Editor:

We are writing in response to the uninformed, unresearched and wrong arguments written by J.D. Bowns (“Illegal immigrants should not get resident tuition,” Nov. 7).

Bowns claims there are U students on campus who are “Illegal aliens. Illegal. Period.” Despite the fact the term “illegal alien” makes human beings sound like bug-eyed extra-terrestrisals, what most people like Bowns don’t know is that these “illegal” immigrants do pay taxes. Surprised?!

Bowns, you’re a business student-you should know undocumented workers get taxed though their paychecks, consumerism and through an IRS tax number. This country isn’t going to let an opportunity like taxing the unrepresented slip by!

Undocumented people work the highly exhausting, low-wage jobs with no benefits and no overtime pay that no citizen will take because they’re degrading.

HB 144 has given these families some hope for their children’s academic future, despite their ever-present, self-effacing jobs.

Undocumented students can’t get FAFSA or state scholarship money. The only thing HB 144 does is allow them to pay $5,000 instead of $16,000 a year for tuition-out of pocket.

You see, Bowns, no one is taking anything from you. In fact, you owe undocumented students on campus an apology for spitting in their face. Take the attitude of Catherine McMillen, sophomore from Texas: “What? Legal status shouldn’t deny affordable education!”

I don’t know about you, Bowns, but I think education is a good thing for our community and our world, not something that should be denied. We encourage loving U students to support education for all, especially those who have had to jump through hoops of fire just to get to this campus only to be received by haters.

Yvette Gonzalez

Political Science/Ethnic Studies

Nicol Razon

Actor’s Training Program/Ethnic Studies