“Why I Need to Go to College” by an anonymous named “Amy” brings up an issue we should not ignore. Illegal immigration is, yes, illegal. However, to consider doing it means that whatever is going on in the immigrant’s home country is far worse than the consequences of possibly being caught. The author of this piece has a mother who spent half her life working with the hopes of giving her a better future, a grandma who taught her how to deeply love people, and an uncle and aunt who uprooted their lives to journey with her through the desert from Guatemala to the United States. She wants to pay that back by achieving the “American Dream” of going to college, which is what they all wanted when they sacrificed for her. We should sympathize - wouldn’t you do anything to keep your family safe?
Sometimes I see this topic discussed in newspapers or on television. At times, I also see people simply glance at the article and turn the page, and once, someone proclaiming that “illegal immigrants should get out and stay out.” In this world of “freedom and prosperity” some people preach, why do so few make conscious efforts to help others with these problems? What some are desperate for, we take for granted. We’re safe, we have food, shelter, and water, and many of us are entitled to electronics. Reflecting back on her illegal crossing to the U.S., Amy writes, “I wanted to protect her, but I couldn’t even protect myself.” No eight-year-old should feel that responsibility. With personal experience, Amy brilliantly expresses her fear and anticipation for the future in her heartbreaking story of how she strives for a better life.