JADE LIVES TURNED UPSIDE DOWN: IMMIGRATION IN AMERICA
The Fourcast Magazine
The Hockaday School Volume 2, Issue 1 December 2018
ABOUT JADE
In 2017, The Fourcast added a new magazine to its traditional coverage. Named for the stone set in the ring of all graduating seniors, which was designed by Tiffany in 1917, JADE offers an in-depth look at the most pressing issues to the Hockaday community. Former Hockaday Dean of Upper School Ed Long, once remarked that Ela Hockaday chose the jade stone because she considered it to be a symbol of wisdom. In honor of the stone's legacy, JADE hopes to help inform the community and foster knowledgeable conversations about challenging topics.
JADE | The Fourcast Magazine The Hockaday School 11600 Welch Road Dallas, Texas 75229 214.363.6311 Volume 2, Issue 1 December 2018
JADE is a magazine supplement to The Fourcast, The Hockaday School's student newspaper. Magazine Editor: Eliana Goodman Assistant Magazine Editor: Julia Donovan Staff Writers: Ava Berger, Kelsey Chen, Michelle Chen, Sahasra Chigurupati, Kate Clark,Charlotte Dross,Shea Duffy, Ashlye Dullye, Paige Halverson, Ponette Kim, Niamh McKinney, Erin Parolisi, Eugen Seong, Kate Woodhouse, Emily Wu Contributing Writers: Sarah Crow and Steve Kramer Staff Photographer: Ashna Tambe, Ekansh Tambe Faculty Adviser: Nureen Patel Editorial Policy: The Fourcast Magazine is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast Magazine has a press run of 600 and is printed by Greater Dallas Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast Magazine should contact Ashlye Dullye, Business Manager, at adullye@ hockaday.org. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate to the Hockaday community. Opinions are clearly marked and are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any member of the Hockaday community. Any questions or concerns about should be addressed to Aurelia Han, Editor-in-Chief, at ahan@hockaday. org.
FIND INSIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS
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4 TRUMP ADMIN
Immigration in the USA Zero Tolerance Policy
8 GO GLOBAL
Global Comparisons
10 DEEP IN THE HEART OF TX
Texas State Policies.
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14 12 SB4
New Texas Law: Senate Bill Four
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HOCKADAY'S REACH
Hockday's Refugee Tutoring Program
16 KRAMER TALKS
Nativism: An American Tradition
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18 BIG STORIES
Our own Immigrants
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DEBOARDED
Boarding Student's Opinion
23 OPINION
A Perspective of Tighter Control
Art by Karen Lin, Photography provided by commonswikimedia.org
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Since 2016: Immigration in Trump's America During his statement after announcing his Presidential candidacy at the Trump Tower Atrium in June, 2015, Donald Trump vehemently said, “ When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best… They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” Since then, the backbone of his campaign enforced stricter immigration laws, focusing on building a wall around the Mexican border and a no-tolerance policy for ‘third world’ countries, especially from Muslim-dominant areas and Mexico. by Ava Berger, Staff Writer; Eliana Goodman, Magazine Editor and Eugene Seong, People Editor ambiguity of the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction After his inauguration on thereof” brought many debates between citizens and January 20, 2017, Trump promised political pundits alike. The main question remains: are not to shake his ground regarding “anchor babies” subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S.? immigration policies, as reflected Upper School Government Teacher Kristen by an Executive Order he passed Blevins believes that in order for his executive order just a week later on January 27. The to be enforced, it must have a narrow definition, setExecutive Order 13769, referred to as the “Travel tling the ambiguity of the 14th amendment. Ban” or the “Muslim Ban,” banned entry of Middle She also believes that the executive order needs Eastern countries —Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, to outline specific policies for current anchor babies Iran and Yemen— to the United States for three and second generation Americans. months. Trump hoped to “protect the Nation from “You can’t revoke someone’s status as a citizen Foreign Terrorist Entry” by passing this order with and their rights and privileges,” Blevins said, ”I think the same title. that it would be challenging and it would have to be Receiving both public praise and backlash for narrowly defined.” passing this ban, the ninety days passed and pubBecause second generation citizens comprise lic attention reverted to other issues. On June 26, 11.9 percent of America, according to the PEW re2018, this travel ban was deemed constitutional by search center, the exact diction of Trump’s supposed the Supreme Court in a 5-4 ruling and will conexecutive order would affect the lives of 38,000,000 tinue to uphold. The minority opinion ,as voiced Americans. by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, claimed Trump to be Due to the narrow definition and possible unmotivated by “anti-muslim animus.” constitutionality that this executive order would entail, Along with limiting entry to the United States both Blevins and Professor of Law and Larry and by residents of Muslim countries, Trump continued Jane Harlan Senior Research Fellow at the Southern planning to build a wall along the U.S-Mexican Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Profesborder. Initially in February 2017, the Department sor Lackland H. Bloom Jr. believe that the EO will of Homeland Security reported that the cost would most likely fail. be approximately $21.6 billion, although that was Bloom also claimed that the executive order, if said to be a major understatement, according to it actually passed, would be challenged by Congress the Brookings Institution. and would have to go through the tedious amendTrump has begun construction on the wall in ment ratification process. California and boasted that “we’ve started the wall. “The consensus is that he can’t do it…I think that We’ve spent $3.2 billion on the wall… [A lot of there is a very strong case that the president doesn’t people don’t understand that] we’ve done a lot of have the right to alter [the 14th amendment] by execuwork on the wall.” tive order.” Bloom said. Currently, the Mexico border—and therefore If somehow the executive order passed, however, the influx of illegal Mexican immigrants—is tighter it would be “enjoined by the federal district court almost than ever. According to Migrationpolicy.org and immediately,” eventually losing its power. angelusnews.com, refugee admissions are at a But, even though the EO will most likely fail, acrecord low since 1980 and there have been an incording to scholars like Blevins and Bloom, many Amercrease in arrest of unauthorized immigrants since icans pose the question: what will happen if it passes? Trump’s presidency began. Bloom believes that, if the order would be strongly As of June 20, 2017, Trump issued an another enforced, it would “end the abuse of the birthright citizenExecutive Order detaining illegal immigrant famiship” in the form of people coming to the United States lies. After public outrage to due children being nesolely to give birth to a US citizen. glected, Trump eventually decided to detain them Amidst all of the debates regarding both the contogether in immigration detention centers. But stitutionality and morality of Trump’s plan, the midterm because by law, children cannot be held in these elections occurred on November 6, 2018. Despite the centers for more than twenty days, there have been growing and divisive conversations about the Executive recurring discussions about child separation. The Order among citizens, however, the order has not been order also directs the Department of Justice to priwidely covered by the news since its announcement. oritize cases involving detained families. Furthermore, President Trump has not made any Moreover, on Oct. 30, 2018, just a week before additional explanation on how and why he presses for midterm elections, President Trump announced his eliminating birthright citizenship since his announceplans to release an Executive Order eliminating ment on October 30. While many conspire that it probabirthright citizenship. If passed, this executive order bly relates to keeping future generation of “rapist,” “crimwould directly repeal the 14th amendment, which inal” Mexicans out of the United States. The future of states that “all persons born or naturalized his actions regarding birthright citizenship and the 14th in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction amendment are still unknown. thereof” are citizens of the United States. However, the
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THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT CRIME AND WANT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION NO MATTER HOW BAD THEY MAY BE, TO POUR INTO AND INFEST OUR COUNTRY." - DONALD TRUMP
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Child Separation Stuns the Nation Kate Woodhouse, News Editor
o
1 Hollifield said.
On the Nov. 10 Saturday Night Live Cold Open, actress
Trump’s strategy has worked. According to a Time article published on July 5, the
Kate McKinnon, portraying Jeff Sessions as he packed
up his office in the sketch, mused aloud as to the possible reasons why President
United States apprehended 18 percent less undocumented immigrants in June as
Trump fired him.
opposed to April and May. Despite its success in reducing undocumented immigration, it has faced many
"I put kids in cages,” McKinnon shrugged, trying to show how Sessions’ actions
objections from politicians and humanitarian organizations. Oregon Senator
pleased the Trump administration.
