Column: First year reading requirement a must-read
Immigration affairs have been the media motif following the 2016 Presidential election.
USC Aiken’s first year reading requirement for this year, “Undocumented: A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League” by Dan-el Padilla Peralta is a must-read.
Padilla allows readers to peer into the mental and emotional tolls of establishing citizenship and the societal value these individuals bring to the United States. Following a close reading of “Undocumented,” I was deeply moved by the author’s journey.
Dan-el, a brilliant Dominican boy, found himself in the United States by way of circumstances out if his control. His resilience within the U.S. education system as a gifted student and an undocumented immigrant pushes the slightest notion that immigrants are an employment threat to Americans into a category of irrational thinking. Dan-el’s story is an invaluable account of heartache, rejection, and achievement.
Following a close analysis of media posts, articles and podcasts, I have gathered that a large percentage of Americans have drawn the conclusion that immigrants pose a threat to potential employment opportunities and are inherently a looming addition to gang and drug violence. Peralta’s main focus in the novel was addressing the demonizing of immigrants.
I must stress the value and insight within this novel. Regardless of political orientation, the selected first year reading for USCA students is beneficial for all readers, providing insight to the lives of those who struggle in their own country and ours.
Columns written by editors and writers of Pacer Times do not necessarily reflect the opinion of staff members or leadership. Letters to the editor may be emailed to Editor-in-Chief, Cecilia Maddox at cmy@usca.edu, and will be published at the editorial staff’s discretion.
