Total word count: 803
I have always believed that education is a privilege that we are given not a right. Education is the basis of liberation. In my eyes, obtaining an education is to be able to achieve justice.“Socrates said, “virtue is knowledge”. Indeed, it provides us with many opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t have been available. In the book JUSTICE: “What’s the Right Thing to Do” Michael J. Sandel, talks about John Rawls’s definition of Veil of Ignorance “not knowing who we are in society”. He talks about choosing policies that will guarantee people a fair chance regardless of where/how they were born”. (Sandel) John Rawls is implying not knowing anything of ourselves and what position we carry in society. (Sandel) The Veil of Ignorance explores the purpose of justice and equality and that we all should be treated fairly. I found John Rawls’s veil of ignorance to be convincing in portraying a vision I agree with. Many undocumented/DACA students didn’t have a choice when their parents crossed the border and immigrated to the U.S. illegally when they were as young as 3 years old. These are students who grew up in the U.S., attend our schools and graduated. These are students who persistently keep working hard to earn their education.
In 2010 when President Barack Obama was in office he granted the program DACA (deferred action for childhood arrivals). In the documentary, “We are the dreamers”, Shane Ellison the legal director of Immigrant legal center, discusses the DACA program that was created through an executive memorandum issued by the secretary of homeland security. Some of the perquisites for this program are being brought to America at a young age, have 5 prior years of living in the U.S. and that these students are enrolled in school or have graduated. You would then apply, pay a hefty fee and undergo a security background check to be issued a work authorization card. This card allowed many undocumented students to acquire a license, a job, most significantly, be able to apply to universities. As Connor Maxwell writes, “undocumented and DACA students despite their limitations and obstacles are eligible to attend college and it might improve their chances of remaining in the U.S. and advance their professional fortunes”.
In the past, undocumented students were unable to apply to universities since they didn’t have a social security number. Among other reasons, the biggest one in the documentary “We Are Dreamers”, Lidia Diaz a digital analyst and DACA recipient says when she was ready to apply to colleges in her senior year of high school she realized lots of scholarships require U.S. citizenship. Making it impossible to apply even if she had the qualifications. Her whole life she grew up with the mindset to obtaining a college degree, when DACA came out she applied. Although she was able to apply to universities, she was unable to apply for federal aid.
However, there is a long controversy with affirmative action in universities today. Many people think affirmative action is unfair and “gives Hispanics/Black students an upper hand when applying to universities. In the book JUSTICE: “What’s the Right Thing to Do” Michael J. Sandel talks about Aristotle’s point of view on justice and rights are often arguments about the purpose, or telos, of a social institution, which in turn reflect competing notions of the virtues the institution should honor and reward. (Sandel 192) We have to know what the purpose of a University is and what virtues the students need to encompass. I believe students that are hardworking and have made significant progress in school should be acknowledged and I think affirmative action portrays this. For a very long time, elite universities have been reserved for wealthy people. With many universities moving toward a holistic approach to their college applications and looking at race and religion and taking this into consideration for underrepresented groups. Thus improving racial inequalities for students of color.
I believe education should be for everyone as Arisole’s premises Justice means giving everyone what they deserve. If everyone was given an equal educational opportunity throughout their whole education we would have more people who could contribute to their societies. What I see in this case is an unequal educational opportunity, financial burden, and discrimination. DACA is a form of relief for many of these undocumented students who are trying to earn a college degree. The problem with it doesn’t offer a pathway to citizenship. It has to be renewed every 2 years. If we were at least able to just move the renewal to every 5 years instead of 2 it would allow for these students more choice in their life. Education allows people to see the world through the lens of knowledge, therefore it should be achievable for everyone.
In 2010 when President Barack Obama was in office he granted the program DACA (deferred action for childhood arrivals). In the documentary, “We are the dreamers”, Shane Ellison the legal director of Immigrant legal center, discusses the DACA program that was created through an executive memorandum issued by the secretary of homeland security. Some of the perquisites for this program are being brought to America at a young age, have 5 prior years of living in the U.S. and that these students are enrolled in school or have graduated. You would then apply, pay a hefty fee and undergo a security background check to be issued a work authorization card. This card allowed many undocumented students to acquire a license, a job, most significantly, be able to apply to universities. As Connor Maxwell writes, “undocumented and DACA students despite their limitations and obstacles are eligible to attend college and it might improve their chances of remaining in the U.S. and advance their professional fortunes”.
In the past, undocumented students were unable to apply to universities since they didn’t have a social security number. Among other reasons, the biggest one in the documentary “We Are Dreamers”, Lidia Diaz a digital analyst and DACA recipient says when she was ready to apply to colleges in her senior year of high school she realized lots of scholarships require U.S. citizenship. Making it impossible to apply even if she had the qualifications. Her whole life she grew up with the mindset to obtaining a college degree, when DACA came out she applied. Although she was able to apply to universities, she was unable to apply for federal aid.
However, there is a long controversy with affirmative action in universities today. Many people think affirmative action is unfair and “gives Hispanics/Black students an upper hand when applying to universities. In the book JUSTICE: “What’s the Right Thing to Do” Michael J. Sandel talks about Aristotle’s point of view on justice and rights are often arguments about the purpose, or telos, of a social institution, which in turn reflect competing notions of the virtues the institution should honor and reward. (Sandel 192) We have to know what the purpose of a University is and what virtues the students need to encompass. I believe students that are hardworking and have made significant progress in school should be acknowledged and I think affirmative action portrays this. For a very long time, elite universities have been reserved for wealthy people. With many universities moving toward a holistic approach to their college applications and looking at race and religion and taking this into consideration for underrepresented groups. Thus improving racial inequalities for students of color.
I believe education should be for everyone as Arisole’s premises Justice means giving everyone what they deserve. If everyone was given an equal educational opportunity throughout their whole education we would have more people who could contribute to their societies. What I see in this case is an unequal educational opportunity, financial burden, and discrimination. DACA is a form of relief for many of these undocumented students who are trying to earn a college degree. The problem with it doesn’t offer a pathway to citizenship. It has to be renewed every 2 years. If we were at least able to just move the renewal to every 5 years instead of 2 it would allow for these students more choice in their life. Education allows people to see the world through the lens of knowledge, therefore it should be achievable for everyone.