Literacy and Human Rights

Abstract

As we go about our daily work and lives, our minds are never far from the crisis at the U.S.–Mexico border and particularly at U.S. immigration detention centers housing immigrants pursuing asylum from dangerous situations in Central America and South America. We are mindful that the International Literacy Association (ILA), which publishes Reading Research Quarterly, is a nonprofit organization with the sole mission of promoting literacy, but we take this opportunity to center the conversation on an area that has been lacking in media coverage: the many ways that these individuals are being denied basic education and literacy. We build on ILA's (2018a) Children's Rights to Read initiative to highlight that “children deserve access to the education, opportunities, and resources needed to read” (para. 1; for more information, see ILA, 2018b). We understand that raising this issue highlights the political question of who has access to literacy. We believe that a focus on this question is necessary and appropriate because our goal is to extend the call for care from basic needs to considering the larger literacy and learning needs of immigrants as human beings and potential contributors to society. At the same time, we add our voices to those who condemn the substandard care being provided in these facilities, as this situation is unconscionable and has also been denounced widely in the media and by the United Nations. In a recent article in The Washington Post (Paul & Miroff, 2019), United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet stated she was “‘appalled by the conditions’” (para. 1) in immigrant detention camps and that “she was ‘deeply shocked that children are forced to sleep on the floor in overcrowded facilities, without access to adequate healthcare or food, and with poor sanitation conditions’” (para. 4). We agree, but to this we add our frustration that individuals, particularly children, are not being educated. Images, reports, and media coverage have suggested that these vulnerable individuals remain in conditions that lack access to reading materials or educational materials more broadly and that dehumanize immigrants such that their identities and likely language and culture are undermined in ways that will affect their long-term literacy learning. As the editors of Reading Research Quarterly, we have reviewed and published multiple articles suggesting that these factors will have a problematic and long-lasting impact on these vulnerable individuals. Articles consistently emphasize the importance of resources and identity in building a literate community, so although basic needs are clearly a priority, we argue that so are books, teachers, learning centers, and writing materials, as well as a valuing of the languages, cultures, and stories of these individuals. We have read about lawyers visiting the detention centers, but what if volunteer educators also were allowed to provide resources? What powerful stories the detained individuals would have to tell, and what wonderful literacy-learning opportunities might be designed to potentially mediate the largely horrific experiences endured as part of their journey? A quick Google search regarding educational resources for immigrants and refugees highlights the large range of educational opportunities experienced by such groups, but these articles also highlight the importance of providing educational supports. Right now, when considering the U.S. immigrant detention centers at the U.S.–Mexico border, we are observing the worst in implementation. Yet, this past spring, UNICEF (2019) highlighted how “thousands of Syrian refugee children will have access to quality preschool education as 54 new Kindergarten classrooms officially opened in Za'atari and Azraq refugee camps” (para. 1). Education is a basic human right, enshrined in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 1951 Refugee Convention. Education protects refugee children and youth from forced recruitment into armed groups, child labour, sexual exploitation and child marriage. Education also strengthens community resilience. Education empowers by giving refugees the knowledge and skills to live productive, fulfilling and independent lives. Education enlightens refugees, enabling them to learn about themselves and the world around them, while striving to rebuild their lives and communities. (paras. 6–9) As the editors of Reading Research Quarterly and members of ILA—and as humans, parents, educators, and researchers—we consider ourselves advocates of literacy for all. As such, we will continue to advocate for change at the U.S.–Mexico border, and we specifically advocate for incorporating more than basic supports, but rather considering the need for quality and inclusive education as part of care.