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COLLEGE EDUCATION FOR NEW U.S. RESIDENTS
College helps immigrants get degrees
By Manerva Cato
NATIONAL CITY — While teaching civics and government classes to new immigrants a few years ago, Reymundo Marin and his wife, Maria, stumbled across a disturbing trend.
"We noticed a lot of educated immigrants who were working low-wage jobs because they didn't know where else to go. They were told their degrees from universities in their native countries weren't valid here," Marin said.
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"We noticed a lot of educated immigrants who were working low-wage jobs because they didn't know where else to go. They were told their degrees from universities in their native countries weren't valid here,'' Marin said.
They decided to step in to help, and founded InterAmerican College , a nonprofit school where immigrants who were professionals in their native countries are put on a fast track to earn a degree in the United States.
This weekend, the first group of eight graduates received their bachelor's of arts degrees from the independent, four-year school five miles south of San Diego.
Like most of the graduates, valedictorian Francisca Lopez plans to become a teacher and eventually a school administrator.
Lopez had earned a master's degree in engineering at a Mexican university, and climbed the corporate ladder until she became a manager.
But when she immigrated to the United States, she couldn't get a job anywhere — at least not one that required a degree and paid enough to support a family.
"`I knocked on many doors, but everyone turned me away. I had learned English, but they said my degree in Mexico wasn't worth anything here," said Lopez, a teacher's aide. "They said I had to fulfill the college requirements here and that meant starting all over again. At 30, I just couldn't see that, wasting all those years of my life learning things I already knew."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 25.2 percent of immigrants who arrived in the United States after 1990 had college degrees. But many of them founder in low-skill, low-wage jobs, some because they are unfamiliar with the educational system and don't know how to ensure that they get the proper credit for the schooling they got in other countries.
"We can't continue to keep allowing so much talent and education to go to waste," Marin said. "These people can't continue to keep painting, cleaning houses or doing landscaping.''
ABOUT THE SCHOOL
InterAmerican, a private, non-profit institution has become quite popular in the Latino community, especially among those who would like to become bilingual teachers. The students take just one course each month, and if they transfer in at least three years' worth of credit, they can earn a degree in interdisciplinary studies within 10 months. InterAmerican was founded by Reymundo Marin and his wife, Maria, who have both taught at the college level (Mr. Marin at Washington State University and the University of Washington; Ms. Marin at National University and National Hispanic University).
At InterAmerican University, foreign college transcripts are evaluated by an independent panel that appraises course work and gives credit for up to three years of college work.
Students then take intensive one-month courses on weekends and at nights to complete requirements for a degree here.
The school is still in the two-year process of applying for accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, but has approval from the state's Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education to grant degrees, Marin said.
Saturday's graduation leaves 28 people enrolled in the school, which has three offices, a small library and three classrooms at the National City Community Center.
Beatriz Ortiz, 60, a mother of five and grandmother who immigrated in 1970, was an elementary school teacher in Mexico City for 10 years but discovered her teaching credentials weren't valid in the United States.
``They (the Marins) know that we're here to give, not to take. They're here to help others like us,'' Ortiz said. ``You're going to see how this school is going to grow. There's many more out there like us.''
Mrs. Marin said she knows of nothing else like their school in California. And while they modeled the program after one adopted by the New York Board of Regents, that program is aimed at helping military enlistees continue their education overseas, not immigrants in this country.
Alex Gonzalez, president of California State University, San Marcos, said InterAmerican is serving a great need for immigrants, a population that statistically has lower earning rates.
``These folks are truly pioneers,'' said Gonzalez, who was the school's commencement speaker. ``InterAmerican is providing a different perspective at pedagogy and how we link that pedagogy to higher education.''
(Editor's Note: Inter-American College is located at 140 W. 16 th St. , National City , CA 91950 ; Tel.: 619- 477-6310. The college offers bachelor's degrees in Liberal Studies, Spanish, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Science.)
<IMMIGRATION AND MARRIAGE:
Is Canada still a welcoming place for immigrants?
By Jennifer Wipf, ImmigrationNewsman.com
Like so many recent romances, theirs began on the Internet and ended up in the sticky grasp of immigration red tape.
Josephine was from West Virginia and Sean, from Toronto . They fell in love in a chat room and then commuted between countries to foster the relationship. On one of Josephine's visits to Canada, the two decided to tie the knot. Before making the final decision to stay in Canada, the newlyweds weighed all the variables.
Sean had a good job and Josephine was not as attached to hers. She was a non-insulin dependent diabetic, however, and wanted to find out if that would cause a glitch in the Canadian immigration process. She called the authorities and was assured that there would be no problem.
”They brushed it off as a silly question," Josephine says, "and told me they were looking for a contagious disease or a serious health risk like a heart transplant."
Sean thought that Josephine was being silly as well. "I thought my country was solid as a rock. I always felt a sense of pride in Canada for its compassion to others," he says. "These days, all I feel is ashamed," he concedes. "I fell in love with a wonderful woman. The only catch was that she lived thousands of miles away. I thought it would just be a paper shuffle to get her legal."
That has hardly been the case.
Aside from her mild form of diabetes and the need for a bladder operation, Josephine has been in good health. "I had a bladder problem a few years back," she explains. "The muscle was weak, not allowing it to completely drain. I was basically advised not to lift anything heavier than ten pounds, and that was it."
Josephine developed a urinary tract infection shortly after the marriage, which several high dose treatments of antibiotics have failed to cure. Surgery may be necessary to correct the problem. As a result, Josephine cannot pass the immigration physical and faces the fear of deportation when her current pass runs out in March.
Furthermore, she is faced with the prospect of lifting a lot of heavy things, (which she is not supposed to do), because with one income and all the immigration and medical costs, the couple is too strapped to hire movers.
Josephine gave up a home, a job and living near her children and grandchildren to stay in Canada with her husband. Now it appears both she and Sean will have to start over. But with no recent income, Josephine will be unable to sponsor Sean for a U.S. green card, despite a good job offer if she returns to the States. If she cannot find a co-sponsor, she and Sean face the reality of a long distance marriage, spending only a few weeks together for a few years. And that only if authorities are lenient enough to allow frequent spouse visits, which is not often the case for fear one will immigrate.
In vain, the two have contacted many political representatives in both countries. Naturally, they are losing hope.
"We are at the point in our lives where we should be settled, not living by the seat of our pants fearing we'll be separated any moment like families in the midst of some war," says Josephine.
Sean agrees. "After nearly 11 months of one form after another and the constant $100 for this, $75 for that, $500 for something else, I have come to the conclusion that Canada no longer wants or welcomes new immigrants unless they have lots of money."
To complicate matters, Josephine's daughter has had a medical emergency as well and the couple is desperate to get back to the States to see her.
"But if Josephine leaves, they probably won't let her back in," says Sean.
"Life is just too short for this," says Josephine, "and we have both been alone too long."
Many people assume that if they live in the U.S. or Canada all their lives, obey the laws, pay taxes and do their various civic duties, that they have an inalienable right to have a foreign spouse join them as a resident. Those who meet up with medical, financial or legal disqualifiers are shocked to find out that their stellar and life long citizenship history may do them no good in the battle to be with those they love.
"Everyone should think about these things before they nominate politicians," Josephine stresses. "Fight for your rights as a citizen. Tomorrow this could happen to you, or to someone you love."
If Canada is the rock, America must be the hard place.
(Editor's Note: This column first appeared on the Immigration Newsman. Jennifer Wipf also writes for the popular website About.com on immigration issues.)
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