Author: Nicole Hoffmann Musings

In November of 2010, the California Supreme Court ruled that undocumented immigrants that reside within the state are entitled to the same tuition advantages enjoyed by legal residents of California. The decision means that undocumented immigrants will pay $11,000 less for public college tuition and $23,000 less for private college tuition compared to US citizens from out of state. It is my opinion that the California Supreme Court made the right decision. When undocumented students are able to receive in-state tuition rates, they are less likely to drop out of high school and are more likely to enroll in and complete college (Ali, 2017). These high achieving students bring a positive impact to local and state communities and economies.

7 Myths and Facts about undocumented immigrants.

Before we discuss why undocumented students should be eligible for in-state tuition, I think it is important to address the myths that are spread about undocumented immigrants in the United States.
1. MYTH: Unemployed Americans could fill jobs held by undocumented immigrants.
FACT: Immigrants typically do not compete for jobs with native-born workers. They also create jobs as entrepreneurs, consumers, and taxpayers. In fact, if we removed the 8.1 million undocumented immigrant workers from the U.S., it would send our economy into a tailspin, which would lead to job loss (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
2. MYTH: Immigrants drive down the wages of American workers.
FACT: Immigrants give a slight boost to the average wage of American workers. A 2010 report from the Economic Policy Institute estimated that, from 1994 to 2007, immigration increased the wages of native-born workers by an average of 0.4 percent (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
3. MYTH: There is no shortfall of native-born Americans for open positions in the natural sciences, engineering, and computer science so there is no need for foreign-born high-tech workers.
FACT: There is a continuing shortfall in native-born students to fill job openings in the fields listed above. In addition, wages are increasing in STEM jobs requiring higher education. If given in-state tuition rates, undocumented immigrant students can fill these vacancies (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
4. MYTH: Immigrants hurt struggling communities.
FACT: Immigrants have economically revitalized communities throughout the country. Long-term research shows that undocumented immigrants bring more jobs and higher salaries to communities where they cluster (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
5. MYTH: Undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes.
FACT: Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes each year. Undocumented immigrants pay sales taxes, state property taxes, and more than half of undocumented immigrants pay federal and state income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes automatically deducted from their paychecks. However, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for any of the federal or state benefits that their tax dollars help to fund (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
6. MYTH: Immigrants come to the United States for welfare benefits.
FACT: Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for federal public benefit programs, and even legal immigrants face strict eligibility restrictions. The Urban Institute concluded that immigrant families are less likely to use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as “food stamps” than native-born families (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).
7. MYTH: Immigrants are more likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans are.
FACT: Immigration does not cause crime rates to rise, and immigrants are actually less likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than native-born Americans. Since 1990, FBI data shows that the number of undocumented immigrants has risen from 3.5 million to 11.2 million while violent crimes had declined by 48%. In fact, crime rates are lowest in states with the highest immigration increases (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2016).

For more information on myths and facts about undocumented immigrants, please visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Website at https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/documents/files/022851_mythsfacts_2016_report_final.pdf.

Qualifications for in-state tuition.

Undocumented immigrants must meet the same requirements to qualify for in-state tuition as legal residents. First, they must have their high school diploma or GED, and they must have resided in the state for a certain number of years. These laws were created to aid those who have lived in the US for many years after being brought here as children by their parents (NILC, 2017). Additionally, many states require that undocumented students must find a pathway to citizenship upon completion of their degree (Aguilar, 2017).

Myths about undocumented students.
1. Myth: Undocumented students qualify for public aid.
Fact: Undocumented students do not qualify for public aid, which is why it is vital that they are eligible for in-state tuition. Many students must pay for their tuition themselves so they cannot afford tuition that could potentially be triple the cost (NILC, 2017).
2. Myth: It cost the state millions of dollars for these programs.
Fact: The cost to run in-state tuition programs for undocumented immigrants is trivial, and is outweighed by the revenue paid in taxes and tuition (NILC, 2017).
3. Myth: Universities lose out on big money by allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students.
Fact: The amount of students that use these programs are minuscule compared to overall student enrollment. For instance, data from Texas in 2013 showed that only 25,000 participated in the state’s program. That was only 2% of overall student enrollment. Additionally, since 2001 Texas undocumented students paid over $51 million in tuition. The state would lose that $51 million because those students could not afford to pay out-of-state tuition (Aguilar, 2017).