Jeff Merkley and Texas politician Beto O’Rourke both criticized the policy for its
While SNL uses a satirical tone throughout the sketch, this quote addresses the
inhumane actions towards children.
real problem of child separation due to Trump’s Zero Tolerance immigration policy.
The Child Welfare League of America has ardently opposed Trump separating
The policy, which is not a law, calls for the prosecution of anyone who enters the United States without documentation. According to Politifact, an impartial online
children from their parents and even compiled a list of organizations and politicians
news website, the strict prosecution of illegal immigrants is not new and many other
that oppose it as well, including the American Psychological Association and The Cen-
presidents have had tough immigration policies. However, Trump’s administration
ter for Law and Policy. Hockaday students have spoken out against this issue. Senior
added another step with no precedent.
Isabella Yepes also disagrees with Trump’s treatment of undocumented immigrants. “[Trump’s Zero Tolerance policy is] punishing people that are coming to the
When families reach the border and seek asylum, they used to be detained together, put on parole or immediately turned away. Now, the government separates children from their families as they await prosecution. The same Politifact article states that the United States separated 658 children from their parents from May 6
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border and seeking a better life,” Yepes said. “It created inhumane circumstances where children were separated from their parents and forced to defend themselves in immigration court.” A Huffington Post article written on June 22 reports that the United States
through 19 because of Trump’s policy.
separated children as young as three months from their parents and that the younger
Border patrol agents pass over the migrant children to the United States Health and Human Services Department, where the officials place the children in a foster
a child is, the more likely it is to be affected by the trauma of being away from one’s
home, with a relative or in a shelter. According to a Time magazine article on June
parents. The article also states that these children face a harder life in the foster care
20, the Department of Refugees, a subcomponent of the United States Health and
system than most because they do not know when or if they will be reunited with their
Human Services Department, manages the shelters that the separated children live in,
parents. The facilities that the children live in until they are moved to more permanent
including a building that used to be a Walmart.
housing, like foster parents, family and friends, are often understaffed. Even if there are enough staff members, however, the staffers are not allowed to make physical
The Trump administration put forth this policy in order to deter parents with
contact with the children, furthering to stifle their emotional development.
small children from immigrating illegally to the United States, according to Politifact.
Yepes opposed the policy so zealously that she attended the Families Belong
Dr. James Hollifield, Southern Methodist University Professor and Director of the
Together protest on June 30, 2018 when she worked for the Colin Allred campaign.
Tower Center for Political Studies, summarized the policy.
The protest took place in Dallas and across the United States to challenge Trump’s
“It’s basically people coming with small children and the Trump administration
Zero Tolerance Policy.
taking away these small children as a sort of punishment or deterrent against the parents, as we can see, in some cases, actually deporting the parents and having
Members of the TeenAge Communication Theatre also attended the march. A
the children locked up in a camp somewhere or a detention center somewhere,”
large crowd gathered to hear speakers, including former Broadway actress Cheryl
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BEHIND THE PHOTOS:
Allison, state Representative Victoria Neave and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins before the march. Trump blames the Democrats for the child separation policy since they cannot compromise and pass an immigration reform bill, according to The Washington Post. “I hate the children being taken away. The Democrats have to change their law,”
1: THE OLD FENCE AND THE NEW PROTOTYPE, AS PHOTOGRAPHED IN TIJUANA, MEXICO.
Trump said to MSNBC. “The Democrats forced that law upon our nation.” However, Hollifield disagrees. The last comprehensive immigration reform bill was put forth by the Bush administration in 2006, but the Republicans, not the Democrats, kept the bill from passing. “Any time there has been a push to discuss comprehensive immigration reform, it has been the nativist, anti-immigrant wing of the Republican party that has stopped this,” Hollifield said. As Trump’s child separation policy proceeded through the judicial system, he was forced to backtrack some of its components. Some of the changes included the
2: THE JAGGED BORDER FENCE LIES ON AN AREA OF HILLY TERRAIN IN NOGALES, ARIZONA.
certainty of child separation in all cases. In some circumstances, it is illegal to separate
Hockaday seventh grader Ashna Tambe and her brother, Ekansh, travel around the world to experience and photograph border patrols from multiple perspectives. To find more information about the Tambe's and their project, scan the QR quode below.
children from their parents, according to Hollifield. The United States, while it has tried to reunite these immigrant children separated from their families, struggles to find their already-deported parents. The morality of familial separation has been challenged by lawyers and common civilians alike. Yepes believes that something needs to change in regards to family separation and Trump’s Zero Tolerance policy. At the same time, however, she does not think that there is one simple solution to the issue. Through changing the nature of the perception and conversations regarding
TO FIND MORE OF THESE PHOTOS,
3:
A STRETCH OF GREEN GRASS ON A FARM
LIES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER
immigrants, electing politicians that have favorable views towards immigration and
FENCE ON THE WAY FROM SAN LUIS TO LOS
passing legislation that reverses Trump’s immigration policies, Yepes believes that
ALGODONES.
positive changes can eventually be made. In contrast, Hollifield is not as hopeful. Due to the current tensions between the Democrats and Republicans, he does not see America compromising any time soon. “We are in sort of a political standoff, and there is no way to reach a compromise or get a coalition in Congress,” Hollifield said.
SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW:
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Immigration, Influx and Laws: A Global Perspective Various countries’ laws have treated immigration differently as a result of diverse histories with and cultural perceptions. In this section, The Fourcast compares immigration policies in the United Kingdom, Greece, Canada, and Australia in order to gain a deeper understanding of global policies and their impacts.
Ponette Kim, Copy Editor, and Julia Donovan, Staff Writer
UNITED KINGDOM
According to an article in BBC News, non-European Union members wishing to enter the United Kingdom must apply for one of five visas, ranging from Tier 1 (“investors and exceptional talent”) to Tier 5 (“shortterm voluntary and educational programmes”). However, EU citizens are “free to live and work in any of the bloc’s 28 member states-- set to fall to 27 when the UK leaves-- without the need for a visa.” The process for applying for a visa is based on a points system, and the criteria “has gotten tougher in recent years,” meaning that specific conditions such as knowing English is helpful. In an article from Population Europe Resource Finder & Archive (PERFAR), a website based on “offer[ing] a broad collection of policies related to population developments throughout Europe,” the UK is planning to reduce “net migration,” or “the difference between the number of people arriving in the UK versus the number leaving.” Though the number is already low, at 244,000, the government wants to reduce net migration to “tens of thousands.” The UK plans on taking in 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020 “as a part of the international humanitarian effort.”
AUSTRALIA
In 1788, Australia had a population of roughly 400,000. Because of the rise of immigration in Australia, the population has grown to over 20 million people. Most of Australia’s early immigrants came from Britain or Ireland in the 1830s. In 1851, the Australian gold rush sparked the influx of many immigrants. Along with the greater numbers of immigrants itself, the newcomers were coming from a more diverse group of countries. The major immigration policy established in Australia is the Migration Act of 1958, which states that an individual that is a non-citizen or does not have a valid visa will be detained and is still followed today. Under this act, children can be detained in immigration detention centers. After a series of human rights complaints, the government relocated children to community detention centers or local houses. Recently, the country’s annual permanent immigrant status has had a massive increase in of 85,000 in 1996 to 208,000 in 2017. Like Canada and the United States’ immigration system, Australia’s encourages the migration of people looking for employment, rather than family migration.
