Running head: EDUCATION FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHILDREN 1
Education for Illegal Migrant Children
Deyanira Delgado University of Texas at El Paso Elizabeth Lang English 1312: Research and Critical Writing
EDUCATION FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHILDREN 2
Education for Illegal Migrant Children
Over the past few years, thousands of children under the age of eighteen have fled Central America, migrated through Mexico, and crossed into the United States. The media and other sources have debated if these children should have the rights a US citizen has, one being the right to free education. The situation with these children has reached a crisis point and many are questioning if these children should be provided care and should have the rights of an American citizen. Many media sources are exploiting and arguing that these children should not be given the right to free education but the government states otherwise. This issue is being addressed through two genres that discuss the issue of providing education for these immigrant children. The first genre being analyzed is a fact sheet provided by The U.S Department of Education, Educational Services for Immigrant Children and Those Recently Arrived to the United States, that provides laws and guidance for anyone suffering of educational services due to immigration. This genre also explains the new law provided by the U.S government entitling immigrant children to free education. The second genre that will be analyzed is a Supreme Court document, PLYLER V. DOE, 457 U.S 202, that states different legislative arguments in regards to providing education for children who are not legally admitted into the United States. These genres, and their views regarding the issue of providing education for these migrating children will be discussed further throughout the remainder of the analysis. Audience and Purpose The first genre is a fact sheet provided by The U.S Department of Education that elaborates about the educational services for immigrant children and those that have recently arrived to the United States. This fact sheet target audience is mainly towards any family who is currently struggling with this issue or is anticipating enrolling a child who is not legal in the EDUCATION FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHILDREN 3
United States. The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide information to help the reader better understand the responsibilities of states and local educational agencies in connection with immigrant children. The second genre is a Supreme Court trial document that is targeted towards any legislative prosecutor concerned towards the issue of education for immigrant children. This second genre is more professional and consists of a very serious tone when addressing the different laws being exhibited against education for immigrant children. Both genres differ in the amount of time required to address their point and cover the information intended. The length of the fact sheet in contrast to the length of the Supreme Court document is also a clear indication of the type of audience it is meaning to attract and the purpose it is being used for. The laws addressed in the fact sheet are also simplified for the readers to easily understand what they are reading and proceed without any complications. The second genre has much more complexity to the way it written and it is also very lengthy. The Supreme Court document has a very formal and professional tone to they way it written, and it is clearly notated that it is written for a very serious setting, in this case a court trial. Each genre molds its vocabulary to communicate their information towards their targeted audience clearly and efficiently, where in return the audience can see the distinction between each piece. The purpose of the fact sheet is to serve as a source of information, and that is precisely what it does. The text is very professional yet easy to comprehend, the text is divided into sections, where each section distinctly specifies what it is addressing. For example this fact sheet has a heading titled McKinney Vento Act, which is an act for assistance that delineates the educational rights and support for children and youth experiencing homelessness. This subheading focuses solely on the McKinney Vento Act which helps maintain the fact sheet organized and easy to read. The text is kept very clean and professional yet it also maintains a EDUCATION FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHILDREN 4
very simple format to the way it is written. The purpose of the Supreme Court document is used to delineate the law codes in a court trial for a defendant being prosecuted from the right to education. This document uses very complex wording. Not only is the Supreme Court document very lengthy but it also consisting of a small font and sections divided by Roman numerals which makes the text seem very serious and professional. In this genre analysis there is also the usage of the word alien, which refers to the immigrant children being defended, which gives the document a very unbiased and serious tone, just by using that word. For example, the Supreme Court document states the following, The illegal aliens who are plaintiffs in these cases which provides that no State shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, stating that these immigrant children shall be granted the equal protection of the law as if they are a U.S citizen. Note that in the first genre the children are referred to as immigrants, and in the second genre analysis they are called aliens giving both text a very distinct difference amongst one another. Ethos In the first genre it is easy to distinguish the credibility to the fact sheet provided. First and for most the fact sheet is provided with a logo on the corner specifying that it was written by the U.S Department of Education. Another way of determining the credibility of the text is by the website link, where it states that the website is in fact provided by the government, showing the credibility of the website. For the second genre the credibility is weaved within the text, the credibility of the text comes from the way it is written and presented with the usage of in text from actual legislative laws. There is also credibility to the text because of the length and vocabulary used within each segment each formally expressing its point and the fact that it is EDUCATION FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHILDREN 5
provided by the U.S Supreme Court. The credibility also comes from the fact that the document exemplifies what an actual U.S court trial document looks like. Pathos Both genres lack the usage of pathos due to the purpose each genre is trying to address. The fact sheet genre keeps a specific formality to the way it addresses the issue of immigrant children having the right to education despite their immigration status. Although the sole purpose of the fact sheet is to help people become more informed the fact sheet is precise in the manner of making sure that they only inform and stay away from involving any in text emotion. The segment keeps the text very credible, concise and distinguishable. In the second genre, the creator of the court trial document also assures that the text is apparent as legal documents and solely as a legal document. Although the document is there to serve a purpose on defending the immigrant child from being prosecuted, the document keeps its formality and addresses solidified laws and facts when addressing this issue, which shows no apparent use of pathos. Logos The first genre uses logos through its terminology, the text is legible throughout and maintains its credibility and professionalism, which appeals to the audience. The fact sheet uses actual background and existing sources that help the reader better understand how the law has addressed education for illegal immigrant children. In the second genre, the Supreme Court document presents many facts, many being legislative in text woven throughout the court trial document. There is legitimate evidence to carry through the point being directed. Structure and Delivery Each genre was directed towards the same topic, but the way it was approached and organized was widely different. In the first genre, it was easy to read about the topic and EDUCATION FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHILDREN 6
understand the issue. The first genre used the appropriate amount of sources and background to support the issue being addressed as well as maintained a restrictive length limit. In the second genre, the point being proven is the same but it is approached in a different manner. The issue being addressed is much more explicit and complex to understand and it is mainly directed towards a designated group of people. It is much harder for the reader to grasp the point of the text in this court trial due to the length, in text citations as well as the overall structure of the document. One genre is presented through a concise fact sheet and the other must be extensively dissected to really understand the issue. The first genre appropriate for a general audience, and it is a genre where the reader can fully engage and grasp the information given as opposed to the second genre. The second genre is designed for a specific audience and it is harder for a general reader to understand. Conclusion Overall, both genres addressed and discussed the topic intended very well. The first genre was more concise and easier to comprehend but lacked more detail, it was much more informal and you could easily tell that its sole purpose was to be a source of information. The second genre was harder to interpret but it had a copious amount of information and references to rely on. Each genre had its unique way of approaching the issue of education for immigrant children and you could distinctly tell that both were very different genres.
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References Educational Services for Immigrant Children and Those Recently Arrived to the United States. (2014, January 1). Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/unaccompanied-children.html Murphy, J., Harlan, J. (2002). Pyler, Superintendent, Tyler Independent School District, ET Al. v. Doe, Guardian, ET Al. U.S Supreme Court. Retrieved from http://faculty.law.miami.edu/zfenton/documents/PlyervDoe.pdf