Exploring Undergraduate Students’ Attitude Toward Undocumented Immigration: Implications for Agricultural Education

Abstract

Undocumented immigration has become a hot political topic. Considering the significant role undocumented immigrants play in U.S. agricultural and natural resources industry and the voting power of the undergraduate students, this study assessed undergraduate students' attitudes toward undocumented immigrant issues. Using a slightly altered Attitudes toward Illegal Aliens Scale, we found the undergraduate students in general had an undecided attitude concerning issues toward undocumented immigration in the U.S. We also found students' gender, political beliefs, and race played a significant role in the development of their attitude toward immigration issues. We recommend agricultural educators to integrate immigration issues and intercultural courses in their programs to help students better understand immigration issues and prepare students to work in the agricultural industry where they will inevitably encounter these issues. Future research should investigate factors that specifically shapes undergraduate students' attitudes toward immigration issues, such as past experiences with immigrants and media exposure.