Immigration Policy in the Classroom: COABE conference April 13

Immigration Policy
in the Classroom:
When Civic Integration
Gets Real
COABE conference
April 13, 2016
Today’s Workshop
•  Who are today’s immigrants?
•  How does immigration policy affect who arrives in the adult education classroom?
•  What is the current state of immigrant integration policy? And how might it change in the future?
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Who are today’s immigrants?
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A Growing Segment of Americans…
•  Immigrants represent 13% of the US population and 17% of the US workforce
•  In many areas, population would be shrinking if not for immigration
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…and the Engine Behind this Number
Country
Workers Per
Retiree
Japan
2.1
Germany
2.9
United States
China
Brazil
India
Nigeria
4.6
7.8
8.6
10.9
15.8
Source:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/ratio-of-workers-to-retirees-willplummet-worldwide1/ (except Japan)
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Or, to put it another way:
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But Nobody Moves Across the World…
…because of a retirement ratio or an age pyramid
Photo credit: Victor Kuznetsov, copyright 123rf.com
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So What Brings People to the US?
•  Share your hypotheses
Image credit: Thomas Reichhart, copyright 123rf.com
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Immigrants in the US: A Quick Snapshot
•  The US is home to more than 41 million immigrants •  Of those, approximately 11 million (1 out of 4) are undocumented
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Sources: US Census Bureau; Migration Policy Institute. Photo credit: Hongqi Zhang, copyright 123rf.com
Snapshot: Region of Origin
1% 2%
Europe
12%
Asia
Africa
29%
52%
Latin America &
Caribbean
Oceania
Canada & Other
Data source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2010-14.
Population: Foreign-born individuals.
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4%
Snapshot: Educational Attainment
31%
31%
29%
Immigrants
US-born
22%
19%
19%
16%
12% 11%
10%
Less than HS
HS diploma/equiv.
Data source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2010-14.
Population 25 years and older.
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Some college or Bachelor's degree
associate's degree
Graduate or
professional
degree
Snapshot: English Proficiency
16%
English only
42%
English "very
well"
42%
Data source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2010-14.
Population 5 years and older.
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English less than
"very well"
Zeroing In: Basic Skills
•  Results from OECD’s international Survey of Adult Skills show that 36 million US adults ages 16-­‐‑65 have low basic skills
•  One-­‐‑third (12 million) are immigrants www.nationalskillscoalition.org
Good News: We Really Are Exceptional
•  The US has a stronger correlation between skills and wages than other OECD countries
•  Learning English (and other skills) pays off for immigrants
Photo credit: Danny Hooks, copyright 123rf.com
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How does immigration policy affect who arrives in the adult ed classroom?
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Meet Marta
Marta was an accountant in Mexico before moving to the United States. She waited nine years for her family-­‐‑based immigration visa to become available. She arrived with a green card and significant work experience, but her English skills are minimal.
Photo for illustration purposes. Story is a composite character.
Photo credit: Andres Rodriguez, copyright 123rf.com
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The Other Martas
•  Two-­‐‑thirds of new US immigrants arrive on family-­‐‑
based visas. •  In 2014-­‐‑15, nearly 90,000 immigrants with foreign degrees were served in WIOA Title II English Language classes. Sources: US Department of Homeland Security; US Department of
Education National Reporting System.
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Meet Priyanka
Born in rural India, Priyanka married young and promptly came to the US with her new husband. His work visa allowed her to live here, but not to work herself. She has spent most of the last 10 years raising children. Now that the oldest is in elementary school, she is eager to get involved in the community beyond her small circle of fellow immigrants. But despite her years in the United States, her English skills are quite limited. Photo for illustration purposes. Story is a composite character.
Photo credit: szefai, copyright 123rf.com
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The Other Priyankas
•  There are more than 2 million Indian immigrants in the US, comprising 5% of the total foreign-­‐‑born population
•  Each year, the US grants roughly 85,000 H1B visas to highly skilled workers. Typically, their spouses are not authorized to work.
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Meet Mario
Mario is 22 years old. He came to the US from Honduras when he was 14. He briefly aPended high school, but had to leave to find work. A friend has recently convinced him it’s time to go back and earn his high-­‐‑school equivalency. His spoken English is strong, but he struggles to read or write in any language.
Photo for illustration purposes. Story is a composite character.
Photo credit: AmanaImages Inc., copyright 123rf.com
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The Other Marios
•  There are an estimated 1.4 million young adults in the US who arrived before the age of 16 and are currently without status
•  These individuals are often referred to as the Dreamers
•  Though Dreamers come from all over the world, they are disproportionately likely to be from Latin America
•  All young people – regardless of immigration status -­‐‑-­‐‑
have the legal right to a[end K-­‐‑12 schools, but access to other educational opportunities is not guaranteed
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Meet Amadou
Amadou survived numerous threats and violent aPacks before deciding that his activism made him too much of a target to stay in West Africa. Unable to get a visa, he traveled to the US on a false passport and applied for political asylum as soon as he arrived at the airport. After a two-­‐‑year stay in an immigrant detention center, a judge heard his case and granted him permission to stay. He was released from detention with only a small bag of belongings and a referral to a shelter. www.nationalskillscoalition.org
Photo for illustration purposes.
Story is a composite character.
Photo credit: Jasminko Ibrakovic, copyright 123rf.com
The Other Amadous
•  Each year, the US grants asylum to approximately 30,000 individuals
•  Asylees are given one-­‐‑ or two-­‐‑year work permits, and are eligible to apply for permanent resident (“green card”) status in the future
•  Asylees may be eligible for limited supportive services funded through the US Office of Refugee Rese[lement www.nationalskillscoalition.org
What is the current state of immigrant integration policy?