Benefits of offering undocumented immigrants in-state tuition.

Yes undocumented immigrants are here illegally, but fact is most of these students were brought here by their parents and the US is the only home they know (NILC, 2017). The benefits these students bring to America is far outweighs their legal status. These students that are offered in-state tuition…

• Increase high school graduation rates (Ali, 2017).
• Increase in high school graduates that pursue additional education (Ali, 2017).
• Have a better chance of escaping poverty (NILC, 2017).
• Increase college revenue (NILC, 2017).
• Contributes to economic and social benefits of communities (NILC, 2017).

All these students are doing is looking for a way to make college affordable so that they can give back to the communities where they live. They are not looking for a free education, just an affordable education. We owe them that chance. California and other states that allow undocumented immigrants the right to pay in-state tuition made a good choice for the students, for the economy, and for America.

References
Aguilar, J. (2017, January 19). Lawmakers likely to wage in-state tuition policy fight again this year. Retrieved from Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/19/lawmakers-likely-see-state-tuition-policy-fight-ag/
Ali, D. (2017, July 17). In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students: 2017 State-Level Analysis. Retrieved from NASAOA.ORG: https://www.naspa.org/rpi/posts/in-state-tuition-for-undocumented-students-2017-state-level-analysis
NILC. (2017, November). Basic Facts About In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrant Students. Retrieved from National Immigration Law Center: https://www.nilc.org/issues/education/basic-facts-instate/
U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (2016, April 14). Immigration Myths and the Facts. Retrieved from U.S. Chamber of Commerce: https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/documents/files/022851_mythsfacts_2016_report_final.pdf

How innovative leaders can encourage employees to adopt creative thinking behaviors.

You are an innovative leader. You have trained your brain to use a focused thought process to help you think outside of the box. The ability to do this is creative/innovative thinking. It allows you to see problems from different perspectives. It is likely that your creative thinking is what helped you get to your leadership position. While tapping into your own innovative thinking is hard, tapping into the creative minds of your employees can be even more difficult.

Where to begin.

In order to begin encouraging employees to adopt creative thinking behaviors you must understand what holds them back. One research study shows that employees are more likely to engage in creative thinking strategies when they think the behavior will result in a positive outcome. The study also shows that employees are less likely to participate in innovative strategies when they fear others will view them negatively (Lynch, 2018).

Five main factors that influence an employee’s creative thinking (Lynch, 2018):

1. Perceived company support. Does the organization as whole support creative thinkers?
2. Perceived supervisory support. Does the employee’s supervisor support innovators?
3. Innovative or creative thinking was a specific job requirement.
4. Individuals are viewed as innovators. Does the company support individual creative thinkers as well as teams?
5. Dissatisfaction with the company’s performance. Has the company been successful when implementing creative ideas?

Fostering creative thinkers needs to come from all levels within an organization. Employees need to feel supported not only by their co-workers, but also by their supervisors and other company leaders.

Ways to Encourage Innovation.

Now that you know what factors influence employee’s participation in creative thinking, you must create a work environment that encourages an innovative culture.

Here are six steps you can use to support an innovative culture (McCarthy, 2017):
1. Do not burst their bubble. Instead of coming up with reasons why an idea will not work, identify parts of the idea that will.
2. Allow employees time to innovate. Set aside time for employees to solve problems or work outside of their job description.
3. Set realistic expectations. Not every idea will be a winner so make sure employees understand that failure is a part of the path to success.
4. Provide as much autonomy for a project as possible. Employees are highly motivated when they are provided the freedom to do things their own way.
5. Provide training. Innovation can be learned through training in associating, observing, networking, and experimenting.

