How Postdocs Identifying as White U.S. Citizens Can Support Undocumented Students

Abstract

Research on attitudes within higher education toward undocumented students has overlooked the views of postdoctoral scholars (postdocs). With the number of postdocs in the United States on the rise, this highly trained group matters for future leadership inside and outside of higher education. Since previous research has shown that individuals of minoritized races/ethnicities and non-U.S. citizens exhibit greater support for undocumented students (Garibay et al., 2016; Jach & Gloeckner, 2020), this study conducted individual interviews with 10 postdocs who identified as White U.S. citizens. Findings indicated postdocs with a personal or professional connection to undocumented students exhibited greater levels of support toward undocumented students. Those lacking these connections exhibited greater levels of White immunity (Cabrera, 2017) and what this study terms citizenship immunity. Postdocs also expressed a need for adult education to better support undocumented students yet articulated possible strategies for engaging in allyship, suggesting postdocs have the power to counteract negative rhetoric and work toward a more inclusive policy for undocumented students.