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Reviewed by:
  • Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education: ¡Si Se Puede!
  • Mario Diaz, College Advisor
Alejandra Rincón . Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education: ¡Si Se Puede!El Paso, TX: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC, 2010. 282 pp. Paper: $32.95. ISBN: 978-1-59332-414-8.

Undocumented Immigrants and Higher Education: ¡Si Se Puede!, by Alejandra Rincón, is a historical account of immigration, state law, undocumented immigrant student access—and the lack thereof—for K-12 and postsecondary students. Rincón, a long-time advocate of undocumented students, provides excellent research that chronicles the struggles undocumented immigrant students endure as they attempt to access a postsecondary education.

Furthermore, she details the advocacy of students, college administrators, policymakers, and community leaders that ultimately led to equal access to higher education for undocumented immigrants in 10 different states in the form of in-state tuition laws. Rincón reviews economic data and legal citations that correct disinformation about this population and provides evidence of the economic, cultural, social, and political contributions of undocumented immigrants in the United States. The theme of this book, covered in seven chapters, focuses on the fight for equality and the advancements of immigrant students' civil and democratic rights.

In Chapter 1, the Introduction, Rincón provides an overview of the immigrant population in the United States, identifying as leading factors contributing to foreigners' exodus from their [End Page 704] home countries the U.S. demand for cheap labor, trade policies such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and the repayment of foreign debt by Third World countries to the United States. Furthermore, Rincón dispels the myth that immigrants are freeloaders who drain government resources, specifically social services, by providing data that not only prove otherwise, but also by detailing the economic contributions that this population provides.

The second chapter, "Historical and Legal Context," reviews the first case to grant undocumented immigrants free access to a public grammar school and high school education, Plyer v. Doe (1982). The Plyer case was a response to an amendment made to the Texas Education Code (TEC) that excluded undocumented immigrants from K-12 public schools. It also challenged Texas law, which prevented school districts from receiving state reimbursements for undocumented children. The changes made to the TEC resulted in several lawsuits, one of them against Texas Tyler Independent School District (TSID). The families of undocumented school children were victorious in these cases, and the state of Texas appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which reaffirmed the right of undocumented immigrants to a public education. Plyer has since been referred to as a groundbreaking case for immigrant students.

Despite this legal victory, nativist and anti-immigrant groups used the courts to attack the progress paved by Plyer v. Doe. The most egregious of these attacks was Proposition 187 in California, sponsored by Governor Pete Wilson. The focus of the bill was to eradicate all undocumented immigrants from schools, employment, and communities. Even though Wilson gathered immense support for Proposition 187, it was defeated in court. Still, it set the stage for anti-immigrant rhetoric, and eventually other bills emerged that threatened the livelihood of undocumented immigrants in the United States.

Chapter 3, "Broadening Educational Access: How Texas Came to Craft and Implement HB1403," traces the roots of Texas House Bill 1403, the first in-state tuition law passed in the United States. According to Rincón, the bill emerged at a grassroots level with students, advocates, educators, and policymakers working together to secure a victory for college-bound undocumented immigrants.

Rincón credits the Board of Trustees of the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) for being the first to allow undocumented students to enroll as residents of Dallas, making them eligible for in-district tuition. The changes to the DCCCD residency policy were made when administrators and the board became aware that academically gifted undocumented students were being turned away at their community college. Although this change in policy was not favored by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the DCCCD Board displayed great vision and courage as well as a willingness to fulfill the mission of the community college.

The bold action by the stakeholders at the...

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