Linked by David Adams on Wed 6th Apr 2005 20:21 UTC
This month's Wired magazine has a terriffic story about a team of students from a high school in an economically depressed part of Phoenix, who took part in an underwater-robot building competition against students from the top universities in the country -- and won. All of the students are undocumented Mexican immigrants who don't qualify for most financial aid or even in-state tuition, and therefore can't afford to attend college, in the US, Mexico, or anywhere. When I read the article I determined to try to do something to help give these kids their chance, and I was delighted to discover that their faculty advisor has set up a scholarship fund for them, and I'm about to donate some money to help. I'd like to encourage OSNews readers to read the story, and if they feel the same way, to donate.
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No, I wouldn't mind if they did this in Mexico. Its the fact that their getting special treatment while also being unconvicted felons that bothers me (yes, illegally entering the US is a felony). If these guys were students in Mexico, obeying Mexican laws and entered into a competition that brought them temporarily into the US, then went back to Mexico, that would be fine with me. Get 'em some scholarship money and if they can get a visa, they can go to school in the US (or any other non-third world country for that matter). And if they can't get a visa, they use their money to go to school in Mexico. I have no issue with their technical skills or their desire to go to school, nor anyone's desire to help them. But the fact is, thus far, they owe their technical abilities to the US provided education they received at the expense of all our federal tax dollars and Arizona residents' state tax dollars. This is money they've used illegally, so technically their felonous illegal immigrants AND thieves. If they were such good people, they'd take their scholarship monies and pay back the US and Arizona for the monies they've leeched from us for their illegal education. At this point, let 'em be smart, but let 'em do so back in Mexico.