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The extraordinary efforts being made by young people across this country to achieve education’s long-standing goals must be commended. This is the perfect time for this country to bestow the distinction of U.S. Citizenship upon all graduates of an accredited U.S. high school. Award noncitizen graduates the right to our constitutional promises of free expression, political power, economic opportunity and the right to not to be deported for racist reasons!
Awarding citizenship to all graduates would make an important and broad statement at this time in our history and perhaps offer a route to begin healing the damages already done. A high school graduate who has passed the required courses, including history and government and has demonstrated their grasp of the language should be celebrated for reaching this level of citizenship — not arrested, jailed and sent to a place that has not been “home” to them for years!
Graduating high school opens the gates for further achievement in life to advance into higher education, job training and increased wages, all to contribute to the world in new and significant ways. Why would we not welcome or protect their economic contributions, their fair participation in taxing, their work skills and their sharing of cultural diversity? It doesn’t matter what their birth flag was — they had no choice in that event, and neither have the rest of us!
What is the purpose of citizenship anyway? The U.S. Constitution suggests that it guarantees our nation’s privileges and immunities: the opportunity to participate in the rights and responsibilities of our economic, political and social nation. Citizenship has been defined by those in power along with their limited view of the world. The U.S. is one of 33 countries that awards citizenship based upon jus soli (birthright citizenship), a child lucky enough to leave the mother’s womb while in-country is rewarded with citizenship. But history shows us that leaders have used citizenship to control, empower, limit, even dismiss people, including enslaved peoples, women, Blacks, Native Americans, Chinese Americans and children of immigrants. Citizenship for children born overseas of military parents has been complicated with application processes, and the current administration seeks to deny citizenship to certain children who are born within our country’s borders, based upon their parents’ citizenship status.
Most high school graduates have limited resources. The citizenship application costs over $700, not including time off work, travel to appropriate federal offices, mailings, classes, tutoring and computer/network costs, etc. The White House resident has recently announced his “gold card” path to citizenship which would cost $5 million. Money should not be the method by which people identify with a country!
We need hope that this country can survive these attacks on its young people — and make note, these ARE our young people. We are educating them, saving them and preparing them for the future. That future is here not where the haters are sending them. Please support Pascual’s Law as we work to support Pascual Pedro and his family.
M. Jeanine Redlinger of Lone Tree is a social studies teacher.