GREECE The refugee crisis in Europe has affected Greece greatly, as many hordes of refugees are fleeing to the island of Lesvos. According to an article from the Migration Policy Institute, Lesvos, which has a population of 85,000, “played host to more than half a million migrants and asylum seekers from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond.” However, according to BBC News, in 2015, “the number of refugees and migrants arriving in Greece has fallen dramatically, after the EU and Turkey signed an agreement to send migrants back to Turkey who do not apply for asylum or whose claims were rejected.” In the past, Greece’s immigration laws and asylum system were weak. But, according to the Library of Congress, “Greece has made a concerted effort to comprehensively reform its asylum system” due to “a large number of migrants attempting to enter the EU illegally.” Thus, Greece is working to develop new protocols, such as “fingerprinting irregular migrants and asylum applicants.” Right now, according to an article in The Guardian, “thousands [of immigrants] are stranded in squalid camps that are a danger to physical and mental health.” But Philippe Leclerc, the UN refugee agency’s representative in Athens, thinks that the EU’s public sector cuts to Greece that are affecting refugees were “totally legitimate.”
CANADA Known to be a lenient country regarding immigration, Canada has welcomed an average of 200,000 immigrants entering every year for the past decade with an open attitude. The initial purpose of having a high acceptance of immigrants was for expansion to the large stretches of unsettled lands. Canada did restrict the types of immigrants, however, by denying any immigrants who were not from Europe in the early 1900s. The Immigration Act, which was established in 1976, allowed immigrants from any country to come to Canada for personal reasons. Canada's other policy, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which has been enforced since its establishment in 2002, allows immigrants to have an easier time applying to be a citizen. Receiving immigrants from areas in Asia, the Middle East, the United States and the United Kingdom, Canada is primarily concerned with is the economic status of its immigrants. Language training, national health care and social welfare programs are all provided to the immigrants. Canada’s policy on refugees is generally liberal, allowing a refugee to apply at any border, immigration office or airport by submitting a claim to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the Canadian federal immigration department. The board then decides if that individual needs a protective status, allowing them to file for permanent residency. Although there are similarities between American and Canada regarding immigration, it is more difficult to obtain citizenship in America than in Canada, due to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
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“The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respected Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges.� - George Washington
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Solitude and Solidarity: Texas Immigration Policy Michelle Chen, Web Editor, and Shea Duffy, Sports Editor
HISTORICALLY Texas has always been a top destination for foreign immigrants seeking refuge in the United States, and the result is a controversial history with immigration. The state has encountered many waves of foreign immigrants, with the earliest accounts dating back to 1845. The immigrant population is largely comprised of mainly Latin American, European and Asian origins, and have accounted for much of Texas’ growth throughout the past century. In the early 1900s, thousands of immigrants trickled through the ports of Galveston, Texas, a tiny seaport town not expected to attract many immigrants. However, according to the Galveston Historical Foundation, over 130,000 foreign immigrants began their American lives in Galveston in order to escape violence in their home countries. Galveston was only the beginning. The rising immigration movement of the 1970s and 1980s brought over one million immigrants—primarily from Latin American countries—to Texas. This resulted in a population boom, leading Texas to a population growth of nearly twenty percent. Isabel Cruz, the daughter of Mexican immigrants and a first generation Mexican-American, has observed the fight for immigrant rights her entire life and decided to make a career out of her hope to help the immigration community as an immigration attorney in Dallas. Her parents, like many other Mexicans inspired by the employment opportunities Texas had to offer, left their home country to pursue a better life in the United States. "My parents are from Mexico, so the cause is close to my heart,” Cruz said. “They went back and forth from Mexico to the United States in 1956, but laws were much different then. They are not nearly as generous now.” Laws regarding immigration to Texas, though they were lax in the 1950s, soon changed due to the concern among the Texans that immigrants’ differences might pose a threat to U.S. society and culture. However, Mexican immigrants were exclusively exempted from immigration laws in Texas, as its development greatly depended on agricultural growth—a field in which farmers relied on Mexican migrants to sow and harvest their crops. The Mexican immigrants were excluded from state quotas with the presumption that they were temporary migrants and docile laborers. But despite Mexican immigrants’ position in the workforce, this stereotype rid workers of the chance to fully establish a life in the United States.
“IMMIGRANTS ARE FUELING THIS COUNTRY.WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS AMERICA WOULD HAVE AN AGING POPULATION AND NO YOUNG PEOPLE TO COME IN AND TAKE CARE OF IT. WE HAVE TO EDUCATE OUR IMMIGRANTS.”
-COLIN POWELL
"Every generation of Mexican immigrants simply come to the United States to work, raise their kids and support their family,” Cruz said. “They will do everything in their power to work to create a better future not only for themselves, but also so that their kids can have a better future.” Decades after the Cruz family came to the U.S., former Texas state governor Rick Perry would champion the 2001 Texas Dream Act, which extends in-state tuition and grants eligibility to long-term state residents who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. Later passed by Texas Legislature, it would provide a pathway to opportunity critical to the United States’ continued economic prosperity through embracing immigrant culture in an attempt to those hoping for an American education. But the Dream Act did not last long. On Apr. 7, 2015, GOP lawmakers would approve the repeal of the bill, thus stripping undocumented students of their right to pay in-state tuition at any public Texas college—a right that gave undocumented students the freedom of progress in the United States. The Dream Act caught the attention of many government officials affected by the bill. According to a White House interview with Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, America’s population needs to change their mindset regarding immigration and focus on the benefits they bring to the country. “Immigrants are fueling this country,” Powell said. “Without immigrants America would have an aging population and no young people to come in and take care of it. We have to educate our immigrants.” RIGHT NOW The 2016 presidential election further polarized national opinions on immigration policy. These debates also made waves in Texas. Soon after Trump won the presidency, the Texas legislature passed the infamous Senate Bill 4, which banned sanctuary cities and allowed law enforcers to check the immigration status of anyone they detain. There has been a significant backlash against the bill since it was signed into law in May 2017. (For more information, see p#) Upper School history teacher Kathryn Hodgkinson also believes that the 2016 election contributed to the tightening grip of Texas’ immigration policy.
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY WIKIPEDIA
“I think because of Donald Trump’s rhetoric about immigrants, it makes it easier for Republicans in Texas to be more aggressive in passing restrictive laws,” Hodgkinson said. Texas’ proximity to the Mexico-United States border makes immigration policy one of the primary concerns of the state population. According to a 2017 report by the American Immigration Council, one in six residents in Texas is an immigrant. The report also shows that over half of the immigrants in Texas are Mexican by origin. There is also a large population of undocumented immigrants in Texas. This unauthorized population, however, has greatly contributed to the Texas workforce. By an estimate from The Perryman Group, undocumented immigrants held 1.2 million jobs in Texas and paid over $13 billion in total taxes in 2015. The CEO of a Houston construction company, Stan Marek, asserts that immigrant workers are an integral part of Texas’ economy. "If we lose our workers, Texas cannot be competitive on the national stage," Marek said in an interview with Dallas News. Although Texas is fiscally dependent on its immigrant population, many voters still support strict immigration policies like SB4. Hodgkinson thinks that this position stems from a fear that policy would be “dominated” by immigrants if Hispanics “become more active in voting and pursuing political aims.” Republican candidates like Ted Cruz and Greg Abbott utilized this sentiment of fear in their campaigns for the 2018 midterm elections, where the issue of immigration remained a hot topic of debate. Abbbot’s television ad associated Hispanic immigrants with gangs, particularly the criminal gang MS-13 which originated in Los Angeles, California. Cruz uses similar tactics on his campaign website, which states that “President Obama’s policies have encouraged drug smugglers, child abusersmurderers and other dangerous criminals to traffick immigrant children into our nation under life-threatening conditions.” However, many believe such statements to be false and exaggerated. On the other hand, candidates like Democrat Beto O'Rourke, who ran for Senate but narrowly lost to Cruz, emphasized the benefits of immigration for Texas and supported the DREAM Act. Considering opposing views, the future of Texas immigration policy is uncertain. As the migrant caravans near the Mexico-United States border, the current situation is not looking optimistic for immigrants in light of SB4 and Trump’s strong anti-immigration stance. Hodgkinson believes that it takes more than just state effort to alleviate the tension. "As long as the federal government refuses to deal with the issue, it forces Texas, because of our proximity [to the border], to deal with the issue in our own way,” Hodgkinson said. “I think that [the policies] may become more restrictive because it’s a matter of what Texans and the legislature might see as defense.”
