Not Ashamed To Be Called An Anchor Baby

“You’re an anchor baby?” This question is still surprisingly hard for me to answer, even after deciding to write this.

According to Donald Trump, the United States is being invaded. It’s under attack by adorable newborns called anchor babies.

The term is used to describe birthright citizen babies born to undocumented mothers that want an easy ticket to citizenship.

Most people would agree with me that if Trump had witnessed my birth on American soil to two undocumented Hispanics, he would have pointed at my chubby brown body and exclaimed “Exhibit A.”

I am an anchor baby.

In reality, anchor babies do not offer undocumented mothers safe haven from deportation or a path to citizenship. Regardless, ending birthright citizenship is supported by most GOP presidential candidates.

Anybody that wishes to be politically correct should avoid the term, but anyone with intentions of helping anchor babies can start by using the phrase “anchor baby.”

Avoiding the term is not in the best interest of anchor babies.  

The first step in dealing with a problem is realizing there is a problem. Trump and the GOP are benign, there is no way they can win in a fight against the constitution.

Although, anchor babies face real issues that go unnoticed.

A major issue for anchor babies wishing to attend Miami Dade College is the difficulty in being considered an in-state student for tuition purposes. The eligibility for students depends on the status of their parents, which for anchor babies means automatically being categorized as out-of-state. In Aug. 31, 2012, when The United States District Court for The Southern District of Florida ruled in the case Ruiz v Robinson, the policy was discriminatory and violated the fourteenth amendment rights of these citizens. Three years later, it is hard to notice at Miami Dade College.

For any student applying to MDC, being a Ruiz case, students that qualify for in-state tuition, is not on the otherwise thorough list of options for being classified as a Florida resident. There is no form for Ruiz cases and the list of documentation needed to be qualified as a Ruiz case can not be found anywhere on campus or online. The Ruiz case is a secret menu item and can only be ordered by those in the know.

My sister, the only other anchor baby I know, was outright told by the admissions office that she would not be able to attend MDC without paying out-of-state tuition, which is more than $5,000 a semester for a full course load. She eventually discovered the court case online, and had to print the full court decision and show it to the admissions office to prove she qualified for in-state tuition.

This was a full year after the court decision. The lengths needed for anchor babies to simply enroll properly at MDC are shameful, especially considering that the original plaintiff in Ruiz v Robinson, Wendy Ruiz, was an MDC Shark. The worst part is MDC is not special. Americans don’t know the origin of the anchor babies they meet. Americans never think of their anchor baby friends, co-workers, students, or classmates when they watch the GOP debates. The birthright citizens of undocumented immigrants and their issues need to be acknowledged. After all they are not going anywhere. They are Americans.

Referring to them as anything other than “baby” or “citizen” ignores their stories and does not benefit them. They need a name and what better name than one birthed from the ignorance that these citizens have to fight. Why not use “Exhibit A.”

I am an anchor baby. I am the second American baby in my family. America is the only home I have and it can be said that I am anchored here.