Why do families migrate? Children’s education is the “Currency of Love”

Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service

American Community Media (ACoM) held an online briefing on Oct 24th with Harvard School of Education professor Gabrielle Oliveira. She discussed the emotional and moral aspects behind immigrant families, pointing out that for most immigrants, education is not only a way out of poverty, but also a concrete manifestation of parental love and sacrifice.

In her new book “Now We Are Here”, Oliveira uses a large number of interviews and surveys to reveal how parents regard their children’s education as an investment of love. She said that traditional immigration narratives often focus on economic motivations, but in fact, “education becomes a stabilizing force and spiritual sustenance, making parents feel that all separation and sacrifices have meaning.” Oliveira pointed out that the current anti-immigration climate has left many families in fear. “Parents are worried that their identities will be checked when driving their children to school. As a result, many students miss school and have to take the bus or take time off at home.” She described that this era of high surveillance not only weakens the learning effect, but also puts children under great psychological pressure.

In response to the recent case of a 17-year-old top student in Los Angeles who was deported and his mother died due to lack of medication, Oliveira criticized that the U.S. immigration policy has long neglected the well-being of children and created lasting psychological trauma and social exclusion. Policymakers assume that children are resilient, but this is unfair because children are still suffering the consequences of separation and loss.

If teachers can understand students’ cultural background and family stories and build trusting relationships, they can open the door to learning. She suggested that school teams should include psychologists, social workers and language counselors to jointly support students, rather than treating trauma issues as taboo.

When talking about educational and cultural differences, Oliveira pointed out that although parents in Asian countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan attach great importance to academic achievement, American education emphasizes creativity and diverse thinking, which is still attractive. “The American dream is still there, and the belief that education brings opportunity is still strong.” She called for the restoration of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the strengthening of training and support mechanisms.

Oliveira emphasized that the competitiveness of the United States depends on immigrant labor and education investment. Ignoring the education of immigrants’ children will not only harm humanity, but will also weaken the country’s economic future. She called on policymakers to stop viewing immigrants as a cost and see them as contributors and givers to society.