Synopses & Reviews
The 1982 U. S. Supreme Court case of Plyler v. Doe, which made it possible for undocumented children to enroll in Texas public schools, was a watershed moment for immigrant rights in the United States. The Court struck down both a state statute denying funding for education to undocumented children and a municipal school district's attempt to charge an annual $1,000 tuition fee for each undocumented student to compensate for the lost state funding. Yet while this case has not returned to the Supreme Court, it is frequently contested at the state and local level.
In No Undocumented Child Left Behind, Michael A. Olivas tells a fascinating history of the landmark case, examining how, 30 years later, Plyler v. Doe continues to suffer from implementation issues and requires additional litigation and vigilance to enforce the ruling. He takes a comprehensive look at the legal regime it established regarding the education of undocumented school children, moves up through its implementation, including direct and indirect attacks on it, and closes with the ongoing, highly charged debates over the Development, Relief, and Education for Minors (DREAM) Act, which aims to give conditional citizenship to undocumented college students who graduated from US high schools and have been in the country for at least five years.
Review
"Provocative and wise, Michael Olivass important book challenges all of us to carefully consider how our nations core values are reflected both in the way we educate immigrant children and treat noncitizens in our midst. Authored by one of the nations foremost experts on immigrant education, this definitive study will be the starting point for any informed inquiry into contemporary debates on education and immigration. It will, as well, provide many an insight into the complicated politics that surround immigration policy in our federalist system.” -Victor C. Romero,author of Alienated: Immigrant Rights, the Constitution, and Equality in America
Review
“Michael Olivas is a passionate storyteller who knows the saga of Plyler v. Doe first-hand and skillfully recounts an important chapter in the history of immigration law and the Constitution.” -Peter Schuck,co-editor of Understanding America: The Anatomy of an Exceptional Nation
Review
"Highly readable, relevant, and well documented."-Library Journal,
Review
"Olivas makes a technical legal argument with an appeal to both compassion and common sense."-Zocalo Public Square,
Synopsis
In a well-known hadith, Muhammed advises Muslims that, "On the Day of Resurrection, you will be called by your names and the names of your fathers; so keep beautiful names." Inspired by the teachings of Islam, names fulfill the cherished ambitions of a true Muslim. In The Dictionary of Muslim Names, Salahuddin Ahmed provides a helpful and substantive guide to common and less-common Muslim names. This lively and informative dictionary lists the original Arabic, Persian, or Turkish spelling, as well as a precise English transliteration. The names' meaning and bearing on Islamic heritage or world history are referenced, along with historical figures who bore the name-an Imaam, a Sultan, a saint-and accompanying illustrations.
About the Author
Michael A. Olivas is the William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of Houston Law Center and Director of the Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance at UH. His books include Colored Men And Hombres Aquí: Hernandez v. Texas and the Emergence of Mexican American Lawyering; The Law And Higher Education: Cases And Materials on Colleges in Court Third Edition; and Education Law Stories (with Ronna Greff Schneider).