Dr. Alejandra Rincon has dedicated an enormous amount of time to human rights for undocumented immigrants in higher education. Her presentation stemming from Texas, where undocumented elementary school children were banned from attending school, to the present day where the Dream Act looks promising, was enlightening. Especially interesting was her point of view stating that this is not an "illegal immigrant" issue, rather a racial issue. Dr. Rincon had been asked by others, "if 'they' were educated, then who would do the dirty work?" Should undocumented immigrants have a higher education, then they would have more opportunities in the job field, increased salaries, and more access to higher positions in power. By stripping the basic human right of an education, it kept a large group of people (mainly Latino) from progressing in many aspects of their lives. Also, the irony in anti immigrant backers was another interesting topic spoken of. Dr Rincon tells the story of Jesus Apodaca who had been discovered to be studying here without the proper paper work, and congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado did everything in his power to have him deported. A group of undocumented workers called in the Spanish TV news one evening to inform the public that they had been working at the congressman's home that day. The anti immigrant backers are very reluctant to allow human rights to undocumented immigrants, but clearly feel a need to hire cheap labor. A fundamental point to Dr. Rincon's presentation was the pride that we should feel to be Latino. Be proud of our language, our culture, and our background, as they make us who we are, and we are not to be treated inhumanely because of our differences. We all have family members and friends that have and will be affected by this, and although steps have been taken to provide education for all, more progress will be crucial for a true solution.
Alejandra Rincon, Ph.D. has recently published "Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education: Si Se Puede!" Rincon is the 2006 recipient of the Human Relations Award conferred by the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC). Today January 22, 2009 she made a visit to NHU. Rincon is a very well educated woman who came to the United States to educate her self before realizing she would be educating the world. Rincon is a woman who has gotten her education from the University of Austin and Houston Texas. She received all her education with in a ten year frame.
This woman is an inspiration to Latino and minority around the U.S because she has come far in her life as being one of the main leading advocates for further education for illegal minorities. In the state of Texas she has come along way to bring fair laws so that illegal minorities can further their education no matter if they don’t get jobs after because of their citizen status. She works mainly with high school student and lectures that no matter the obstacles that may be in life to overcome them and get a college degree.
I support her views and respect her more than any other advocates for human rights that I know. She lets people know that no matter what the status is on your citizenship there should be no reason to receive a higher education. People need to understand even though the option to pay out of pocket lies with in the way to further your education then take the step to do it because the only ones whom benefit from it is us. The student, individuals who have been told and prevented from furthering their education because at least one thing is complete if the need to return to their old country they won’t leave empty handed. They would have a good education under their belt to fall back on.
At the lecture today she also spoke of numbers. Numbers that show how many student pay what percentage and what state educate their student with the help of financial aid or none. If laws begin to change again the opportunity of illegal student in California can continue to feel that after high school straight to the mechanic shop or a low paying job. People like her who passes on their wisdom and show actions through civil rights movements continue and will continue to inspire and move dreamers.
Alejandra Rincon has reminded me that I was once that child who was a minority. I don’t know how I forgot that I grew up not knowing that I was an illegal. I always told my self to never forget because a strong independent woman helped me establish my citizen status. My fifth grade teacher petitioned me to stay her in the United States. She knew I was not like others student I was the only Latino kid in school with no accent in the English language. I came from a family who was hard working to stay with in the middle class social society.
My teacher found out when I told her I was move back to m y mom country and I did not want to go. She called my mother in and they talked. Long story short I received my Student Visa, Passport and after some years my Residency, and now I am a U.S. citizen. I thank people like Rincon who are immigrants who stay and make a difference to open doors for minorities like me. There is so much more about this bright and wonderful woman who is Rincon but I end this with words of her own from her book “Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education: Si Se Puede! (The New Americans: Recent Immigration and American Society)”.
“Immigrant and undocumented students who graduate from high school face a number of additional obstacles in their quest for higher education. Like other minorities, immigrants enroll disproportionately in community colleges given their lower tuition, greater schedule flexibility, remedial coursework accessibility, as well as the opportunity to learn English, in order to acquire employment skills or transfer at some point to a four year university. Immigrant students who grew up outside the United States also face the additional challenge of lacking cultural and historic references which are an integral part of education and testing.”
Alejandra Rincon, as many of us, migrated to this country in 1995 to supplement her studies with a master’s, but then she got her doctorate in higher education. In her presentation she talked about the right of education that all people have, no matter if they were born in this country or whether they are immigrants with documents or without documents. That is why she mentioned some of the problems that immigrants face every day and some of the arguments by which undocumented immigrants cannot graduate from college. For example, laws forbidding undocumented immigrants to be able to graduate from college, but not forbid them to do the work that they do not want to do like washing dishes, collecting garbage, cleaning offices, etc. Since 1995 Dr. Alejandra Rincon is dedicated to working with students who are undocumented immigrants that they also have the right to have a good education as anyone else. For this reason Dr. Rincon has worked hard for schools in different states allow students who are undocumented immigrants to graduate from school.
