Their main goal is survival and survival with their families.
Sylvia Bryan
Photo by Msgana Teklebrhan
editor-in-chief
Ellen Hancock writer
Sami Jansen
assistant editor
“Their main goal is
survival
and survival with their
families.” -Lisa O’Hara
The nationwide dialogue on immigration has taken a toll on students and families.
Just about every high school student could list 50 different problems they’re dealing with at the moment. But while most students are grappling with college decisions or picking out prom dresses, a few are facing the possibility of being forced to leave the United States. According to demographic reports compiled by the Kansas Department of Education, SM North has the highest proportion of migrant students in the district, followed in order by SM West, Northwest, South and East. Migrant populations are rather small at each school, ranging from 0.56 percent of the student body at SM North to 0 percent at SM East. SM West’s official figure is 0.44 percent. However, these statistics only count migrant students. They do not account for students who are citizens but have migrant parents. Considering this information, as well as the fact that SM West has around 1800 students, it is not unreasonable to assume that a few will be affected by this issue. SM West social worker Lisa O’Hara and Spanish interpreter Alba Gonzales confirmed that various students have come to the school looking for assistance with this situation. “We have had a lot of students come up and say ‘What’s gonna happen to us? Are we gonna still be allowed to come to school?’ We’ve had students come and say, ‘We’re scared that we might have to leave,’” Gonzales said. Even the act of attending school is a stressful occurrence for some students. “We have students that are now scared to come to school. We have parents that are now scared to come to school because you have to show your ID when you come in the door and they’re afraid that if they can’t show a valid ID that something will happen to them,” Gonzales said. O’Hara believes some of these fears may be rooted in media coverage. “There’s been reports in the media where what the ICE agents do is they wait for the people to go take their kids to school, and they’ll pick them up on the way to school or on the way from school–not on school grounds, but they do use the school to pick up the parent of the child,” O’Hara said. For students in this situation, the possible deportation of their parents or even themselves is a constant, looming threat. Although the fear is related to their home life, it is not contained there. It affects every minute of their day, including school. “I think that when they’re constantly living in the state of stress that [their stress] would totally impact their ability to focus and get work done, because their main goal is survival and survival with their families. And if that’s what they’re focused on, then school kind of takes the backburner,” O’Hara said. The threat of deportation is not by any means a new concept for undocumented immigrants, or for those close to them. However, the shift in attitude towards immigration policies since the election has had a noticeable effect on many families, according to Gonzales. “It’s been since the president got elected that students have been coming up and asking all these questions. Before, there was no one asking anything about it. We just had a student come in the office and say ‘How would the school be able to help me if I was to get deported?’” Gonzales said.
20
feature
Gonzales believes the situation is noticeably different than before the election. “I just know things have changed. Things have definitely changed. And it’s hard for students to concentrate when you’re worried about ‘Are my parents gonna be there when I go home?’ ‘What’s gonna happen to us?’ You’re worried all the time, your life changes, you start not going out as often. I remember growing up like that,” Gonzales said. Gonzales and O’Hara are not aware of any SM West students or their families being deported since the election, although there was an instance of it happening to a Westridge student, according to Gonzales. Other than that, they are only aware of students who are concerned it may happen, or who have reason to believe it is imminent. “I think it’s more of the fear that’s more prevalent. I have not heard of any cases other than the one [...] at Westridge of deportation,” O’Hara said. One thing that the school has done for immigrant families is direct them to resources where they can learn about their rights. “We’ve distributed that information to families kind of on an individual basis because it’s not something we can publish as a school, because that’s not our role, but we all know that this is affecting our families here and we want to do everything we can to support our families and our students,” O’Hara said. Deportation took place under Obama, Bush, Clinton, and just about every other presidential administration of the modern era. It was also a significant political issue in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although the rhetoric was a bit different than it is today. At that time, most political actions were specifically directed towards Asians, indicated by policies such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited the immigration of Chinese immigrants. Antagonism towards European immigrants was also a common event throughout American history, perhaps most infamously towards Irish and Italian immigrants. Now conversation around immigrants in the United States often seems to focus on those from Mexico or Central American countries, but America is still a destination for migrants from all over the world. In 2015, India and China were the top two countries of origin for recent migrants. Immigrant demographics vary by region within the country, although the Kansas City metropolitan area has a relatively large Mexican population. “In KC we do have a large Mexican community. I have met many Afghanistan,Irish, Armenian, Philippine, Chinese and European undocumented [immigrants,]” El Centro community organizer Nubia Estefes said. While schools cannot provide direct legal help, families may have other means of getting help. Community organizations such as El Centro Inc. aim to make this possible. “A resource that is available to families at El Centro is to be able to get educated on what are our rights as members of our communities. We host [a] Know Your Rights forum with local immigration attorneys,” Estefes said. Estefes has also noticed a shift in the narrative surrounding immigrants. “Unfortunately due to the wide rhetoric talk nation wide, and new policies being debated the fear has escalated. One thing that we are focusing at El Centro is to make sure all members of the community know their rights,” Estefes said.
