Undocumented Critical Theory

Abstract

Despite an increasing body of literature on undocumented immigrants and an improved access to academia by DACAdemics and undocumented scholars, the need for theories about undocumented experiences in the United States persists. In this article, I introduce the central tenets of a developing theory that I call Undocumented Critical Theory (UndocuCrit). Rooted in Critical Race Theory (CRT), Latina/o Critical Theory (LatCrit), and Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit), UndocuCrit introduces the lens to better understand the nuanced and liminal experiences that characterize undocumented communities in the United States. Although this initial rendering focuses on the experiences of Mexican immigrants and individuals of Mexican descent, UndocuCrit exhorts DACAdemics and undocumented scholars to contribute to this emerging framework by applying it to their experiences and those of other undocumented communities. As a theoretical framework, UndocuCrit challenges an immigrant binary rhetoric as well as embarking on a journey toward social justice and the empowerment of our communities.

We Are More Than Paperless People: Reflections on Creating Spaces, Narratives and Change with Undocumented Communities

“…It is important that these stories of possibility within constraint be part of a larger more nuanced narrative of change within communities. Shifting narratives so that they reflect the oppressive structures that harm immigrant communities, the agency and power the same communities can have, and the joy and pain potentials outside these framings legitimates their complexity and personhood [17]. Communities seeing their own stories and re-setting their own narratives is a powerful way to claim space and belonging as "L" argues later in this paper.…”

“…What C narrates above aligns with a tenet of Aguilar's UndocuCrit framework. Aguilar [17] argues that "fear is endemic among immigrant communities" (p. 3) because of state surveillance and policies rooted in racial capitalism and white supremacy. When in a state of precarity where conditions of fear are created intentionally, people can respond with strategies of protection, to hide and push back in turns.…”

“…It must be noted that the risk that comes with becoming visible does not get lost in the minds of organizers and activists. Being "undocumented and unafraid" means understanding that the hope of what the community stands to win outweighs the fear of what we stand to lose [17]. "Undocumented and unafraid" is a green-light to the political and community power that is on the other side of the room xenophobia is keeping us locked out of [22].…”

The Wretched of the Research: Disenchanting Man2-as-Educational Researcher and Entering the 36th Chamber of Education Research

“…While CRT entered into the field of education through Ladson-Billings and Tate (1995) as a “decidedly Black theorization” of race and education (Dumas & ross, 2016, p. 416; see also Bell, 1979, 1993; Du Bois, 1899; Woodson, 1919), there are increasingly expanding ways/genres of being a CRT educational scholar. Huber (2009) describes these expanding strategic essentializations as “CRT specializations,” including: “TribalCrit” (see above), “BlackCrit” (i.e., Black Critical Theory to refocus on anti-Blackness/Black liberation; Coles & Powell, 2020; Dumas & ross, 2016), “LatCrit” (i.e., Latinx Critical Theory; Salas, 2019; Solórzano & Yosso, 2001), “AsianCrit” (i.e., Asian Critical Theory; Kolano, 2016; Museus & Iftikar, 2013), and emerging “Crits” (i.e., UndocuCrit [Aguilar, 2019], DisCrit [Annamma et al, 2013], etc. ).…”

“I’ve never cried with a stranger before”: pedagogies of renewal and research dilemmas with/by undocuscholars

“…We call for undocuepistemologies-undocumented ways of knowing-and lived experience as a form of theorizing in this special issue. We acknowledge the various theoretical tools that scholars use to make sense of the liminal, contradictory, relational, subjugated, or even abject experiences of undocumented communities (Abrego, 2019;Abrego & Negr on-Gonzales, 2020;Aguilar, 2019;Gonzales & Chavez, 2012;Reyna Rivarola, 2017;Rodriguez & Kuntz, this issue). Aguilar (2019), in developing a theoretical framework for writing about undocuscholars' experiences, acknowledges the need for researchers to reflect upon their relationship to the undocumented community.…”