TOW #4 - In College, These American Citizens Are Not Created Equal

Lady Liberty stands for equality, not discrimination.

In this essay, author Fabiola Santiago addresses the issue of racial discrimination of the 21st century, and uses allusions and anecdotes to persuade her audience to take a stand against racial discrimination. She begins her essay by alluding to the words of Lady Liberty -- "I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"--then discusses the splendid refurbishing that she will undergo in the upcoming year. Lady Liberty is a monument that symbolized equality freedom and racial equality. However, Santiago states that the current state of society would cause her to "shed mournful tears at the lack of compassion for immigrants." Her comment reveals her opinions on the almost hypocritical actions of the government; they would pay $27 million to renovate a statue, but charge extra tuition to children of undocumented immigrants. 

     Wendy Ruiz is a victim of this social stigma; she must work three part-time jobs while maintaining a 3.7 grade-point-average because her parents are not US citizens. Compared to the $1,266 per term tuition offered to most Floridians, she must pay $4,524 because she is considered a "dependent of nonresidents." Fortunately, Ruiz does not let this obstacle stand in way of her dreams, because she has "never wanted anything so bad in [her] life like [she] wants this." This anecdote allows Santiago to appeal to her audience's emotions and helps to establish a connection between the "face of this story (Wendy)" and the audience. The most powerful way to persuade a person is through the heart, which explains why Santiago chose to tell the story of inspirational Wendy rather than provide statistics and facts. By alluding to United State's symbol of freedom and sharing an anecdote about a daughter of undocumented immigrants, Santiago successfully conveys her opinions on the injustice of the legislative policy in question and makes her audience reconsider the notion of freedom in the United States.