Strollerderby
Valedictorian To Be Deported After Graduation
Arthur Mkoyan is a smart kid. His better-than-perfect GPA earned him the title of valedictorian of Bullard High School, in Fresno, California. He wants to study medicine.
But the U.S. government, apparently, doesn’t think our country could use smart, driven people like Arthur. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to deport Arthur and his family back to Armenia ten days after his graduation.
Look, I get it. Authorities don’t want to appear soft on immigration. There’s a process, Arthur’s family took ten years to exhaust their options, and they were unable to convince judges at any level that they might be in danger if they returned to Albania (apparently, Arthur’s dad. Ruben, exposed corruption at the Armenian version of our DMV. Corruption at the DMV: who knew?)
But – not to get hokey here – wasn’t this country built on the strength, ingenuity and talent of the immigrants who poured in over the last couple of centuries? In other words, if we don’t want Arthur Mkoyan, who in the world are we looking for?
So, here’s my idea: the valedictorian exemption. If you’re here illegally, and you are the valedictorian of your high school, you and your family get to stay. The U.S. gets to keep some of its sharpest minds (whose education we’ve already funded through public schools, more often than not), and maybe a few students are motivated to work their asses off to earn what would be, for them, the ultimate prize. Sounds like a win-win to me.
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8 Comments
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amIt’s sad and pathetic (not to mention hypocritical) how threatened and afraid the American establishment is of immigrants. Oh well, it’s a losing battle they’re fighting.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amArmenia may need all kinds of people, but deportation is fundamentally about taking someone’s life away. Arthur Mkoyan and his family have now lived in the US for more than ten years. They have friends, possibly relatives, possessions, affiliations, and attachments rooted here that will simply be ripped away even though they are not criminals.
Also, Albania and Armenia are completely different countries, but even the article seems to confuse them…
kpearce commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amI live in Armenia. A lot of Armenians have left the country to overstay tourist visas in America. It is not cool to do, seriously.
There are a million stories like this. My Armenian language tutor was a 4.0 bio/chem grad from a major UC. Now she is illegally working as a waitress.
Armenia needs these people too. This is the price when one tries to stay in the U.S. illegally.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amHear a great song about Arthur Mkoyan at http://www.myspace.com/ElvirasSong. Let Arthur stay!!!!!
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amBeing a valedictorian isn’t all about being smart.
My SIL was one and imagine my surprise when she told us she was the “validvictorian” of her class.
She was dead serious, and stunned.
I’d say I was more stunned.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amROFL @ K–great points!
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amBut then we’ll have people complaining about immigrants coming to this country and taking away all our valedictions.
And on another point… It seems to me Albania could use people like Arthur Mkoyan too, maybe more than we do.
So perhaps Ruben Mkoian made some enemies in the Albanian government… which has since been overthrown anyway.
Anonymous commented on Jan 01 70 at 12:00 amThat absolutely sucks. Maybe Canada or the UK will take them in and educate their intelligent and motivated son.
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