Thread: Struggling with noncitizen status

Struggling with noncitizen status
Hardships of being an undocumented immigrant force student to work long hours to finish school
[b] * Jessica Chou, Daily Bruin staff
* Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008
They finally broke the news to her after 18 years.
Stephanie Solis’ parents had hoped to hold back for as long as any secret could stay hidden, but it was only a matter of time before they had to tell the fourth-year English student the truth.
Solis was not in the United States legally.
For Solis, who only spoke English and had little recollection of her native Philippines, the notion that she wasn’t legally an American shocked her.
“I don’t feel very Filipino,â€

[b]The irony about that is that there is a sense of wanting to continue to prolong being in college simply because once I’m out and I have my degree, there’s nothing that I can really do with it.â€

Moving from General Discussion to News since this is from a news source.

This is the result of her parents selfish desire to be in a country illegally. They are the ones responsible for their childs feelings of not belonging and her misery in having to live in a country illegally which is not directly her fault. However, she is still illegal and she needs to be the bigger person and go home to her own country and use the education that she gained illegally maybe to educate those that are willing to put their children through the same thing for their own selfish gain.

Sorry but these stories of the illegal alien college students just really burn me up. The University of the Phillipines in Manila, is a heavily state subsidized world-class university with branches all over the Phillipines...and guess what? For someone like Stephanie Solis, they'd even waive their entrance test requiremetn as long as she brought proof of her high school graduation/diploma from the U.S. ....and the tuition is 300 Phillipine Pesos per undergrad. credit hour ...roughly $7.40 per credit hour. A full-time load would be about 15 hours a semester. Do the math. Less than what Stephanie probably pays for a couple of books or her downloading I-Tunes for her I-Pod this semester. The UPM also has tuition assistance, financial aid and cheap housing available even with fellow Filipino families who rent out rooms to students. The real kicker.....all classes are in English...why? Because ENGLISH is the official language of the Phillipines! So why isn't she pursuing this option? and instead wants our entire legislature to change its laws to suit her selfish needs.

That's great info Legalatina, should we pound the newspapers with it?

As I read Stephanie's story, I was struck by some differences between her and hispanic illegal students.

Stephanie places the blame on her parents for her illegal status, which is true. They, and only they, are responsible.

Stephanie also didn't go whining to her Laraza or demanding in-state tuiton and scholarships. She paid her OWN way.

Nevertheless, she is an illegal alien in the US and needs to adjust her status by returning to her birth country and applying to enter legally. Her parents should also do the same.

Not only that legalatina, with a degree from UCLA, she WILL get into a grad school program in that country.

Bottom line, is she has tremendous opportunity back in her birthland. This is just another sob story on behalf of the pro-illegal invader lobby at UCLA designed to tug on our heart strings.

Sorry UCLA, didn't work.

The UPM has graduate programs in medicine, dentristy, business etc. in fact, many of their medical school grads then immigrate here legally to the U.S.

This kid has so many options available and she doesn't know it or refuses to take advantage of it. Shameful.