Christian Lam

Haywood Leung
Siyu Liu
Holly Ly
Misaki Nakagawa
Zharmaine Sto Tomas
Robin Viloria
Undocumented Students
Sociology of Asian Americans-Presentation Proposal
As of March 2008, there are about 11.9 millions undocumented immigrants
in the United States (Gildersleeve 6). Out of the 11.9 million, 13 percent are from
Asia. Majority of these children receive primary and secondary education in the
United States. Having the status as an undocumented student can cause several
disadvantages in employment, social service resources, and basic human rights,
usually due to the lack of resources that are offered to them. There are certain
cultural family dynamics that affect the undocumented immigrants experience in
the American school system. Undocumented Students do have legal rights and
privileges, although they are very limited, but becoming familiar with the rights and
privileges afforded undocumented students in the United States is a way of
supporting them. Undocumented immigrants have the right to emergency health
care, emergency shelter, and disaster aid; due process related to unlawful search
and seizure, arrest, and work-related discrimination and unfair employment
practices; and unfair housing discrimination (Gildersleeve 9). They are also able to
open bank accounts, take out private loans, or purchase private healthcare
(Gildersleeve 9). The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plyer v. Doe (1982) also granted
undocumented students the right to a K-12 education because the Court decided
that the State of Texas could not deny free public education to undocumented

students. There are many other legal factors that go along with undocumented
students in the United States.
The Federal Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM
Act, is a potential way of legalizing undocumented youth. Persons trying to obtain
legal status in the United States through this legislation must have entered the
United States before the age of 15, be twenty-nine years of age or younger when the
bill is enacted, have lived in the United States for at least five consecutive years prior
to the enactment of the bill, have graduated from a U.S. high school, or have obtained
a GED, or have bee accepted into an institution of higher education, have good moral
character, submit biometric and biographic information and complete security and
law enforcement background checks, undergo medical examination, register for the
Selective Service, and pay a surcharge in connection with initial application
(Buenavista and Gonzales 30).
There are many different types of undocumented students among Asians.
The first would be refugees from the East Asian countries. Anticipatory refugees,
refugees that were able to leave before they were in danger and had a plan for
departure, tend to be more educated and financially stable when coming to the
United States. An example would be the Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon
in the mid-1970s and their success, which contributed to the Asian model
minority stereotype (McBrien 334). Later refugees from Vietnam, during the years
from 1978 to mid-1980s, were less educated and lacked job skills and finances
(McBrien 335). There are also the Filipino Americans, who compose the largest
undocumented Asian ethnic group (McBrien 29). Although Asian immigrants have

similar disadvantages as other undocumented students, students from Asian

countries [are] the most advantaged (Crosnoe and Turley).
Our group presentation will focus on the different Asian groups and their
motivation of earning a college degree in the United States, the myths and realities
for undocumented students, the advantages and disadvantages of being an Asian
undocumented student in the United States, the effect of the model minority myth,
the outcome/success rate, and individual stories.

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