the epic..
issue 7
Estefes is not the only member of the community that has noticed an increase in fear among undocumented individuals. A concern of many including Social worker David Aramovich is that services such as those provided by El Centro are not being taken advantage of by people who need them. “The undocumented people that I’ve spoken with are extremely fearful and are keeping a very low profile. Service providers such as El Centro have indicated that their service is running much slower than in previous times. Unfortunately, our undocumented folks are afraid to obtain much needed services that they are eligible for due to fear of deportation,” Aramovich said. A common sentiment directed towards undocumented immigrants is that they ought to simply follow the legal process of entering the country. However, the official legal process has various obstacles that stand in the way of going through the proper channels. People who want to come to the US or have already been living here for years may find themselves in a Catch-22 situation. In turn, they may decide that it’s more prudent to take the risk of living undocumented than to jump through the financial and bureaucratic hoops to become a citizen, and still face the
possibility of being denied. O’Hara feels that most staff members at SM West are sympathetic to the situation these families are facing, but also believes that they may not completely appreciate just how much it is affecting the students. “Some of the cases have been brought to my attention from teachers who are concerned. I don’t know if they really get the fear that these families are living in. I haven’t had any teachers really understand or express that they’re really worried about these families, but I know that they care and would do anything and everything to try to help with them,” O’Hara said. Shawnee Mission schools have policies in place that allow them to act as something of a safe place for immigrants. The district does not require Social Security numbers or any other proof of citizenship for enrollment. “The school is supposed to be a safe haven for immigrants. We don’t require or ask for social security information and so we’re trying to remain as neutral as we can on not allowing access,” O’Hara said.
“...they’re afraid that if they can’t show a valid ID that something will happen to them.” -Alba Gonzales
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
77,764 family units were apprehended at the southern border of the United States in 2016. 59,692 unaccompanied minors were also apprehended, as well as 271,504 individual adults for a total of 408,870 people. Source: US Customs and Border Protection
march 30
the epic.
feature
21
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 This action by the district comes from an implicit federal direction. Although public school districts often require proof of residency, a 2011 Department of Education document states that something as simple as a utility bill may qualify for this purpose. However, each individual school district has the discretion to determine what they will accept as proof of residency. The document further elaborates that although families must prove residency, districts may not discriminate against students on the basis of their citizenship or lack thereof. It states, “States and districts, however, cannot apply different rules to children based on their or their parents’ or guardians’ actual or perceived race, color, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, or other impermissible factor. All students must be treated equally.”The document cites Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title IV dictates that school districts may not act in a way that will deprive their students of equal protection provided by the law. Title IV is enforced by the Department of Justice. The document also cites Title VI of the same act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Title VI is enforced by the DOE, as well as the DOJ, when needed. The DOE prohibits school districts from requiring student’s Social Security numbers. Districts are allowed to collect the numbers, but must make it clear that providing the information is completely voluntary. In addition, districts are not allowed to discriminate against students or deny
them enrollment if their number is not provided. Estefes advises students to fully explore their options. “There is [sic] a lot of students who have gone through this problem, myself being one. Know that with hard work and determination anything is possible. When you think college is out of hand reach out to some [students who benefitted from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, policy] and learn that is not impossible. We have a local group of dreamers that have put their efforts into DACA program and continue to make changes in Kansas and Missouri,” Estefes said. DACA is a policy enacted in 2012 by the Obama administration that allows undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors to receive renewable twoyear periods of deferred action on deportation. This comes with eligibility for educational and occupational opportunities. Although tension is expected to continue, support is available to those who need assistance. Resources are available to students through the school and through the community where people like Estefes are working hard ease the fear of local families. Undocumented professionals such as lawyer Cesar Vargas are becoming successful in their fields, breaking down barriers and leading the way to a more prosperous future. Or as Estefes said, “[K]now that our community stands behind our students.”
“Know that our community stands behind our students.” -Nubia Estefes
11.4 million Department of Homeland Security’s 2012 estimate of the number of undocumented people living in the US
22
feature
the epic.