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Invitation for racism? Senate Bill Four.... Niamh McKinney, Arts & Life Editor, and Erin Parolisi, Staff Writer
Jay-walking, driving a few miles over the speed limit and other minor offenses are habits many take for granted. Maybe, at the most, one fears a ticket and a small fine. However, for the over 1.9 million undocumented immigrants in Texas, these “habits” are a dangerous risk, serious enough to result in deportation or separation from one’s family. Previously, police departments in certain Texan cities such as Dallas would not report the majority of undocumented immigrants. Now police officers can ask a person’s immigration status at their discretion, raising concerns about a potential increase in racial profiling.
THE BACKGROUND: Texas has long history of sanctuary cities, including Dallas and Travis County; resources about which cities are sanctuary cities, however, are frequently inaccurate or conflicting. Regardless of the number of official sanctuary cities Texas has, supporters of the bill the idea of abolishing sanctuary cities for years leading up to Texas Senate Bill 4. Texas Senate Bill 4 was introduced to the Texas Legislature in 2016, and was quickly criticized by lawmakers and the general public. The bill makes it a Class A Misdemeanor for a member of Texas law enforcement to knowingly choose to not report an immigrant without proper identification and includes potential punishments of jail time and/or fines up to $25,000. The purpose of the bill is to outlaw sanctuary cities, cities in which the majority of the police department do not report illegal immigrants, by requiring police officers to follow federal immigration laws and allowing police to question anyone they detain about their immigration status. It was quickly signed into law but was immediately challenged with an injunction, which stopped it from going into effect. However in March 2018, a three-judge panel looked at Senate Bill 4 and overruled the injunction with one stipulation.The panel ruled a section of the bill as unconstitutional that punishes local officials in law departments for “adopting, enforcing, or endorsing” any laws that limit enforcement of immigration laws. With this exception, the bill was passed into by law by the panel. Hockaday history teacher Dr. Elizabeth Bennett explained why many police departments do not agree with the bill. "Some police departments saying they didn’t want to follow federal law because it actually makes their areas less safe and that they really need to have the cooperation of these communities,” Bennet said.
1.9
million illegal immigrants in Texas alone
25 thousand dollars in fines
and/or jail time for those who don't report illegal immigrants.
Many opponents of the bill are worried that communities might fear the risk of deportation and not report crime of which they were a victim or witness as a result, therefore making cities less safe as a whole. However, some members of the police force are not as concerned or affected as these police departments, such as one D-FW police officer, who wished to remain anonymous for professional reasons. “Honestly, SB 4 has not affected the way in which I execute my duties in the slightest. As a police officer, it is my job to enforce the law and keep the peace in my community, and I have not encountered a situation in which a suspect, witness, or victim’s immigration status has changed my approach to procedural justice, nor do I expect to in the future,” the officer said. Many are also worried about how the bill might affect education for students in Texas. Because the official Senate summary of the bill “prohibits campus police departments from local enforcing a policy under which the department... limits the enforcement of state or federal immigration laws,” police on college and school campuses can legally questions any student they detain about their immigration status. As of November 2018, Texas Senate Bill 4 stands as law and police legally must report anyone with illegal immigration status.
REACTIONS TO IT: Prior to SB4 getting passed into law, several protests occurred at the Texas Capitol in Austin. On May 1, 2017, multiple protestors were arrested following these protests. Amidst the protests, Governor Greg Abbott signed SB4 into law on May 7, 2017, which surfaced even more protests and lawsuits which claim that SB 4 uses racial profiling to break the trust between law enforcement and all citizens of Texas. Immediately after, numerous local governments such as Austin, San Antonio, Houston, El Cenizo and many others in an attempt to block SB 4 from going into effect. In opposition, supporters of SB 4 saw the signing of the bill as a triumph, holding hope that SB 4 can ameliorate immigration issues in Texas. The summer of 2017 was filled with rallies and protests in opposition of SB 4. During these rallies, leaders from different cities in disagreement with SB 4 states they would continue with actions that would challenge SB 4. Throughout this battle of lawsuits over SB 4, protests continued occurring over the topic of whether SB 4 was constitutional and if it leads to racial
A STATE TROOPER PARKS HIS CAR AND STANDS GUARD OF THE MEXICAN BORDER IN BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THOUSAND WORDS PHOTOGRAPHY.
profiling. People not in favor of SB 4 believe that it violates the First Amendment in the Constitution. Many believe that SB 4 violates the Supremacy Clause which explicitly says that immigration laws are a nation’s responsibility and not a state’s. Additionally, protestors claim that SB 4 violates the Fourth Amendment which forbids illegal searches and seizures. In addition, immigration laws, including SB 4 have caught the attention of some students at Hockaday. Isabella Page, a sophomore at Hockaday that is interested in politics, has taken attention to these immigration laws and believes that they affect everyone in the community, not just immigrants. "In my opinion, immigration bills affect the whole population because they affect the entire demographic makeup of our nation, and therefore the people who contribute to each individual community. This kind of impact, the adding or restricting of more perspectives and backgrounds, touches the lives of everyone in the country,” Page said. “I believe that Hockaday could potentially be affected by these policies by experiencing changes in the diversity and perspectives included in our student body.”
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Instructing for an Impact For the past two years, Hockaday students have tutored at Heart House, an after school organization in Vickery Meadows, and helped many students who have immigrated to the United States Learn English. Charlotte Dross, Editor in Chief, and Sahasra Chigurupati, Castoff Editor
globe. Cierra Hypolite-Courville works as a middle school teacher for
The area that borders the Whole Foods Grocery Store on Park Lane isn’t something that one would generally take a second glance at. Although it is just one neighborhood, over 50 different languages are spoken within this vicinity. Here, countless families live—some fleeing a place formerly known as home, some seeking the stability that their previous homes failed to provide, but all looking for the chance to start anew. This is an area where the majority of the residents are refugees. This is an area that is overlooked because of the residents’ cultural differences. This is an area that is extremely underserved and whose residents struggle to acclimate to the American way of life. Every year, hundreds of refugee families travel to Dallas seeking
38 thousand Vickery Meadow
financially stable and is bound by Northwest Highway, Royal Lane, Central Expressway and Abrams Road, according to the Vickery Midtown Public Improvement District. Senior Maria Sailale has worked closely with the residents of Vickery Meadow for two years now. She is familiar with the habitants and the hurdles they are forced to scale upon their arrival to the United States. “I think [refugees] really have to acclimate to this environment,” Sailale said. “It’s not that they lose their culture. In a sense, they have to learn how to fit in—as anyone would if they are going to a different environment.” Within the heart of Vickery Meadow lies a complex known as the Northwest Community Center. Here, an after school care program called Heart House provides refugee and underprivileged children
residents
50
percent of Vickery Meadow residents attain less than a high
Heart House’s breadth is not limited to the Northwest Commu-
housed at as well—both in the Vickery Meadow area. The children that attend this program come from all corners of the
come from various parts of the world, they are all united by a desire to expand their knowledge. “Originally, most of our students came from Burma. It is now called Myanmar. The rest of our students are kind of spread out,” Hypolite-Courville said. The after school program itself is offered for students in kindergarten to eighth grade. These nine different grade levels are split up into three different sections: kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade.
large demand for children to attend, the unfortunate reality is that some students will be turned away. When we first started at Heart House, there were so many third through fifth graders that we couldn’t accommodate, so every day it was first come first serve until we configured our current roster,” Hypolite-Courville said. “And then we had to pick the students who are very consistent and early, and so we have to turn down a lot of students who need help.” Despite this, Heart House does its best to accommodate the children in any way that they can. Courville-Hypolite currently has five fifth grade students in her sixth through eighth class because they were advanced for their age level and could fill the open spots in that classroom. Each week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Hockaday students travel to the Northwest community center to help these children improve their English. Because the refugees who attend the Heart House program at the Northwest Community Center have, for the most part, very recently
with safety, education and opportunity, according to their website.
nity Center. They have two other locations that they are currently
currently teaches a class of 34 students, and although they originally
Each classroom has room for 35 students. However, due to the
opportunity that America boasts. Oftentimes, these displaced families end up settling in Vickery Meadow, an underserved area that isn’t
grades sixth through eighth at the Northwest Community Center. She
school diploma.
arrived in America, they oftentimes struggle with speaking English, making them more susceptible to falling behind in class. Laura Day, Hockaday’s Director of The William B. Dean Service Learning Program, first learned about the program by word of mouth.
