As part of my research for a documentary about the illegal immigration situation in the United States (perhaps with a focus on South Florida since it's right up my alley [literally]), I've been leafing through a recently-published work titled The Dream Fields of Florida: Mexican Farmworkers and the Myth of Belonging.
Though I haven't made much progress yet, the introduction told the gripping story of a Mexican teenager in Texas who, having performed so well throughout high school with an emphasis on mathematics, arrived to the college phase of her life and found that she had no little to no options available to her. Some colleges would take her, sure ... but she would still be illegal during and after her years of college.
She explained how her dreams: whether they involved math or another one of her callings, such as art, had been shot by the reality of her alien status and her place - or lack thereof - in American society.
Again, while I've yet to read the rest of the work, the introduction already has me puzzled. Why is the general consensus regarding stumped illegal immigrant youth that once they're out of high school and into college or out of college and into the real world, they've got no place to go?
I am someone in the same situation as that of the girl in the story. The only difference is that I'm Argentinean and I'm living in South Florida. As the solution to this conundrum, I am planning to move to Argentina to further my college education. Its academic offerings are up to par, I have family there that could help me out both financially and just advice-wise ... it seems like a perfect plan. I can return to the US upon my decision, and with a clean slate since I'd depart before my 18th birthday.
The central doubt, then, becomes this: is such an option, namely that of returning to your home country, available to other young illegals? Is it desirable, sustainable? Finding the answer to such a question would warrant the evaluation of the conditions of third-world countries that young illegals would be prone to return to, and whether they're doable or not.
I'll probably end up doing something like this as part of the research, but I'm just surprised that it hasn't already been considered.
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