61 percent
of undocumented immigrants are between 25 and 44 years old
issue 7
Photo by Msgana Teklebrhan
editor-in-chief
Ellen Hancock writer
Sami Jansen
assistant editor
“Their main goal is
survival
and survival with their
families.” -Lisa O’Hara
The nationwide dialogue on immigration has taken a toll on students and families.
Just about every high school student could list 50 different problems they’re dealing with at the moment. But while most students are grappling with college decisions or picking out prom dresses, a few are facing the possibility of being forced to leave the United States. According to demographic reports compiled by the Kansas Department of Education, SM North has the highest proportion of migrant students in the district, followed in order by SM West, Northwest, South and East. Migrant populations are rather small at each school, ranging from 0.56 percent of the student body at SM North to 0 percent at SM East. SM West’s official figure is 0.44 percent. However, these statistics only count migrant students. They do not account for students who are citizens but have migrant parents. Considering this information, as well as the fact that SM West has around 1800 students, it is not unreasonable to assume that a few will be affected by this issue. SM West social worker Lisa O’Hara and Spanish interpreter Alba Gonzales confirmed that various students have come to the school looking for assistance with this situation. “We have had a lot of students come up and say ‘What’s gonna happen to us? Are we gonna still be allowed to come to school?’ We’ve had students come and say, ‘We’re scared that we might have to leave,’” Gonzales said. Even the act of attending school is a stressful occurrence for some students. “We have students that are now scared to come to school. We have parents that are now scared to come to school because you have to show your ID when you come in the door and they’re afraid that if they can’t show a valid ID that something will happen to them,” Gonzales said. O’Hara believes some of these fears may be rooted in media coverage. “There’s been reports in the media where what the ICE agents do is they wait for the people to go take their kids to school, and they’ll pick them up on the way to school or on the way from school–not on school grounds, but they do use the school to pick up the parent of the child,” O’Hara said. For students in this situation, the possible deportation of their parents or even themselves is a constant, looming threat. Although the fear is related to their home life, it is not contained there. It affects every minute of their day, including school. “I think that when they’re constantly living in the state of stress that [their stress] would totally impact their ability to focus and get work done, because their main goal is survival and survival with their families. And if that’s what they’re focused on, then school kind of takes the backburner,” O’Hara said. The threat of deportation is not by any means a new concept for undocumented immigrants, or for those close to them. However, the shift in attitude towards immigration policies since the election has had a noticeable effect on many families, according to Gonzales. “It’s been since the president got elected that students have been coming up and asking all these questions. Before, there was no one asking anything about it. We just had a student come in the office and say ‘How would the school be able to help me if I was to get deported?’” Gonzales said.
20
feature
Gonzales believes the situation is noticeably different than before the election. “I just know things have changed. Things have definitely changed. And it’s hard for students to concentrate when you’re worried about ‘Are my parents gonna be there when I go home?’ ‘What’s gonna happen to us?’ You’re worried all the time, your life changes, you start not going out as often. I remember growing up like that,” Gonzales said. Gonzales and O’Hara are not aware of any SM West students or their families being deported since the election, although there was an instance of it happening to a Westridge student, according to Gonzales. Other than that, they are only aware of students who are concerned it may happen, or who have reason to believe it is imminent. “I think it’s more of the fear that’s more prevalent. I have not heard of any cases other than the one [...] at Westridge of deportation,” O’Hara said. One thing that the school has done for immigrant families is direct them to resources where they can learn about their rights. “We’ve distributed that information to families kind of on an individual basis because it’s not something we can publish as a school, because that’s not our role, but we all know that this is affecting our families here and we want to do everything we can to support our families and our students,” O’Hara said. Deportation took place under Obama, Bush, Clinton, and just about every other presidential administration of the modern era. It was also a significant political issue in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although the rhetoric was a bit different than it is today. At that time, most political actions were specifically directed towards Asians, indicated by policies such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which prohibited the immigration of Chinese immigrants. Antagonism towards European immigrants was also a common event throughout American history, perhaps most infamously towards Irish and Italian immigrants. Now conversation around immigrants in the United States often seems to focus on those from Mexico or Central American countries, but America is still a destination for migrants from all over the world. In 2015, India and China were the top two countries of origin for recent migrants. Immigrant demographics vary by region within the country, although the Kansas City metropolitan area has a relatively large Mexican population. “In KC we do have a large Mexican community. I have met many Afghanistan,Irish, Armenian, Philippine, Chinese and European undocumented [immigrants,]” El Centro community organizer Nubia Estefes said. While schools cannot provide direct legal help, families may have other means of getting help. Community organizations such as El Centro Inc. aim to make this possible. “A resource that is available to families at El Centro is to be able to get educated on what are our rights as members of our communities. We host [a] Know Your Rights forum with local immigration attorneys,” Estefes said. Estefes has also noticed a shift in the narrative surrounding immigrants. “Unfortunately due to the wide rhetoric talk nation wide, and new policies being debated the fear has escalated. One thing that we are focusing at El Centro is to make sure all members of the community know their rights,” Estefes said.
