As of 2015, there were 73.6 million children under the age of 18 in the United States (“NUMBER OF CHILDREN…”). Of those 73.6 million children, 5.5 million of them have at least one parent that is an illegal or undocumented immigrant in the United States (Cohn and Passel). That is 13% of the children in the United States. Even if all children of illegal immigrants were born in the United States they would still live a more complicated life than children of native-born parents. While the education, problems, financial circumstances, and family structure of immigrant and native-born children have some similarities, they also have differences that makes the life of an immigrant child harder than the life of a native- born child.
The education …show more content…
Both of these children live in poverty. Some days these children wonder when their next meal will come or when will their parents be home from work. They also do not go to the doctors when they are sick because they either do not have insurance or do not have enough money for medical bills. Although they share some problems, there are some different problems. Poor and unemployed parents of native-born children are able to receive unemployment unlike undocumented parents (Sherman). When a child of an illegal immigrant meets a new person, they have to keep their situation a secret because they fear they will be deported or separated from their parents. Some parents will not enroll their children in school or take them to the doctors because they fear that someone could find out that they are illegal. Illegal immigrant parents work long hours in low-wage jobs just so they can stay “invisible.” Children worry about their parents too. Their parents work in places where their bosses may take advantage of them. The bosses can force the parents to work in dangerous positions. The parents choose not to complain about the working conditions because they fear that they could be arrested or deported (¨Immigration: Living Undocumented¨). The fact that children of illegal immigrants have more problems than children of native-born citizens makes their lives more …show more content…
These children are born in the United States, yet their status in America is different. Children of native-born parents are able to receive more public benefits that make their lives less challenging than children with undocumented parents. Few similar characteristics can be found in education, problems, financial situation, and family structure that make the life of children of illegal immigrants and children with native-born parents equal. The life of a child with undocumented parents is harder than the life of a child with native-born
The education …show more content…
Both of these children live in poverty. Some days these children wonder when their next meal will come or when will their parents be home from work. They also do not go to the doctors when they are sick because they either do not have insurance or do not have enough money for medical bills. Although they share some problems, there are some different problems. Poor and unemployed parents of native-born children are able to receive unemployment unlike undocumented parents (Sherman). When a child of an illegal immigrant meets a new person, they have to keep their situation a secret because they fear they will be deported or separated from their parents. Some parents will not enroll their children in school or take them to the doctors because they fear that someone could find out that they are illegal. Illegal immigrant parents work long hours in low-wage jobs just so they can stay “invisible.” Children worry about their parents too. Their parents work in places where their bosses may take advantage of them. The bosses can force the parents to work in dangerous positions. The parents choose not to complain about the working conditions because they fear that they could be arrested or deported (¨Immigration: Living Undocumented¨). The fact that children of illegal immigrants have more problems than children of native-born citizens makes their lives more …show more content…
These children are born in the United States, yet their status in America is different. Children of native-born parents are able to receive more public benefits that make their lives less challenging than children with undocumented parents. Few similar characteristics can be found in education, problems, financial situation, and family structure that make the life of children of illegal immigrants and children with native-born parents equal. The life of a child with undocumented parents is harder than the life of a child with native-born