15
AS PICTURED HERE, MOUNTAINS SERVE AS A NATURAL BORDER FOR MANY AREAS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THOUSAND WORDS PHOTOGRAPHY. Hockaday has a far-reaching and well-known tutoring network, so she
grateful that Heart House exists because you don’t just do things in the
decided to travel to the Center and see if it was something that could
classroom,” Courville-Hypolite said. “A lot of our employees we go
become a permanent opportunity for Hockaday students.
past the classroom, and we hang out with them because these kids
“So I went over there to learn about it, and it was unbelievable and I learned they had no tutoring program and the kids were struggling to learn English,” Day said. Day started the program two years ago when someone contacted her about the community service opportunity. Although Day gets many emails about community service opportunities, working with refugees was something that Hockaday had never participated in before. After Day posted the opportunity on x2VOL, a platform that extends community service opportunities to students, Sailale and Safa Michigan ‘18, decided to make the tutoring program a weekly opportunity. The tutors are not only helping the students with their homework, but creating purposeful change within their lives. "Through the past year, [the after school program] has changed a lot since they have started a new partnership with Heart House,” Sailale said. “So now, in addition to offering tutoring services, helping kids with their homework and helping them catch up, it is also a way to help with social, emotional learning. And so they have counselors and things built into the program to help the students cope with their situation.” Heart House aims to aid these children not only in the classroom but in the social aspects of their lives as well. Outside of the typical learning setting, they have implemented a program called “Love and Lead,” which allows the children to partake in different activities throughout Dallas, such as attending basketball games or visiting coffee shops and museums. “I have students that will tell me all the time that they are so
“THEY GET A CHANCE TO JUST FOCUS ON THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MANY COMPONENTS OF THEIR LIVES THAT THEY HAVE TO JUGGLE,” SAILALE SAID. “SO I HOPE THEY GET A CHANCE TO JUST BE CURIOUS AND EXPLORE AND REALLY TAP INTO THEIR POTENTIAL IN THOSE FEW HOURS A WEEK THAT THEY GET.”
- MARIA SAILALE
are our friends in a way, so we hang out with them in our free time.” Additionally, the Heart House works in collaboration with outside resources to help further the children’s experience. Currently, they are in collaboration with the Dallas Museum of Art. These lessons not only allow children to develop artistic skills, but simultaneously work in conjunction with the Heart House lesson for the week. Ultimately, whether it is inside or outside of the classroom, the Heart House program has an immeasurable amount of influence on the students. After having tutored there for two years now, Sailale recognizes this. "They get a chance to just focus on themselves because they have so many components of their lives that they have to juggle,” Sailale said. “So I hope they get a chance to just be curious and explore and really tap into their potential in those few hours a week that they get.” Similarly, Courville-Hypolite has a special place in her heart for her students after working closely with them for months. She truly hopes that the program has helped the children recognize their true potential and develop confidence in themselves. “I hope they take away that it’s great that you can be book smart but we have all these other great things about ourselves all these other great skills that can help us be successful in life,” Courville-Hypolite said. “I don’t want them to feel that if they are not great at school then they are not going to be successful because that’s not true at all. All these students are very compassionate and empathetic and i want them to learn how to use their empathy to do great things.”
16
Nativism: An American Tradition
Steve Kramer, Upper School History Chair
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Hazelton, Pennsylvania, was home
Americans have also engaged in mass reprisals against immigrants. In 1885,
to coal mines and factories. East European immigrants settled in the town, populating
Welsh, Cornish, and Swedish immigrant miners massacred twenty-eight Chinese
the workplaces, the businesses, the homes, and the schools. Beginning in the 1950s
immigrants in Rock Springs, Wyoming, angry about cheap job competition. New
and 1960s, the mines and the factories closed; the population of the town dropped.
Orleanians lynched eleven Italians whom they suspected of ties to criminal gangs
Businesses began to close; Hazelton had the potential to be “a ghost town of older
in 1891. The Bible riots in Philadelphia in 1844 claimed the lives of a number of
white people,” according to a local professional.
Irish Catholics as xenophobic nativists accused Catholics of trying to replace the
The decline began to slow in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Hazelton is near the junction of two major interstate highways; today, distribution warehouses, a Cargill meat processing plant, and the Mexican company Bimbo Bakeries, which makes Thomas English Muffins, are located near the town. These new jobs do not pay what the old
King James Bible in the public schools. Unfortunately, violence about immigrants
"THAT THE COUNTRY OFTEN FAILED
has returned to America with the shooting at the Squirrel Hill synagogue in Pittsburgh. Not only were the Jewish worshippers executed for their faith, but the shooter had complained online about the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
mining and factory jobs did. Native-born Americans eschewed them, but immigrants
Founded in 1881, HIAS had helped generations of Jewish migrants to America,
from the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries immigrated to take
but as the number of Jewish immigrants to America declined, the organization
these jobs. The Hispanic population in Hazelton rose from 4.9% in 2000 to 46% in 2014. For the first time in fifty years, the number of people was increasing, not declin-
TO MEET THOSE PRINCIPLES
ing. The downtown had new businesses, many of them catering to the recent Hispanic
a Mexican immigrant, who arrived in the 1990s and worked three jobs to put his American-born daughters through private schools since the dismal public schools were
only anti-Semitic violence, but it was anti-immigrant violence. The Pittsburgh attack is not what most immigrants experience, but they
immigrants. Said a reporter for the Washington Post in 2016, “landlords, doctors, and shopkeepers are learning to love their new neighbors.” One of those new neighbors,
shifted to aiding immigrants of all ethnicities and faiths. This incident was not
RARELY HINDERED THE DESIRE
endure enough to make life in America often frustrating. Questions about why they speak English so fluently (to a fourth generation Chinese American). Questions about where they are from (asked until the questioner’s approved answer of somewhere not America is given). Inquiries such as why are your
unprepared for educating Hispanic children, declared, “I tell my kids if someone asks
people all terrorists (conveniently ignoring that since 2001, white supremacist
where you are from, you say Hazelton. We’re here, and we don’t go nowhere. We want
terrorists have killed more Americans than Muslim terrorists). Questions like
more.” This statement illustrates a larger issue in Hazelton. The change in the ethnic background of the town’s population brought forth fears
OF FOREIGNERS TO COME TO A
why do your people always eat a particular type of food? (even when that food has been altered for the palate of native-born Americans). My memory tells me I
and worries about the transformation. The grandchildren of the Eastern European
have never had to answer any of those questions, even with a Germanic surname
immigrants were facing “economic decline and cultural displacement.” Even with the
(no heil Hitler salute like one of our German exchange students received when
population growth, there was still lots of poverty, increasing white resentment about the degree of assimilation of the new residents, and concerns about increased crime and drug use. One white resident moved to another town; he no longer felt safe: “I
COUNTRY UNIQUE IN THE WORLD
don’t care for this town no more because of the Hispanics.” As well, for the first time in 2016, Hispanics were more involved in politics increasing their number of registered voters by 10%. The oldest daughter of the Mexican immigrant, perhaps unwittingly, summarized the fears of the local white population when she returned to Hazelton
introduced to a male student at a school party). Such inquiries pawned off as jokes, don’t make listeners more comfortable in a country that they call their own, even when others question that. The story of Dr. Ayas Virgi might summarize the immigrant experience in
FOR ITS IDEALS. LET US HOPE THAT
America in recent years and perhaps for the past as well. The town of Dawson, Minnesota, located in the western part of the state near the South Dakota border, has 1400 people. Several years ago, Dr. Virgi moved to Dawson with his wife and
after college, “People say, ‘why would you want to stay there?’ Well, for one thing, this
three children. With an interest in rural medicine, Dr. Virgi left a major health
is my hometown.”