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What is Immigrant Integration?
•  A dynamic, two-­‐‑way process in which newcomers and the receiving society work together to build secure, vibrant and cohesive communities. As an intentional effort, integration engages and transforms all community members, reaping shared benefits and creating a new whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. -­‐‑-­‐‑Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees
•  There are three pillars of immigrant integration: linguistic, civic, and economic. -­‐‑-­‐‑ White House Interagency Task Force www.nationalskillscoalition.org
A Federal Lens: White House Task
Force on New Americans
•  Created by Nov. 2014 executive order
•  Strategic plan (at right) released April 2015; interim report in December 2015
•  Outlines federal activities on immigrant integration, including adult education and naturalization
http://tinyurl.com/WHNewAmericans
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Adult Ed Plays a Central Role in
Fostering Immigrant Integration
•  Networks for Integrating New Americans is a 3-­‐‑year federal technical assistance initiative from OCTAE
•  Five sites (RI, PA, WA, CA, ID)
•  Each site includes an AEFLA-­‐‑
funded organization as a core member of the local network
Read the Theoretical Framework:
http://tinyurl.com/NetworkNewAmer
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A Classroom Resource on Integration
•  An Instructors’ Toolkit for Building Bridges Across Communities consists of mid-­‐‑level, adaptable ESOL and ABE classroom activities that aim to foster dialogue across cultures and build lasting connections, especially among immigrants and US-­‐‑born residents. •  Draws on resources developed by Welcoming America and The Change Agent magazine from World Education. Published in 2015.
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http://tinyurl.com/ESOLtoolkit
Solving the Undocumented Puzzle
Four federal approaches:
•  DREAM Act – not passed by Congress; may be reintroduced this session
•  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (original 2012 DACA) – currently in effect •  Expanded 2014 DACA – on hold due to court case
•  New Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) – on hold due to court case www.nationalskillscoalition.org
A Refresher: Who Are the Dreamers?
•  Arrived in US as children or young teens
•  May have had interrupted schooling
•  May speak English as a primary language, or may be English Language Learners
•  May be in school, in college, and/
or working
Photo credit: Flickr user Antonio R. Villaraigosa. Used by permission under a Creative Commons license. www.nationalskillscoalition.org
Original DACA: Still in Effect!
Eligibility requirements cover these areas:
Age now & age at arrival in US
Continuous residence in the US Physical presence in the US
Immigration status (i.e., currently undocumented)
In school, have a GED or high school diploma, or honorable discharge from military
•  Lack of criminal convictions
Find official instructions & a clear, simple video overview at:
www.uscis.gov/ChildhoodArrivals
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What DACA Means for Individuals
•  Protection from deportation
•  Ability to obtain a Social Security card and temporary work permit
•  Ability to apply for a driver’s license Image credit: US Citizenship and Immigration Services
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DACA in Your Classroom
•  Students may ask for a le[er to verify their enrollment in your class
•  Students should be encouraged to persist in classes even after obtaining DACA status
Photo credit: Flickr user Skyline_College.
Used by permission under a Creative Commons license.
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Expanded DACA: Not in Effect
•  Would remove age cap
•  Would allow for some newer arrivals
•  Other requirements are similar to original DACA, including the educational requirement
Photo credit: Flickr user Michael Theis.
Used by permission under a Creative Commons license. www.nationalskillscoalition.org
DAPA: Who Would be Affected?
This Program is Not Yet in Effect
DAPA = Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents
•  In other words: undocumented immigrant parents of US citizen children or green-­‐‑card-­‐‑holder children •  Includes temporary work permit and protection from deportation
•  Eligibility requirements do not include education component
Photo credit: Flickr user Michael Fleshman. Used by permission under a Creative Commons license. www.nationalskillscoalition.org
DREAM Act: Will Congress Move?
•  Only Congress can provide a path to permanent status •  Would include strict education requirements
•  Advocacy opportunity: Add industry-­‐‑recognized credentials?
Photo credit: Flickr user Justin Valas.
Used by permission under a Creative Commons license.
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Learn More
www.nationalskillscoalition.org/ federal-­‐‑policy/immigration
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What can adult educators do?
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Resource: E4FC
•  Educators for Fair Consideration is a coalition of educators from all types of institutions and organizations
•  Mission of empowering undocumented young people in their pursuit of college, career and citizenship
www.e4fc.org
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Resource: CCCIE
•  The Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education is a national network of community colleges
•  Each network member has demonstrated a commitment to immigrant education through their innovative programs and services for immigrant students
www.cccie.org
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Resource: Dreaming Big Report
•  Dreaming Big: What Community Colleges Can Do to Help Undocumented Immigrant Youth Achieve Their Potential
www.cccie.org/images/stories/
DREAMING_BIG_CCCIE_Report_9-2012.pdf
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Weighing In on Policy:
The Adult Educator’s Perspective
•  Share success stories
•  Sign on in support
•  Educate policymakers Photo credit: Flickr user UNH Manchester.
Used by permission under a Creative Commons license. www.nationalskillscoalition.org
Weighing In on Policy:
The Learner’s Perspective
•  Le[er-­‐‑writing
•  Inviting a policymaker to visit
•  Peer storytelling
•  Testimony Photo credit: Flickr user Connie Ma.
Used by permission under a Creative Commons license. www.nationalskillscoalition.org
Stay Connected
•  Visit our website.
•  Sign up for our member email list.
•  Follow us on:
www.nationalskillscoalition.org
Contact
Amanda Bergson-­‐‑Shilcock
Senior Policy Analyst
215-­‐‑285-­‐‑2860 amandabs@nationalskillscoalition.org
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