6. Encourage employees to observe their customers. This step is not applicable to all career fields, but for those it is, it can have a significant impact on creative thinking. It allows employees to witness first hand where service or products are lacking.

Understanding what influences employees to participate in innovative thinking is the first step for tapping into the creative minds of your employees. Using the steps listed above will encourage a culture that supports creative thinking will allow innovation to flourish within your organization.

References
Lynch, P. (2018, April 8). How to Encourage Employees to Engage in Innovative Behavior. Retrieved from Business Alignment Strategies: http://www.businessalignmentstrategies.com/research/innovative-behavior.php
McCarthy, D. (2017, August 13). Learn the Ways Leaders Encourage Innovation . Retrieved from The Balance: https://www.thebalance.com/encourage-innovation-from-employees-2275816

I don’t remember the first time I saw the mosaic, Confluence of Civilizations by Juan O’Gorman that sits above the San Antonio Riverwalk. In 1997, my family and I had come to San Antonio, Texas to visit my brother who had just graduated from the United States Air Force boot camp.  Like many of the families, we ventured down to one of San Antonio’s biggest tourists spots, the Riverwalk. Once on the Riverwalk we loaded up onto a riverboat tour. That is all I remember about that visit to downtown San Antonio. At fifteen years old, my mind was preoccupied with other things, like how my hair looked and how hot it was. I did not take the time to appreciate the architecture and art that adorned the Riverwalk. I was not in a mindset to absorb the history that surrounded me. It was not until 2012, when I came back to San Antonio to live that I would see the mosaic again and appreciate what the work represents and what it took to make it.

The Confluence of Civilizations is located on the Western entrance of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Just above the sign for the Lila Cockrell Theater. Patsy Steves commissioned the piece. She had commissioned the piece on behalf of her husband, Marshall T. Steves, president of the 1968 San Antonio HemisFair committee. Patsy convinced an avid collector of Mexican Artwork, Flora Cameron Chrichton to fund the project (Monroe, 2016). The mosaic measures roughly 110 X 22 feet. The design contains 1.2 million natural stones and pieces of glass (Digital Public Library of America, 2017). The artist made the mosaic at his studio in Mexico City. It was then brought to San Antonio in 540 separate panels. The total weight of the mosaic is around Five tons (Cooke, 2017).

Juan O’Gorman made the Confluence of Civilizations to represent the joining of cultures to create a new world. O’Gorman himself was a representative of cultures coming together. He was the son of a Mexican mother and Irish Father (Monroe, 2016). He grew up in Mexico and became an architect, muralist, and professor. O’Gorman was known early in his career as an architect of functionalist design. In the middle of the 1930’s he would turn away from functionalist architecture and focus on painting. In the 1950’s he would return to architecture with a focus on a more organic approach (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2007). During his time as a professor at the University of Texas Austin, Juan O’Gorman was approached about making the mosaic for the HemisFair (Cooke, 2017).

I have had the pleasure of seeing Confluences of Civilizations more than a dozen times now. The more I see the piece, the more I appreciate it. The size of the work allows for a lot of detail and with each visit, I see something new. In the middle is Adam and Eve. To the left is the representation of Mesoamerica and to the right is a rocket ship and astronaut. The mosaic symbolizes where we came from, where we are, and where we are going. I appreciate the meaning of the piece, especially with where our country is today. We are one people with one earth.

References

Cooke, C. N. (2017, February 24). Juan O’Gorman. Retrieved from Trinity University Press: http://tupress.org/books/juan-o-gorman

Digital Public Library of America. (2017, February 24). O’Gorman Mural- Theater of performing arts- Convention Center. Retrieved from Digital Public Library of America:https://dp.la/item/a439acadc699c9e7a15ad3a401c73a4b

Monroe, N. C. (2016, 12 8). Confluence of Civilizations Awakens ‘New’ San Antonio to a Signature Work of Art. Retrieved from Rivard Report:https://therivardreport.com/confluence-of-civilizations-awakens-new-san-antonio-to-a-signature-work-of-art/

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2007, 10 9). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from Juan O’Gorman: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Juan-OGorman