care firm to move to Dawson to be the town’s only doctor. A Washington Post
This story illustrates a traditional pattern in the immigrant experience in America. Nativism has been an American attribute since colonial times. Benjamin Franklin
THEY CONTINUE TO WANT TO COME."
worried that an influx of German immigrants might replace English with German as the spoken language: “Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens, who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our Anglifying them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs, any more than they can acquire our Complexion.” The Federalists in the 1790s passed the Naturalization Act to limit the chances that radical Frenchman and Irish rowdies would become
STEVE KRAMER
reporter stated “no one seemed to care that he was Muslim [probably the first to live in Dawson], of Indian descent, born in Kenya, and raised in Florida” with a medical degree from Georgetown. People in the town said hello to his wife who wore a headscarf. A local butcher even managed the halal meat necessary for his Muslim faith. At a time when rural areas have difficulty attracting doctors, Dr. Virgi and his family were happy with their decision to move. The 2016 election, however, removed “many of the comforting certainties of his life.” Sixty percent of the people in Lai qui Parle County where Dawson is lo-
citizens. Federalists complained about the “hordes of wild Irishmen” and the “immense
cated had voted for Donald Trump who had spoken ill of the Islamic faith during
number of French citizens in our country,” and some went even further--- “let us no
the campaign and even proposed a Muslim registry. A day after the election he
longer pray that America may become an asylum for all nations.” In the 1850s a fa-
was thinking of resigning because he was angry about Trump’s victory. Virgi’s
mous political cartoon, reflecting the nativist views of the Know-Nothing party, depicted
brother in Florida had gotten an angry, anti-Muslim fax after the election, after
two immigrants, an Irishman shaped as whiskey bottle and a German caricatured as a
which he decided to move to Canada. Virgi’s wife remembered after 9/11 how a
beer bottle, stealing a ballot box. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited certain
man had chased her with a baseball bat as he yelled about her headscarf. People
Chinese from coming to America; Dennis Kearney, an Irish immigrant and head of the
who had welcomed them to Dawson no longer talked with the family.
California Workingmen’s Party, stated in 1878 that “California must be all American
A Lutheran minister, a friend of the family, suggested he give talks on Islam
or all Chinese. We are resolved that it shall be American and are prepared to make
to the people in the rural towns he served as a doctor. He agreed although
it so.” The Exclusion Act was not modified until the Chinese were our allies in World
he was very private with his religion. At the first talk, he was disappointed; the
War II. The National Origins Acts of the 1920s severely limited European immigration
audience asked questions like are “Muslims who kill people in the name of
from Catholic and Jewish regions of Eastern Europe and banned migration completely
the prophet Muhammad rewarded in death with virgins?” The second talk in a
from Asia. Said a Kansas Congressman in a debate on one of Origins Acts (there
different town “had ended with several men calling him the anti-Christ.” For the
were three altogether), “On one side is beer, bolshevism, unassimilating settlements
third talk, a neighbor who worked in security brought him a bullet-proof vest. The
and perhaps many flags—on the other side is constitutional government; one flag, the
talk went well, but Dr. Virgi still wonders if he will ever feel the same as he did
stars and stripes.”
prior to Trump’s election.
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES have become symbols for immigration due to their annual Only with the Immigration Act of 1965 did the strict limits on immigration end. This act and another in 1986 allowing some amnesty for illegal immigrants, however, failed to undermine the xenophobia of many Americans. Rather than the Irish and the Germans of the 1850s or the East European Jews and Catholics of the late 19th and early 20th century bearing the brunt of American nativism, Latin Americans and Asians in the 2000s became the current immigrants failing to assimilate and destroying American values. The irony of this disdain for immigrants is that America is an idea, not an ethnicity. The idea was embodied in the freedom and liberty to pursue one’s own self-interests within broad legal parameters, and the idea was universal, not limited in theory to one ethnic group or religious sect. That the country often failed to meet those principles rarely hindered the desire of foreigners to come to a country unique in the world for its ideals. Let us hope that they continue to want to come.
migration from the United States to Mexico, according to many immigrant interest groups.
“ S u r v i va l i n A m e r i c a a t
18
t h e b e g i n n i n g wa s h a r d e r than I expected of course, but people came through i n u n e x p e c t e d wa y s . H o w eve r , I d o n o t k n o w i f i t would be the same story i f I wa s a n i m m i g r a n t a t a different part of the world.” - M a r s h a
Barsuk
MARSHA BARSUK Perusing through her mail one day 20 years ago in Russia, Residence Department Dorm Mom Marsha Barsuk discovered a letter that said in big, bold print “Congratulations You Won the Lottery!”. It turns out Barsuk won the green card lottery, a chance competition in which anybody in the world can apply for to receive a green card to America. Only a few applicants, however, are selected. The chosen few then have to fill out American immigration forms, and only around half of those people pass on to finally get a green card. Barsuk’s documents passed and she moved to America from Russia with her three year old daughter. The only mementos of her life in Russia she brought with her to America were pictures and Russian children’s books. Barsuk explained that she brought the books because she knew she could buy her daughter clothes and toys when she settled down in America, but she could the books from her own childhood here. The first thing Barsuk noticed when she came to the United States was the smoothness of the roads. She had never experienced driving on smooth roads before she drove in America. Moreover, Barsuk’s first language is Russian. She learned to speak English in school; but she only learned fragmented parts of the language, as the teachers taught her in an ineffective format of reading, writing, translating and repeating. Her first few years in America, Barsuk was able to speak English but had issues understanding it . Throughout her struggles, however, Barsuk explained that many Americans offered her help to establish her life in the United States.
“ I f yo u h a ve a d r e a m t o c o m e here for a purpose, then go f o r i t , b u t yo u a l s o h a ve t o weigh the consequences and e f f e c t s o f l e a v i n g yo u r h o m e
FRANCESCA STARKIE
a n d yo u r c u l t u r e . ”
- Fr a n c e s c a S t a r k i e Francesa Starkie first moved to America from Manchester, England in 2005 due to her father’s job as an accountant at Bodycote Thermal Processing. For Starkie, a major difference between her time spent in England compared to America is the schooling. According to Starkie, private schools are the standard for English students, while in America, many students attend public schools. Other differences include the set of manners and formalities that the British as a whole exude compared to Americans and the obvious British accent that sets her family apart. As an acclimated American citizen for the last 13 years, Starkie is still British through and through, but she doesn't have a thick accent compared to the rest of her family. Starkie feels as though her lack of a British accent sometimes causes a divide between her extended family who lives in England. Due to her American pronunciations, it can be hard for her to claim a British identity in England. Although she wishes she could have a British accent, she believes it would bring a lot of attention and signals an obvious difference from her American peers, which she doesn’t want. Even with these apparent differences between her Hockaday community and her family, Starkie has found groups of people in which she can relate to, who share similar experiences, upbringings and nationalities. Many Hockaday students have British family members or origins, so she feels a tight connection to these individuals, which she attributes to Hockaday’s diverse community. Although Starkie feels included in her Dallas community, she acknowledges how poorly Americans can treat immigrants who don’t come from a similar society. Although England is very similar to the US with their customs and religions, she feels as though immigrants coming from China or Mexico face discrimination due to their societal differences.
