In a guest column on EduShyster’s blog, student-teacher Mary Sypek describes her lesson with a class of fourth-graders. They are 26 children from 22 countries. She is teaching them about American government and the Constitution. Karin asks her, “Will Donald Trump deport me?”
What should she tell him?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
My daughter, who teaches in a Seattle Area School District (which I will not name here for obvious reasons) tells me that this happens at her school all the time. The children are living in great fear that they will come home and that Donald Trump will have deported their parents.
It’s happening at public schools all across the country. ICE is sweeping up parents while their citizen children are at school – on Obama’s orders.
In all, 121 mothers and children were detained in three states last weekend and sent to federal detention facilities, U.S. officials say. Federal officials said the families targeted for deportation had been processed by immigration courts.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/pre-dawn-raids-leave-us-immigrant-communities-paralyzed-with-fear/2016/01/08/5bdf664c-b412-11e5-a76a-0b5145e8679a_story.html
“If the American people are foolish enough to let a crackpot like Trump be elected president then, yes, he may well attempt to deport you, since his whole schtick is appealing to the worst and lowest and basest of human emotions and ignorance.”
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/02/72-year-old-honorably-discharged-veteran-deported-after-50-years-in-america/
While I am not a supporter, I do think that your interpretation of what Trump said is incorrect. Unless your students parents are illegal, they should not be concerned. If they are illegal, they, in general, should be concerned. We have an immigration system for a reason and purpose and those who do not follow it should have. While our immigration system needs repair and, maybe, a major overhaul, what Trump stated, as POTUS he will look to remove illegals so that those who have properly attempted to enter the country through the immigration rules can do so legally, is on its face nothing more than an enforcement of the present rules. I also teach students of illegal parents, in NYC, so it is a concern of mine, but I also do not think that a sound bite should be the basis of someone’s opinion. As I teach my students, look into what was really said and compare it to what is reported before you just to conclusions.
No person is “illegal,” Stan.
Stan, thanks for outing yourself. I always like to know who my enemies are and anyone who defend the racism, bigotry, and hatred of Donald Trump are most definitely my enemies.
Here is a nice quote from your candidate:
“Trump wants to deport everyone currently living in the US illegally, a number the Pew Research Center estimated to be above 11 million last year, but let the “wonderful cases” back into the country.
“You’re going to have a deportation force, and you’re going to do it humanely and you’re going to bring the country — and, frankly, the people, because you have some excellent, wonderful people, some fantastic people that have been here for a long period of time,” the real-estate mogul replied.
“Don’t forget, Mika, that you have millions of people that are waiting in line to come into this country and they’re waiting to come in legally,” he continued. “And I always say the wall. We’re going to build the wall. It’s going to be a real deal. It’s going to be a real wall.”
Now, let me see. When and in what places in history have we seen such things as ‘deportation forces’ and ministries who get to decide who are the ‘excellent, wonderful people’ who merit life in the land of milk and honey.
Donald Trump appeals to all the bitter, resentful, hateful, and angry white people who feel their lifelong privilege threatened and endangered by the other whom they fear and loathe. Nothing more, nothing less, no matter how you wish to spin the ugliness of it all, Stan.
I’m not a teacher and maybe this isn’t a good answer but I think she should tell him that we have a governance scheme that gives Congress all the power they need to write laws and “trump” any executive order on just about anything. Congress can draft and pass a new immigration law. They can even overcome a Trump veto.
That way he can hold all the adults accountable instead of just the celebrity Presidential candidates.
This is what I tell my 8th graders, but it’s not entirely true. With bureacratic laws and executive orders, there are many ways to bypass Congress.
Just ask the 110,000 Japanese Americans, 2/3 of them citizens, who were thrown in “internment” camps during WWII (they weren’t really internment camps, because those, by definition, are for non-citizens, and most of these people were citizens). That whole thing was done by Exective Order 9066, the anniversary of which is coming up on February 19. Japanese American groups know that anniversary as the “Day of Remembrance.” And all of us should remember as well, because Trump or whoever could issue a lot of executive orders that could do a great amount of damage.
