Reflection Paper About Immigration

Reflection Paper

The last two quarters have been extremely vital to changing my views of undocumented immigrants, especially undocumented students. I never particularly cared to think about their experiences beyond the fact that they are economically disadvantaged. The two quarters I have spent taking the Immigrant Rights, Labor and Higher Education course have taught me aboutvarious socioeconomicdisadvantagesundocumented immigrants face along with the anxieties that come with being the possibility of being separated from family members, deportations, the intersectionality of different identities interacting with their status. Overall, this class has taught me to humanize my understanding of the immigration debate.

Through this experience, I have learned a lot about my beliefs. I realized that I am much

Although I am here on political asylum as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, my experience as an immigrant varies greatly from that of many other immigrants. It was easier for my family toadjustto American customs and social norms because we were used to interacting with westerners. My mother spokeEnglish and Spanish fluently and was able to get a job when she arrived and work through school. My mother was able to tutor my brother and I through elementary, middle, and high school to ensure that we get good grades and get into college. These are privileges that many undocumented families do not have. Being in this class has caused me to acknowledged that my immigration story is different from undocumented immigrants and I have to acknowledge that when I speak about immigration reform. This class really helped me understand and consider their perspectives and many of the experiences they told me about from a political context. I now understand the intricate relationship between their decision to enter the united states without proper documentation and American foreign