Little Blurbs, Big Stories
19
Although so much can be learned about it from history textbooks and newspapers, immigration is an extremely personal thing and it's hard to understand what the journey from one country to another is like without actually experiencing it. To educate our readers on more than just laws and policies, the Fourcast has gathered stories from immigrants and immigration activists within the Hockaday community. by Ashlye Dullye, Business Manager, and Paige Halverson, Managing Editor
ASHNA TAMBE For the past year, Hockaday seventh grader Ashna Tambe and her St. Mark’s ninth grade brother have embarked on a singular mission to discover the borders across the world and the patrol agents and immigrants that surround them. Classified simply as a “Photography World Border Program,” the two students, with the help of their parents, visited a plethora of countries including Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Egypt in order to observe the way of life surrounding the border. Going during their Thanksgiving, Christmas and summer breaks, Tambe uses her vacations to visit the bustling borders across the world, in hopes to catch the best story, photo or experience. Aiding her brother, an Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts of America, Tambe’s primary job is to interview border patrol agents, while her brother, who takes photographs, catches the unique experiences on his camera. Tambe inquires on the safety of the officers, immigrants and inhabitants around the border, as well as logistics on the border walls’ efficacy. All in all, Tambe was surprised by the general friendliness and openness that she experienced when interviewing her subjects. Through the interviews and the photography, Tambe hopes that her efforts spark empathy and understanding in her audience. While Tambe is covering a subject that has proven itself to be increasingly controversial, she wants to keep her photography, interviews and experiences non-political. Tambe plans to visit more border walls, as her project has no end in sight, starting with the Morocco-Spain border. She is keeping an eye on the borders that gain the most coverage in the upcoming months, excited to plan another adventure.
“In Mexico it’s all about work and not dying, while here in America my family is able to “ I wa n t t o s e e h o w t h e s e border are first hand; what i t ’ s r e a l l y l i ke . ”
- A s h n a Ta m b e
ESMERALDA JASSO Senior Esmeralda Jasso is a first-generation American. In Nov. of 2000, her parents came to America searching for better jobs and to escape the crime in Mexico. When Jasso’s parents initially came from Mexico, they lived in Corpus Christi, Texas in a small house filled with rats. They eventually moved to Dallas and stayed with Jasso’s uncle. Although the living quarters at her uncle’s house were better, Jasso and her parents had to sleep on the living room floor until they were able to afford an apartment, when she was about six years old. Back in Mexico, her father received only an elementary school education because he had to help tend to his family’s farm. Jasso’s mother, on the other hand, was able to attend elementary, middle and high school because her family owned a candy shop.Today, Jasso’s father works as a construction worker and her mother is a seamstress. Both of Jasso’s parents only speak Spanish fluently. Therefore, growing up, Jasso had to translate for them, learning how to file income taxes and how to apply for jobs for her parents at a young age. Even though her home is only 30 minutes away, Jasso remarks on how it is a completely different environment compared to Hockaday. According to Jasso, the Mexican culture seeps into every part of her home life, while she often finds it lost in her life at Hockaday. Jasso recommends for any prospective immigrant coming to America to be prepared for a hard life, make sure to get a good education, a good paying job and to surround themselves with people who are like them and want them to succeed.
h a ve a c o m f o r t a b l e s p a c e t o l i ve a n d d o t h i n g s f o r l e i s u r e a n d n o t j u s t t o g e t by. ”
-Esmeralda Jasso
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Deboarded At Hockaday, the Boarding Department immerses various world cultures into Hockaday's student body, curriculum and entire community. Conversely, living at Hockaday subjects many students to the American way of life. Here, Boarding Senior Emily Wu Shares a negative experiences to demonstrate her struggles as a non-America in the United States. Emily Wu, Views Editor
E
“Excuse me Miss Wu, I am sorry but you will have to leave this plane. Please grab your things and come with us,”
One of my flight attendants announced in a polite, yet unassailable voice. She spoke loudly enough to draw the attention of several nearby rows. With a subtle yet powerful flick of her wrist, the flight attendant was able to direct her younger colleague, who was standing beside me like a guard, to block the path to my seat. In an instant, my backpack and travel folder were taken hostage and I suddenly felt as if she was an exhausted hostess while I was the dawdling guest. As you can imagine, my face started to instantly burn when seemingly every passenger tilted their curious heads and focused their gaze in my direction. It was as if I suddenly was shoved onto a large stage and covered by the limelight. In this case, however, the spotlight was their judging stares. Amidst all of these people’s murmurs, my eardrums stung as if needles were being poked through them. “Oh, look at the tall, dorky Asian girl. She has bad luck,” a businesswoman said smugly. “That young girl clearly knows nothing about travel,” said a man not much older than I. Like the old saying goes, I could hear their eyes rolling and I was pretty sure they were all thinking, “Those Chinese people always think they can slide between the rules”. To be honest, I wish that was true. If I could have anything at that moment, it would be to “slide between the rules.” I stood awkwardly and alone, feeling so small in the middle of the American Airlines’ mighty Boeing 777-300ER. During my unfortunate experience of being booted off the plane, I was cognizant of the fact that this was not happening just because of my nationality, but also because of the special treatments that come along with it. Let’s take a step back. Since Nov. 16, 2016, United States Customs and Border Protection required all travelers carrying maximum validity (10 years) B1 or B2 visas, specifically passports issued by the People’s Republic of China, to enroll in the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS). Once I started to look into this, I was surprised to find out this new requirement fell under the Obama presidency. We’ve seen the headlines over the past couple of years concerning the cur-
FOR ME, THE CONCEPT OF NATIONALITY HAS NEVER BEEN A RIGID ONE. RAISED IN A CHINESE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT AND EDUCATED IN THE WESTERNIZED UNITED STATES, I PERSONALLY ACKNOWLEDGE A SPECIAL DEFINITION OF NATIONALISM THAT INCORPORATES THE SENSE OF BELONGING TO BOTH NATIONS - EMILY WU
rent president’s view on immigration and border control, but the EVUS system was never a new policy. Some people might wonder how exactly EVUS is “special” besides the obvious fact that it targets only Chinese mainlanders. Under this system, the United States stipulates B1 visas for business travel and B2 for tourism, two of the most common visas for Chinese people. On top of all the unique standards, EVUS applicants must comply with the system’s enrollment process involves a series of additional questions to determine an “eligibility of traveling”, which causes additional concerns of many Chinese citizens. Confronted with this newly emerged immigration barrier, I, unfortunately, became one of the fish that did not slip through the specially designed net. Currently holding both the B2 visa for traveling and the F1 visa for education, there’s no way for me to find out if I still need to comply with the EVUS system as a duel-visa holder, even while entering the U.S. border with F1 visa, which does not require EVUS enrollment. I was not the only one who was puzzled by the new customs system. Airline companies, gaining the new the duty to also monitor passenger’s visa status, were also confused. Ironically, even the official EVUS enrollment website does not introduce enough information for both the airline companies and travelers with separate visas. So when I stood in the middle of flight AA 126’s cabin, scorned by the other passengers’ judgment, I realized that it was me versus an imposing force. The EVUS system itself is impenetrable, the perfect surface helping to reflect a bigger issue. This brand-new type of discrimination that soaks through many United States immigration policies has given birth to an unprecedented standard that isolates our world citizens not because they are foreigners, but because they are foreigners of certain nationalities. But since when did categorize nationality become a problem? How is this an issue, when most of the countries on earth are all treating each other differently? Most importantly, being the “melting pot” nation, what stance should the United States take in this turbulence of immigration policies? We have to acknowledge that it is unfair to blame the United States alone when most of the major world powers are imposing the same types of systems. But what we also have to note is an issue doesn’t just disappear if it becomes some-
21 21
thing common. Instead, it will eventually root deeper, stinging on people’s nerves without giving them the hope to eliminate it. However, when a problematic system begins to spoil, the duty to challenge and to overcome it usually falls on the shoulder of the strongest and the bravest. In this case, the United States shoulders some responsibilities. As one of the world’s strongest powers, the United States could easy create global influence with policies that do not single out certain nationalities. In short, the United States could put an end to this rooted discrimination system of border and immigration control. But standing in the siege of the two flight attendants, I also had to accept the fact that the United States does not want to and cannot take the responsibilities of being that kind of an exemplar. Current events, such as the Muslim Ban and Zero Tolerance Policy, have clearly shown us that the executive branch’s attitude is neither subjective nor lenient. For me, the concept of nationality has never been a rigid one. Raised in a Chinese political environment and educated in the westernized United States, I personally acknowledge a special definition of nationalism that incorporates the sense of belonging to both nations. Yet as the United States’ immigration policy strengthens, the discriminatory nature aimed towards select nationalities has destroyed my hope of seeing a future in which the world can collaborate in facing mankind’s common threats together. As for myself, going forward, I would wish to live a life in which I don’t have to worry about getting deported or ordered off the plane. But until someone or some nation sets forward and takes change, all I can simply do is to turn around, walk out of the airport and go home.
