For University of Memphis student Nancy Ch�vez life inthe United States started in high school. She was old enough to bea senior but was demoted to sophomore because of her poor Englishskills.
University of Memphis Hispanic undergraduates comprised lessthan 1 percent of the student population in 1997, with a headcountof 137 in 1997. But now, six years later, Hispanic undergraduatesnumber 206, a 50 percent increase since '97 at The U of M.
Many Hispanics, because they are first generation collegestudents, enter the ranks of higher education without parents withthe necessary experience to guide them in their college years.Although the same is true for many Americans, unlike manyHispanics, their college experience isn't made more complicated byliving with a language barrier.
"Language is the biggest obstacle with parents and students,"said Andrew Duck of the Memphis City School's English as a SecondLanguage (ESL) Office.
Because of Memphis City School requirements, seniors sometimesmust be demoted to fulfill the curriculum. A certain number ofEnglish credits are required to graduate, and thus seniors who areESL students when entering high school cannot graduate in oneyear.
"I knew it was going to be a difficult life at The Universityand in the United States," said Ch�vez, now sophomorebiology major, "I still don't understand everything."
For some Hispanics students, the decision to go to collegedepends on language and financial ability.
Sometimes when the Memphis City School system gets a new ESLstudent, they need a translator, said to Sheffield High Schoolguidance councilor Jane Keough.
Ch�vez "didn't understand everything, not even thebasics," she said.
She immigrated to Memphis three years ago from Tamaulipas, aMexican state that borders Texas.
The Hispanic population is the largest minority in the UnitedStates, according to the 2000 US Census. The Hispanic population isestimated at 38.8 million, and in Memphis the population isestimated at 650,100.
Although it has been demanding for Ch�vez to keep up withEnglish speaking students her age, she said her biology andchemistry classes are a much easier.
Ch�vez, who emigrated from Mexico, said it is thefreshman level English courses, and other basic classes that giveher a headache.
She shrugs off calculus as easy, explaining that in Mexico highschool is much harder than in the United States.
"Biochemistry, I think is easier than English classes to me,"she said. Scientific terms that are Greek and Latin are similar toher native Spanish.
"I had a (psychology) teacher once whose test came from hislectures, but he filled his lectures with (idioms) ... I couldn'tunderstand him," she said.
She decided to read and study the psychology book, but whatworks in biochemistry did not work for this class. She fairedpoorly because of her language skills.
She says confidently that she is at the same academic level asher peers. However, she must study harder and seek help from tutorsto be at that level. She has come along way from her first year inhigh school but still does not understand everything in her lectureclasses or in the textbooks she reads.
"I have to go to English tutors to learn math. If I read a bookI have to work harder than others to understand it," Ch�vezsaid. "At times I would like to ask for help at home, I wish Icould go home after class and ask my parents."
Her freshman year she managed a hefty 3.8 grade point averagewhich is hard enough for many college freshman without having tostruggle with English.
However, 21 percent of Hispanic students who enroll in collegedropped out, according to the 2000 US Census.
"Once students go to work or take a few years off, thelikelihood of students completing or even going to college is low,"said Deborah Hernandez, treasurer and board member for the HispanicEducation Foundation of Tennessee Scholarship at The U of M.
"It's just a challenge to keep Hispanic students in school,"said Hernandez, "you are losing them (in high school) even beforethey drop out of college."
Even before Ch�vez could be part of that 1 percentpopulation at The U of M, she had doubts about whether she couldpay for or even get accepted into a university.
"The lack of a social security number makes immigrantsineligible to most programs," language is not the biggest problemfor Hispanic students, Duck said.
Even if Hispanic students pass their yearly TCAP and Gatewayexams, illegal immigrants have a hard time getting intocollege.
Some Hispanic students don't pursue getting into college.
"If they are asked for a social security number they stop rightthere," said Janis Merriman of the Memphis City School's ESLOffice, "Many families think that if they apply for funding withouta social security number then that would raise a flag," alertingthe government of their illegal status.
If students do get accepted, they usually have to pay all theirexpenses out-of-pocket because they cannot get financial aid orscholarships.
"No social security number, no opportunity," Ch�vez saidher high school guidance counselor told her. "I couldn't apply forfinancial aid and most scholarships require a social securitynumber." "At first, I thought I wasn't going to get accepted at anyschool. I applied to different colleges and scholarships but all ofthem rejected me."
Even The U of M sent her a rejection letter.
"If I didn't get in, I was going to go to Mexico or Texas," shesaid.
Then she got a call from The U of M telling her they hadaccepted her without a social security number. Her freshman yearshe had to pay for tuition herself so she had to work. Now herparents pay for her tuition and books.
"I usually have to tell my parents how it is here at TheUniversity," Ch�vez said. "I knew it was going to be adifficult life at the university and in the United States."
Ch�vez intends to go on to the University Of TennesseeGraduate School of Medicine after her undergraduate work.
Currently there is legislation that is making its way throughCongress that would allow children of illegal immigrants, whoarrive in the country before they are 16 years old to declare stateresidency for higher education purposes and ultimately become legalresidences.
If approved by Congress, the Development, Relief, and Educationfor Alien Minors Act, or the "Dream Act," would make those "of goodmoral character" eligible to apply for scholarships anduniversities, like all citizens of the United States.
