To: Massachusetts and New Hampshire State University system, The Massachusetts State House, The Massachusetts State Senate, and Governor Charlie Baker
STOP East Coast Universities From Barring Immigrants
We petition the College and University system to stop the Jim Crow requirement of immigrants having to pass an absurdly difficult English exam to enroll at colleges and state universities. The Western US and California have no such requirements and many immigrants successfully graduate from these places. Allow students to enroll and let the professors decide if they pass or fail, not a draconian English proficiency TOFL exam that many Americans could not pass.
Why is this important?
Being a college educated natural born American married to a college educated immigrant resident in this country for 7 years I have learned firsthand that the college and university system on the east coast put ridiculous requirements on English skills from students from non-English speaking countries. The TOEFL test for English proficiency is a barrier to immigrants improving themselves and making the better citizens. It is so difficult that most American high school graduates could not pass it, yet natural born Americans are not subject to this barrier to enter college. My wife, a college graduate from Brazil and very functional English speaker has not been able to pass it and is locked out of every college and trade school in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In California and western US, there is no such barrier or exam required to enroll in state and private colleges and Universities. Why is it that the so-called “liberal” east coast employs draconian restrictions on foreign students? Allow students to take the classes and pass or fail on their own merits and capabilities. These Jim Crow literacy tests serve no purpose in the majority of degree programs and serve only to harm the larger society by stopping excellent students and motivated individuals from bettering themselves.