Hockaday Senior Emily Wu boarded a Boeing 747 airplane, unaware that her Visa Status would result in her being deboarded from the plane.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FLICKR USER SARVVAS GAROZIS
22
Legal Immigration and its Importance Sophomore Sarah Crow, who is on the Student Diversity Board, is a legal immigration advocate. For this issue of Jade, Crow guest writes an opinion piece about immigration in America. by Sarah Crow, Guest Writer
The issue of immigration has dominated national debates in America for decades. This country faces difficult challenges that seem to have no easy solutions as policymakers must weigh competing economic, security, and humanitarian concerns with seemingly no compulsion to compromise. The debate is about human lives – on both sides of the argument. The recent scene of family separation at the southern border was a moral horror, the worries of DACA recipients about their future are real and the caravan heading to our southern border is a challenge to our sovereignty. When looking at this issue we must remember that an overwhelming majority of people who cross our border illegally are simply looking for more economic opportunity, rule of law, human rights and freedom of conscience that does not exist in their homeland; they come to America with good intentions, looking for a better life for themselves and their family. It is our responsibility to help immigrants find the basic things we all long for in life. This, however, must be balanced with the concerns and real displacement of American workers, terrorism threats and the impact on families whose lives have been shattered by very rare illegal activity at the hands of illegal immigrants. The imperative to fix the immigration problem is formidable.
IMMIGRATION: WHERE WE ARE IN A NUTSHELL
According to the Pew Research Center, immigrants (both legal and undocumented) comprise about 14 percent of the current U.S. population: more than 43 million out of a total of about 323 million people. The undocumented population is about 11 million and has leveled off since the 2008 economic crisis. More than half of the undocumented have lived in the country for more than a decade; nearly one-third are the parents of U.S.-born children. Central American asylum seekers, many of whom are minors who have fled from the poor economic conditions and violence in their home countries, also contribute to those who cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Four and a half million individuals who arrive at the United States legally and overstay their visas also are included in the undocumented population.
LEGAL IMMIGRATION, FOR GOODNESS SAKE
"WALLS WORK... BUT BRIDGES DO TOO." - SARAH CROW
There is a conclusive beneficial impact from legal immigration. A Pew Study found that without immigrants, the U.S. workforce would decline from 173.2 million in 2015 to 165.6 million by 2035, which would lead to a decrease in economic growth of about 15 percent. A migration of highly skilled and educated workers would increase the number of valuable human capital workers, leading to the American generation of innovative ideas, entrepreneurship and diversify technology. Legal immigrants bring international connections and explore new opportunities by connecting talent, capital and innovation, The United States Patent Office says immigrants invent things at twice the rate of native-born Americans. From farm workers to PhD’s, immigrants are people with the ambition and courage to leave their home to pursue an American dream and add to America’s cultural vitality. However, the deep-rooted and systematic failures in the legal immigration system lead to disregard for the laws and principles around an unfathomably complex and interminable immigration process. Complex regulations, government bureaucracy, prolonged wait times (upwards of 30 to 40 years in some cases) and administrative hurdles make legal immigration brain-numbingly problematic, leading to the millions of people that have crossed our borders illegally. This thwarting of the law and the failures of our current system feed into the fiery rhetoric and soundbites of politicians and everyday Americans, rarely resolving into productive policy outcomes and amicable debate.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HURTS THE US There is anger about illegal immigration because it hurts certain segments of our economy and challenges our national sovereignty. Many employers with low-skill jobs are happy to have undocumented workers who accept lower wages for their work. The negative impact illegal immigration has had low-skilled American worker in overall employment rates and wage level has been significant, particularly in poorer communities. Illegal immigration puts
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The United States-Mexican border fence meets the ocean in San Diego. Photo courtesy of Thousand Words Photography.
excessive burdens on public services which creates a negative fiscal impact, especially at the state and local level, for government services. Because there is little reason to fear that illegal workers will report to federal regulators, employers are given a free pass to violate health and safety regulations in the workplace. Additionally, the pathway for illicit drugs and terrorist elements to enter the U.S. becomes straightforward with unsecured borders. So, although we are a nation fabricated on immigration, we are most prominently a nation with expectations of sovereignty and anticipation of immigration regulation in order to benefit the welfare of all American citizens.
THE HEART OF AMERICAN SOVEREIGNTY Illegal immigration challenges our nation’s values of democracy and sovereignty, the government’s ability to act autonomously over its own affairs. Without the concept of sovereignty, nations cannot be independent. Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society explains that “sovereignty and national self-determination have been essential elements of our constitutional republic since its founding, and yet, more than ever, international law and policy are placing enormous pressure on our governing institutions to change and take on a predominantly global perspective.” With international validation for open borders and pressured acceptance for illegal immigration, our sovereign nation faces erosion and new threats of governance by “global consensus” and “transnational” organizations which reject
the idea of national sovereignty. To preserve our nation, we must be devoted to the perpetuation of our national sovereignty and self-governance.
THE SEARCH FOR BRIGHT SPOTS
First and foremost, I believe that the immigration laws of this country need to be urgently changed, but it must be done by Congress, instead of the Executive Branch. Lawmakers in both parties must remember a once widely agreed-upon axiom from the late Congressman Jack Kemp, “We are a nation of immigrants. We must close the back door of illegal immigration so that we can keep open the front door of legal immigration.” Legal immigration needs to be easier, more convenient and appropriately timed. A merit-based vetting system, where more educated and skilled immigrants have easier access, would buttress calls for safety by understanding background information and match our employment needs with immigrants’ skills. Sensible immigration policies in the U.S. should focus on regaining control of the border so that immigration is tightly controlled. A hightech border wall may aid in the deterrence of illegal immigration, but its construction is costly and has evoked the indignation of so many that it doesn’t seem to be a long-term, plausible strategy. Other, more flexible ideas to discourage illegal immigration include enforcement of an E-Verify system, making it virtually impossible to employ illegal immigrants. Additionally, a functioning visa tracking system would cut down on the number of annual visa overstays. Perhaps, with more controlled borders we could extend our parameters to try more experimental ideas.
One of these is to allow states to experiment with their own guest worker program, where they could appeal to entrepreneurs, investors or workers for any skill level or occupation where local or state demand is high. Instead of relying upon unresponsive, one-size-fits-all federal programs, the states could position workers where they are needed. Firm and effective border and visa controls would likely make U.S. citizens endorse an expansion in the employment-based immigration visas. Even more striking, I believe that once there is assurance that, as a country, we do indeed control our borders, a strong national consensus could emerge to legalize the 11 million illegal immigrants who live among us now, so they could stay and work here legally.
WALLS WORK, BUT BRIDGES DO TOO. We must foreground the idea that so long as there are poor countries, very poor people will understandably want to move here. The surge of Central American migrants we are seeing in the “caravan” isn’t a new idea and is scarcely the result of President Trump’s divisive immigration policies. The best long-term solution to our immigration problem is to embrace these less fortunate nations as important economic partners and commit to them that they will be a destination for U.S. trade and investment. Success here would boost financial stability and civility of their nations and make people less likely to want to leave. The bridges we build through international commerce and cooperation are a good investment for economic opportunity and safer neighborhoods for them, and a more secure border could result in the diminishment of illegal immigration in our nation.