Generations of immigrants have come to the United States looking for the “better life” this country has promised to offer within our borders, “opportunities for them and especially for their children” (Gonzales, 2015, p.73). The reality of this dream is broken, however, when forced to confront the limitations and exclusions the lack of citizenship status creates in nearly every aspect of their lives. As Lives in Limbo: Undocumented and Coming of Age in America conveys, undocumented youth, specifically the 1.5 generation, face unique challenges transitioning to adulthood in America and, more often than not, face the shattering of their American Dream in late adolescence.
I was left feeling hopeful for the respondents in the book. Despite being …show more content…
I was born in the United States to legally born parents and have always had a birth certificate and social security number. When I married and whenever I moved, I was able to change my driver’s license, name and social security card with ease. Filling out job applications, banking information and applying for social security numbers for my children are uneventful and most certainly do not bring the stress and anxiety of a possible deportation. Although I have never traveled to another country I am confident I could obtain a passport without any troubles. A few of the issues in the book that intersect with my own personal experiences include access to education (in a positive light), the importance of positive school experiences and some of the effects of low wage jobs. My access to education has mostly been a positive one and have encountered minimal obstacles along the way. Good grades in “Blue ribbon” school districts helped gain my teacher’s attention for college recommendations and the transition into college was very easy. Everyone I knew applied for college. Some people didn’t need financial aid but many did even with good grades but the aid was there for us. Many of the college-goers in the book received good grades throughout high school and participated in extra-curricular activities only to find that federal funding for college was unavailable to them, regardless of their hard work and GPA. Even those who were able to save and pay for college tuition on their own found few job opportunities after graduation because of an inability to legally obtain a work visa, a social security number or citizenship status. For many American born college students including myself, postsecondary education would not be available without federal aid. One young man having two postsecondary degrees who “…would have had his choice of attractive job possibilities if he had been a
I was left feeling hopeful for the respondents in the book. Despite being …show more content…
I was born in the United States to legally born parents and have always had a birth certificate and social security number. When I married and whenever I moved, I was able to change my driver’s license, name and social security card with ease. Filling out job applications, banking information and applying for social security numbers for my children are uneventful and most certainly do not bring the stress and anxiety of a possible deportation. Although I have never traveled to another country I am confident I could obtain a passport without any troubles. A few of the issues in the book that intersect with my own personal experiences include access to education (in a positive light), the importance of positive school experiences and some of the effects of low wage jobs. My access to education has mostly been a positive one and have encountered minimal obstacles along the way. Good grades in “Blue ribbon” school districts helped gain my teacher’s attention for college recommendations and the transition into college was very easy. Everyone I knew applied for college. Some people didn’t need financial aid but many did even with good grades but the aid was there for us. Many of the college-goers in the book received good grades throughout high school and participated in extra-curricular activities only to find that federal funding for college was unavailable to them, regardless of their hard work and GPA. Even those who were able to save and pay for college tuition on their own found few job opportunities after graduation because of an inability to legally obtain a work visa, a social security number or citizenship status. For many American born college students including myself, postsecondary education would not be available without federal aid. One young man having two postsecondary degrees who “…would have had his choice of attractive job possibilities if he had been a