by Timothy Huang

Created on: December 08, 2007

Americans should definitely pay for the education of illegal immigrants, even if this means that America will be burdened more heavily than today.

Anyone below the age of 18, in the eyes of American government, is not yet a member of the adult society. In fact, anybody studying in American schools is aimed to prepare for an active participation in creating the tomorrow of American society when they turn 18, through voting, which will help to decide the type of government America has. If the illegal immigrants, no matter how young they are, has the resolve to stay in America for a 'better life' as they desire, he or she should accept the responsibilities of taking up a good education to participate in the rite of passage to prepare for a life of civic involvement with his or her community. Hence illegal immigrants' education should be funded. In fact, those illegal immigrants below the age of 18 who do not work should be the ones to be deported, as they and their parents refuse to involve with their communities in education and with it, community involvement. Americans should not accept those who only want to take money out of their pockets without assimilating to their culture!

On the other hand, illegal immigrants in America should be also educated in skills and language (English, and whenever possible, the native language of the immigrant, be it Mandarin or Spanish), to the best of their abilities. They should be treated as assets to America, who had accepted foreign people to make America a better place to live, like what the Americans did for the past 4 centuries. With a job, the illegal immigrants will be more likely to commit criminal acts if they continue to stay on in America. They may be deported but they will present a even greater problem to their home countries, who may not be able to support the illegal immigrants, hence leading them to commit the same, or more crimes than before. America should not be seen as the country that starts the cycle of crime that continues in other countries with illegal emigrants in America! America, with its reputation of standing up to moral rights, should instead educate and reform such illegal immigrants.

In addition, for the 'illegal immigrants', if they have the wish to take up American citizenship as well as retaining theirs, and that if they wish to become businessmen, trading with their home countries; or that they want to promote the communication between the two countries if the economic situation in their home countries are better; I think they should be funded with education, and I hope more there are a little bit more resources given to them, to learn both English and their home language well, to be effectively bilingual, which is even more of an asset, in the face of declining importance of teaching a second language in United States.

Americans should fund the education of their illegal immigrants and give them the hope of a bright future, or risk facing a dim consequence when the illegal immigrants who wish to be educated, but are not educated when they enter the American workforce.

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