ERIC Number: EJ1014869
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1068-3844
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
"Los Papeles No Trabajan": The Papers Don't Do the Work
Hones, Donald; Cifuentes, Persida
Multicultural Education, v20 n1 p2-8 Fall 2012
Schools across the United States serve children from families that have crossed the U.S. border without documents. Some of these children have crossed the border themselves. For teachers and other educators, the Supreme Court decision of "Plyler v. Doe" (1982) has set the precedent that all children in the United States are entitled to a public education, regardless of their immigration status. Nevertheless, undocumented immigration remains a highly polarizing issue, and the struggles of immigrant children and their families often takes a back seat to political posturing. The authors of this article believe that it is an act of both courage and solidarity for teachers to provide support for undocumented children and their families. They also assert that it is a moral duty supported by international human rights agreements signed by the United States. The following research study raises questions about how the United States serves and supports the children and families who arrive in our schools and communities with or without "papeles" ("papers")--documentation of their legal entry into the country; about how much Americans will tolerate the abuse, neglect, and death of men, women, and children who attempt to cross our border with Mexico; and about men, women, and children who attempt to cross our border with Mexico. This study describes the involvement with a humanitarian organization on the Arizona border with Mexico, and what was learned from conversations with ranchers, border patrol agents, Mexican officials, and the migrants themselves.
Descriptors: Immigrants, Undocumented Immigrants, Access to Education, Civil Rights, Public Education, Politics of Education, Social Attitudes, Court Litigation, Foreign Countries, Social Values, Personal Narratives, Advocacy, Social Justice
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Arizona; Mexico
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Doe v Plyler
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A