Undocumented Undergraduates on College Campuses: Understanding Their Challenges and Assets and What It Takes to Make an Undocufriendly Campus

Abstract

In this article, Carola Suárez-Orozco and colleagues investigate how to improve undocumented undergraduate student experiences across a variety of US campuses. The authors draw on a national survey of diverse undocumented undergraduates attending two- and four-year public and private institutions of higher education. Using an ecological framework that accounts for risk and resilience, Suárez-Orozco and colleagues provide insights into the challenges undocumented undergraduates face and the assets they bring as they navigate their educational contexts. The authors also consider the role of campuses in shaping these experiences and make recommendations, based on quantitative data and the perspectives of students, for creating undocufriendly campuses.

The Role of Campus Support, Undocumented Identity, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals on Civic Engagement for Latinx Undocumented Undergraduates

“…In addition, about two of three students self‐report receiving some form of peer support. Safe spaces are critical to undocu‐friendly campuses (Suárez‐Orozco, Katsiaficas, et al., ), and they can potentially combat feelings of isolation and stigmatization among undocumented youth by serving as “spaces of belonging” (Gonzales, , p. 174). Additionally, safe spaces, including student organizations, can provide students with greater opportunities to interact with peers and exchange meaningful resources and advice (Perez, Cortés, et al., ).…”

“…One in four 18‐ to 25‐year‐olds in the United States are from immigrant‐origin backgrounds, that is, they are either first‐generation (those who migrated to the United States themselves) or second‐generation (those who were U.S. born to migrant parents; Batalova & Fix, ). Undocumented immigrants are diverse in ethnicity, socioeconomic status, country of origin, and immigration histories (Suárez‐Orozco, Katsiaficas, et al., ; Teranishi, Suárez‐Orozco, & Suárez‐Orozco, ). These individuals were born outside the United States, have not been permitted to stay under the most current rules for longer‐term residence, and are not U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents (Passel & Cohn, ).…”

“…In addition, supportive peer relationships are associated with both psychological and academic resilience for undocumented youth (Perez et al., ). Specifically, campus student organizations afford undocumented students the opportunity to share advice and to further motivate one another in the face of shared struggles (Perez, Cortés, Ramos, & Coronado, ; Suárez‐Orozco, Katsiaficas, et al., ). A growing number of undocumented students are establishing their own campus student organizations to serve as “networks of support” that advocate for increased access to resources (Chavez, Soriano, & Olivérez, , p. 260).…”

Unauthorized Status and Youth Development in the United States: Consensus Statement of the Society for Research on Adolescence

“…Further, the majority of college students who are undocumented are first‐generation college students (Gonzales, ,b; Suárez‐Orozco et al., ). This presents various challenges for these students, including access to information regarding the application process, access to funding, and the ability to relate to university systems, staff, and faculty (Collier & Morgan, ; Gonzales, ).…”

“…Working full‐time is, in turn, negatively linked to engagement with peers and professors (Kuh, Vesper, & Krehbiel, ) and awareness of campus resources (Contreras, ; Pérez et al., ). Once on campus, these students often find themselves isolated and report wide variability in receptivity of campus climates (Suárez‐Orozco et al., ). Not surprisingly, probably as result of this confluence of influences, the anxiety and depression rates of unauthorized students are highly elevated relative to the authorized population (Suárez‐Orozco et al., ).…”