From a well-known colleague … Read this. I am quite certain Trump would.
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__evonomics.com_renowned-2Danthropologist-2Dsays-2Ddonald-2Dtrump-2Dand-2Dalpha-2Dmale-2Dchimpanzees-2Dplay-2Dthe-2Dsame-2Dpolitical-2Dgame_-3Futm-5Fsource-3DEvonomics-2BNewsletter-26utm-5Fcampaign-3Db674ac777e-2DFebruary-5F4-5F2016-26utm-5Fmedium-3Demail-26utm-5Fterm-3D0-5F6135d6253e-2Db674ac777e-2D292865249&d=AwIFAg&c=SgMrq23dbjbGX6e0ZsSHgEZX6A4IAf1SO3AJ2bNrHlk&r=QLq1_zQ-dLdqHvNFpLkJq6k99a1fTs46K0UDFW45UwI&m=k4zvMoO-KpQaaWAGymmAAhrcO38V4_hJ2dvXa0g9d-s&s=-MgjH4Tm8c4crQ4tQVMOSeAp192jcQx2cQnumm1eOak&e=
Trump certainly would – it’s one of his most popular selling points to the American people. A better question would be, ‘will the American people allow me to be deported?’ I don’t know the answer to that now, but if Mr. Trump is elected – the answer will become apparent.
I think the question asks ‘what would you say to the student?’ I would reassure the student (4th grader) that their parents will take care of them. There are legal ways to enter this country built by immigrants. I would also add that at some point in all our families’ history we were all immigrants. Who knows maybe the student will start a conversation at home. My job is to educate, not use my classroom for my personal political agenda.
I’m not defending Trump – he certainly knows how to demagogue and bring out the worst fears and prejudices in people. But it also needs to be said that just because our current president isn’t openly xenophobic doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an impressive deportation record of his own. And Hillary would be no better. We need to fix the system, starting with recognizing that our country runs on illegal immigration.
“. . . that our country runs on illegal immigration.”
Most people have no clue about that fact, especially the agriculture sector.
Our country fails to recognize that undocumented immigrants are a net plus for our economy. Contrary to right wing rants, they do not qualify for welfare or the ACA. Although I doubt Trump would actually round up between ten and fourteen million people, which would cost us a fortune and rip families apart, we should remember that Eisenhower did deport over a million people after WW II in “Operation Wetback.” Eisenhower’s original intent was to deport about thirteen million. Let’s hope we never have to find out what Trump will do.
I find it interesting that the fourth graders described in the guest column linked above are reading nonfiction.
Yet, so many of the candidates running for president (particularly on the GOP side) seem to be living in a fantasy world, spewing fiction. Bernie Sanders, for example, pointed out Thursday night how the Republican candidates are denying climate change. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has that commercial showing hordes of immigrants storming our border (yet the footage isn’t even from the U.S.!) And, don’t get me started on Ted Cruz’s oozing, unctuous glorification of the Reagan years. (For a VERY disturbing trip back to the early 1980s check out “The Reagan Administration’s Chilling Response to the AIDS Crisis”, a short film posted by Vanity Fair in December. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAzDn7tE1lU )
The teacher and her students sound A LOT more thoughtful and humane than some of the buffoons who are trying to be elected “leader of the free world” this year.
BTW, the comments back and forth on the EduShyster blog are very interesting, too.
The fear of being deported is real. I personally know a number of people who have been deported. One is the father of two born in the USA children.
I’ve taught many sons and daughters whose parents were undocumented in this country. Their children’s tears and words are some of the most authentic things I have ever seen flow. Many of the children step towards adulthood much too quickly. They are the translators, the half sibling-half parents, they are the eyes and ears of their family- in many ways for their parents. Politics aside- red – blue- it will all be a stain if we don’t act with humanity towards other humans. Sadly, at the end of the day people like Trump don’t realize who they hurt, that they are a commercial for hate, ISIS, and divide. We could start by building a wall around Fortunato’s hairpiece.