

While I do not want to focus in the negative, I did notice tension. This tension came when a group, somewhat militant, started chanting more negative and divicive things. I mean, the things they said were true, but the way it was done divides people and does not create dialogue--it pushes people away. Plus, there were some young teens who spoke, sometimes with tears in their eyes, about what is happening in their lives.

They were speaking from the heart, now the broken immigration system has destroyed their lives--for some, parents have been taken away when the best interests of children, many times U.S. citizens, were blatantly disregarded.

These group was asked to just keep it to songs that were about love and peace and union and community and caring for the neighbor. When they started chanting their own chants, I noticed the atmosphere changed. It was more reactionary and to some degree, more militant. It was attacks on others as if the stories of the young teens has not been enough to point out the we in fact do need and must pass comprehensive immigration reform. I overheard a comment by someone from this group saying they have to tell it how it is. Didn't the teens say it how it is? How it is actually affecting their lives? Another person did point out that since it was not their event, they should respect what the other organization asked from participants. The person protested, again, because civil discourse will prevail if there is the will.

I biked to this place, which was somewhat far, but it is a beautiful day here. It was also a chance to reconnect to helping the movement that will eventually bring some sort of peace to millions of people, including me and many I know.

For some time now I have been wanting people to see a show I have seen and nicely recommended it to someone today. The response I got was: "looks like an interesting play about a white woman stuck in the broken immigration system." It made me sad. It pointed out a few things. One, some people cannot get passed that some white people are aware of their whiteness and what the means for them and the rest of the people. Maybe this person, obviously not white, did not read that the performer actually extensively talks about white privilege.

So, really, when people are caught up in their own worlds of, attacking politicians dramatically is going to get them anywhere or labeling every white person as racist without really seeing for themselves, they inherently push people away and will never be able to create real unity. In some way, the person who labels every person as racist, they are doing the same way racist people do (actions): put people into boxes and hate them for what they stand for. Again, this is divisive even within communities of color; at least it made me uneasy and not wanting to do much with their "causes."

Recap: I do not prescribe to militant movements or the demonizing of others based on their prescribed race.

Sad thing is: the performers is biracial--not just white, but biracial, which today is a presidential matter.

The Honorable P

The Great Gathering of Privileged

(I am going to take a little break from talking about college access.)

Yesterday I went to the MN State Fair. Have been going for a few years now. Though, it never occurred to me that I have been at the fair because of the privilege I enjoy here.

I know I am undocumented, but getting into college and the process of getting there has opened many doors for me. The fact that I have met many people throughout my time here in MN is really due to my efforts to get to college. These people provide networking. Networking provides access to things not everyone has access to.

The Fair, I believe, is a place of privilege. I remember a few years ago when I wanted to take my family there because I had been to it and wanted them to be there too. They did not want to because, one, it was too expensive. Two, what if immigration was there? Three, we don't go there.

Well, I went and it was all fine. Yeah it is pricey, but it is worth it. Plus, we know immigration is a racist institution today, so they are not going to go to a place where mostly white Americans gather every year. It's a tradition in our state; immigration will not make such an stupid move. Imagine whites getting at immigration for asking for their immigration... it just won't happen.

Overall, people who attend the fair are people who have the money and do not fear for their safety based on their status. I am sure many people don't see it this way, but the fair is really another place where privilege comes together every year ending on Labor Day.

I do have to say that I enjoy the fair because it always allows me to be part of something many would not want me to. Even though this time I did not have to pay for an entrance ticket, again thanks to my connections and therefore privilege, and was not able to be one in the crowd to help break the record of attendants to the fair, I was still there. But even more exciting, I was able to hear Republicans talk about their gubernatorial campaigns--I am sure they would not have wanted me to be there at all....but I was! Check out my picture.

I did not know who any of them are (many republicans do not get along very well with people of color in MN by the way), but the guy behind the speaker in the picture, Marty Seifrt, who spoke against the Dream Act fiercely and made me really sad he was willing to forgo potential professionals for politics. I do hope he does not become governor of MN.

The Honorable P