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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
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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

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