Immigrants should get citizenship

Imagine a student born abroad now in the US studying in high school and making decent grades. She knows she wants to study dentistry. She talks to her mom and tells her that she wants to become a dentist. Her mom tells her no, that she doesn’t have enough money to send her to study that. From that moment on the students decides that none of her children will suffer the same way she felt when she couldn’t go to her dream school. So she does what every other immigrant thinks is the best option for them, she crosses the border; the problem is, she does it illegally. For many families doing this today, it results in being detained in detention centers when caught. Since 2018, 95,360 immigrants are getting separated each year only because the parents aren’t citizens. While many conservatives might disagree with this article because they don't believe in charge or being compassionate towards people seeking a better life, categorically refusing citizenship forever is wrong. Certain immigrants should be able to get citizenship because it makes a better future for the family, better schools for their kids, and help out the US in the job portion.

Immigrants should be able to get citizenship because they can have a better life for their family. There are many countries out there that need help and the government doesn’t help them. Most immigrants come to the United States for a better life for them and their future family. Many come here to escape back home or for religious reasons. Some countries are just too unstable to do anything at the moment. When thinking about immigration, you have to put yourself in their shoes. Would you do anything to give your children a better life? A reason to live everyday? Something to look forward to? Many people think it’s easy to make a living in another country. People have to think for a second and realize that there are jobs out there where you make less than minimum wage and still have to work their behinds off in order to help out the family. The US portrays the so called “American Dream” and so many immigrants see that and want it. Not because of the money but because of the family. They want their children to live and have it. They do it because they know as children they didn’t have much and now they want to give their children something they couldn't have. According to World Bank, Chad has a life expectancy of 53 years while the US has a life expectancy of 79 years. There’s a big gap in between 53 and 79. Countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa have economic struggles. By shutting people out just because they aren’t citizens and came here illegally, isn't the right way to handle things. They come here for a good cause and sometimes it's for a better education then back home.

Education isn't free in every country and sometimes it is but that doesn't include the cost of textbooks. We’re lucky that in the United States public schools are free up until we graduate and it does come with textbooks. We don't actually how costly school is until we get into college or a university. We think it costs so much money buying one textbook but we don't sit down and think how it feels like to be in another country and buying textbooks every year. There are immigrants who cross the border in order to to see their children grow up and become a doctor. They want the best education they can get for their children so their children can become something amazing. Unlike in the United States, there aren’t as many scholarships to give to students. Here there are so many ways you can get a scholarship. A better life includes a better education. A place where they can learn more than they could’ve of in another country. According to “The Classroom.com,” Mexico’s literacy rate is less than the US in 2000. In Mexico, education is free until middle school and students get free textbooks up until sixth grade. There are countries who aren’t as lucky as the US. There is public bus transportation to get straight to school. You don't hear Honduras having public bus transportation for students. People mostly hear about how students have to walk to school and it wasn’t a close walk. It was usually more than a mile walk to school. Education isn't the only reason that immigrants should get citizenship. There’s also the fact that immigrants usually work on the most dangerous job sites there can be.

They should also be able to become citizens because they help the US. Who do you think works on the most dangerous jobs? Who do you think works in the hot days all summer long? Who do you think freezes to death in winter even though they have so many layers of clothes under their coats? Immigrants do all these dangerous jobs but because they want to bring money home to their family. Many immigrants come here to get a job because back home is awful and nobody can get enough money for a family reason, a treatment, or for a bill to pay. If I ask a random stranger whether they would work on a hot summer day outside for eight hours the answer would probably be no. It's not common that any person would want to work outside and burn themselves. President Trump believes that immigrants shouldn’t be here and should be deported. The question is if the immigrants were to be deported who would work on the dangerous sites? Immigrants are the main percentage of people who work on any dangerous sites in order to be able to provide for their family. Immigrants don’t want to cause any harm to the US. All they want to do is be able to give their family a better life. According to Population Reference Bureau, Immigrants are the highest amount of people who work in risky jobs. They don't get why immigrants might do this but think it's for necessary reasons. Anyone who has been working in a dangerous job for more than 10 years deserves a chance to be citizens. They have to work their behinds off that they deserve a chance too. It would only be fair to give people who have done nothing but put money down on the table for their to get citizenship.

Many people might disagree with my opinion because they believe people not born in the US shouldn’t be citizens and also because if it's a law then we have to respect the law and follow. I understand that it isn’t correct that people come to the US illegally but what other choice did they have? It was a messed up world and didn’t see another way out. I also understand that immigrants willing came to the United States illegally. That they violated a law. How I wish the tables were turned for at least one day so they can see how much immigrants go through just to get their children a better life. How I wish that people would see how hateful the world is to immigrants who tried to do the best they could but failed in the eyes of some people. I know that if the tables were turned people wouldn’t like to be called “illegal aliens” or other disgusting words.

If we go back to before Christopher Columbus discovered American, we can see that Native Americans lived in American. They were the true Americans nobody else. Europeans later came to American and claimed it theirs. They had no right to say it was theirs yet here we are years later claiming that immigrants shouldn’t be part of American yet Americans did the same thing and came here for similar reasons. The only difference is they never called themselves immigrants when they came to America. Instead Europeans called themselves Americans because somehow they were the first to discover America even though Native Americans were already living in America. So technically the only Americans here are Native Americans.

It seems as though many students at Airport agree that the immigration issue is important.

Jala W., an Airport High School senior, said, “I think it is perfectly fine that immigrants get citizenship because they are people who deserve a second chance.”

Samantha C., an Airport High School senior, when asked whether immigrants should have citizenship, said, “ Yes, because they are coming over here to live a better life. They’re risking their lives by crossing the border. All they do is just work enough to pay for rent, bills, and send money to their families. So yes they should get citizenship.”

Joana G., an Airport High School senior, said, “ I do agree that immigrants should get citizenship because it will help the economy in some way. It would provide us with a greater population number and would also provide more people with the so called “American Dream” and giving everyone a chance to escape from whatever they were trying to break from. Many people are left to die and it doesn’t help that it takes forever for them to get their papers straight even if it is just to start the process.”

Immigrants should be able to be citizens. They should have the opportunity to have a new type of life. They should also be able to experience the American Dream. I’m not saying all immigrants should get citizenship but all those who have done nothing but be good people get citizenship. Imagine being in the shoes of the women who couldn’t be a dentist. People like her need a second chance to do over and be able to start good. People need to realize how it must feel like to be living in a home with bad conditions. They only tried to run away from the bad conditions. After all, people only came to America for a new and improved life where anyone could escape from the terrible past.