the epic..
issue 7
Estefes is not the only member of the community that has noticed an increase in fear among undocumented individuals. A concern of many including Social worker David Aramovich is that services such as those provided by El Centro are not being taken advantage of by people who need them. “The undocumented people that I’ve spoken with are extremely fearful and are keeping a very low profile. Service providers such as El Centro have indicated that their service is running much slower than in previous times. Unfortunately, our undocumented folks are afraid to obtain much needed services that they are eligible for due to fear of deportation,” Aramovich said. A common sentiment directed towards undocumented immigrants is that they ought to simply follow the legal process of entering the country. However, the official legal process has various obstacles that stand in the way of going through the proper channels. People who want to come to the US or have already been living here for years may find themselves in a Catch-22 situation. In turn, they may decide that it’s more prudent to take the risk of living undocumented than to jump through the financial and bureaucratic hoops to become a citizen, and still face the
possibility of being denied. O’Hara feels that most staff members at SM West are sympathetic to the situation these families are facing, but also believes that they may not completely appreciate just how much it is affecting the students. “Some of the cases have been brought to my attention from teachers who are concerned. I don’t know if they really get the fear that these families are living in. I haven’t had any teachers really understand or express that they’re really worried about these families, but I know that they care and would do anything and everything to try to help with them,” O’Hara said. Shawnee Mission schools have policies in place that allow them to act as something of a safe place for immigrants. The district does not require Social Security numbers or any other proof of citizenship for enrollment. “The school is supposed to be a safe haven for immigrants. We don’t require or ask for social security information and so we’re trying to remain as neutral as we can on not allowing access,” O’Hara said.
“...they’re afraid that if they can’t show a valid ID that something will happen to them.” -Alba Gonzales
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
77,764 family units were apprehended at the southern border of the United States in 2016. 59,692 unaccompanied minors were also apprehended, as well as 271,504 individual adults for a total of 408,870 people. Source: US Customs and Border Protection
march 30
the epic.
feature
21
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 This action by the district comes from an implicit federal direction. Although public school districts often require proof of residency, a 2011 Department of Education document states that something as simple as a utility bill may qualify for this purpose. However, each individual school district has the discretion to determine what they will accept as proof of residency. The document further elaborates that although families must prove residency, districts may not discriminate against students on the basis of their citizenship or lack thereof. It states, “States and districts, however, cannot apply different rules to children based on their or their parents’ or guardians’ actual or perceived race, color, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, or other impermissible factor. All students must be treated equally.”The document cites Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title IV dictates that school districts may not act in a way that will deprive their students of equal protection provided by the law. Title IV is enforced by the Department of Justice. The document also cites Title VI of the same act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Title VI is enforced by the DOE, as well as the DOJ, when needed. The DOE prohibits school districts from requiring student’s Social Security numbers. Districts are allowed to collect the numbers, but must make it clear that providing the information is completely voluntary. In addition, districts are not allowed to discriminate against students or deny
them enrollment if their number is not provided. Estefes advises students to fully explore their options. “There is [sic] a lot of students who have gone through this problem, myself being one. Know that with hard work and determination anything is possible. When you think college is out of hand reach out to some [students who benefitted from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, policy] and learn that is not impossible. We have a local group of dreamers that have put their efforts into DACA program and continue to make changes in Kansas and Missouri,” Estefes said. DACA is a policy enacted in 2012 by the Obama administration that allows undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors to receive renewable twoyear periods of deferred action on deportation. This comes with eligibility for educational and occupational opportunities. Although tension is expected to continue, support is available to those who need assistance. Resources are available to students through the school and through the community where people like Estefes are working hard ease the fear of local families. Undocumented professionals such as lawyer Cesar Vargas are becoming successful in their fields, breaking down barriers and leading the way to a more prosperous future. Or as Estefes said, “[K]now that our community stands behind our students.”
“Know that our community stands behind our students.” -Nubia Estefes
11.4 million Department of Homeland Security’s 2012 estimate of the number of undocumented people living in the US
22
feature
the epic.
61 percent
of undocumented immigrants are between 25 and 44 years old
issue 7