First of all, thanks for taking time to attend my talk. I am deeply moved by your words and hope to continue working with others like you to educate citizens and immigrants alike about the importance of fighting for human rights for all. Again thanks for the kind invitation and your inspirational messages. Adelante! Alejandra Rincon
Dr. Alejandra Rincon has dedicated an enormous amount of time to human rights for undocumented immigrants in higher education. Her presentation stemming from Texas, where undocumented elementary school children were banned from attending school, to the present day where the Dream Act looks promising, was enlightening. Especially interesting was her point of view stating that this is not an "illegal immigrant" issue, rather a racial issue. Dr. Rincon had been asked by others, "if 'they' were educated, then who would do the dirty work?" Should undocumented immigrants have a higher education, then they would have more opportunities in the job field, increased salaries, and more access to higher positions in power. By stripping the basic human right of an education, it kept a large group of people (mainly Latino) from progressing in many aspects of their lives. Also, the irony in anti immigrant backers was another interesting topic spoken of. Dr Rincon tells the story of Jesus Apodaca who had been discovered to be studying here without the proper paper work, and congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado did everything in his power to have him deported. A group of undocumented workers called in the Spanish TV news one evening to inform the public that they had been working at the congressman's home that day. The anti immigrant backers are very reluctant to allow human rights to undocumented immigrants, but clearly feel a need to hire cheap labor. A fundamental point to Dr. Rincon's presentation was the pride that we should feel to be Latino. Be proud of our language, our culture, and our background, as they make us who we are, and we are not to be treated inhumanely because of our differences. We all have family members and friends that have and will be affected by this, and although steps have been taken to provide education for all, more progress will be crucial for a true solution.
ReplyDeleteAndes Fierro
Alejandra Rincon, Ph.D. has recently published "Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education: Si Se Puede!" Rincon is the 2006 recipient of the Human Relations Award conferred by the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC). Today January 22, 2009 she made a visit to NHU. Rincon is a very well educated woman who came to the United States to educate her self before realizing she would be educating the world. Rincon is a woman who has gotten her education from the University of Austin and Houston Texas. She received all her education with in a ten year frame.
ReplyDeleteThis woman is an inspiration to Latino and minority around the U.S because she has come far in her life as being one of the main leading advocates for further education for illegal minorities. In the state of Texas she has come along way to bring fair laws so that illegal minorities can further their education no matter if they don’t get jobs after because of their citizen status. She works mainly with high school student and lectures that no matter the obstacles that may be in life to overcome them and get a college degree.
I support her views and respect her more than any other advocates for human rights that I know. She lets people know that no matter what the status is on your citizenship there should be no reason to receive a higher education. People need to understand even though the option to pay out of pocket lies with in the way to further your education then take the step to do it because the only ones whom benefit from it is us. The student, individuals who have been told and prevented from furthering their education because at least one thing is complete if the need to return to their old country they won’t leave empty handed. They would have a good education under their belt to fall back on.
At the lecture today she also spoke of numbers. Numbers that show how many student pay what percentage and what state educate their student with the help of financial aid or none. If laws begin to change again the opportunity of illegal student in California can continue to feel that after high school straight to the mechanic shop or a low paying job. People like her who passes on their wisdom and show actions through civil rights movements continue and will continue to inspire and move dreamers.
Alejandra Rincon has reminded me that I was once that child who was a minority. I don’t know how I forgot that I grew up not knowing that I was an illegal. I always told my self to never forget because a strong independent woman helped me establish my citizen status. My fifth grade teacher petitioned me to stay her in the United States. She knew I was not like others student I was the only Latino kid in school with no accent in the English language. I came from a family who was hard working to stay with in the middle class social society.
My teacher found out when I told her I was move back to m y mom country and I did not want to go. She called my mother in and they talked. Long story short I received my Student Visa, Passport and after some years my Residency, and now I am a U.S. citizen. I thank people like Rincon who are immigrants who stay and make a difference to open doors for minorities like me. There is so much more about this bright and wonderful woman who is Rincon but I end this with words of her own from her book “Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education: Si Se Puede! (The New Americans: Recent Immigration and American Society)”.
“Immigrant and undocumented students who graduate from high school face a number of additional obstacles in their quest for higher education. Like other minorities, immigrants enroll disproportionately in community colleges given their lower tuition,
greater schedule flexibility, remedial coursework accessibility, as well as the opportunity to learn English, in order to acquire employment skills or transfer at some point to a four year university. Immigrant students who grew up outside the United States also face the additional challenge of lacking cultural and historic references which are an integral part of education and testing.”
"I am a man."
Alejandra Rincon
--Roberto M. Contreras Rochin
Alejandra Rincon, as many of us, migrated to this country in 1995 to supplement her studies with a master’s, but then she got her doctorate in higher education. In her presentation she talked about the right of education that all people have, no matter if they were born in this country or whether they are immigrants with documents or without documents. That is why she mentioned some of the problems that immigrants face every day and some of the arguments by which undocumented immigrants cannot graduate from college. For example, laws forbidding undocumented immigrants to be able to graduate from college, but not forbid them to do the work that they do not want to do like washing dishes, collecting garbage, cleaning offices, etc. Since 1995 Dr. Alejandra Rincon is dedicated to working with students who are undocumented immigrants that they also have the right to have a good education as anyone else. For this reason Dr. Rincon has worked hard for schools in different states allow students who are undocumented immigrants to graduate from school.
ReplyDeleteDear Andres, Roberto and other students:
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thanks for taking time to attend my talk. I am deeply moved by your words and hope to continue working with others like you to educate citizens and immigrants alike about the importance of fighting for human rights for all.
Again thanks for the kind invitation and your inspirational messages.
Adelante!
Alejandra Rincon