"About 20 percent of all international migrants reside in the United States, even as the country accounts for less than 5 percent of the world's population," states a recent report by the Migration Policy Institute.
EDUCATION GAP: High School Graduation Rates Lag; Immigrants Said Growth Key
August 10, 2014
By: Dave Rogers
Whoever said immigrants were a problem?
Some educational authorities say they may provide part of the answer to our problems.
The high school graduation rate is a barometer of the health of American society and the skill level of its future workforce, say social scientists.
However, research shows -- a students' circumstances do not dictate success -- educational experiences do.
State School Superintendent Mike Flanagan stated in 2009:
"Today, one out of every four Michigan students fail to graduate from public high school with his or her freshman class. Students who drop out of school lack the tools to compete in today's global economy and diminish their chances for greater success in the future."
The U.S. immigrant population -- estimated at 40.4 million in 2011 -- is the nation's historical numeric high, and it is also the largest in the world.
"About 20 percent of all international migrants reside in the United States, even as the country accounts for less than 5 percent of the world's population," states a recent report by the Migration Policy Institute.
"Understanding issues of immigration is critical to understanding the future of education in the United States," states a recent Harvard University policy paper.
"Yet, recent legislation and political events surrounding U.S. immigration often portray immigrants and their children as a national economic crisis and a burgeoning threat to national security."
The Harvard report continues: "Xenophobic rhetoric can unjustly characterize all immigrants as lawbreakers and criminals. Since the militarization of the border in 1993, death rates among border-crossers have tripled.
"The intense level of apprehension, manipulated by political agendas, has increased spending on surveillance technology, including border policing and immigration enforcement that are aided by watchtowers, seismic sensors, infrared cameras, and aerial drones.
"More than five million children now reside in households of mixed legal status, where one or both parents are unauthorized to live and work in the United States. Although nearly three-fourths of children who live with undocumented parents are citizens by birth, environmental risks and institutional barriers associated with their status as dependents of unauthorized residents continue to compromise their quality of life and well-being, particularly during the crucial formative years."
The Los Angeles Times comments:
*Fair, smart, transparent, and rights-based immigration and refugee policies can promote social cohesion, economic vitality, and national security.
*Given the opportunity, immigrants become net contributors and create new social and economic assets.
"By not providing pathways to legalization, the United States not only risks creating an underclass, but also fails to develop a potentially valuable human resource," the report said.
The Ford Foundation, in its Education Challenge program, states:
"A greater influx of immigrants has come to the United States in the past 25 years than at any time in history.
"We support organizations at national, state and local levels that are engaged in immigrant rights advocacy, including efforts to secure comprehensive immigration reform that addresses the realities of migration in both sending and receiving countries.
"We also support institutions that are crucial to building an effective and lasting movement to protect immigrants' rights."