Undocumented but Undaunted: The Political and Social Landscape of Latina/o DREAMers

Session Submission Type: Symposium

Abstract

This session examines the unique experiences, concerns, and activism of undocumented Latina/o immigrant students in the US. Approximately 65,000 undocumented youth graduate from American high schools each year, the majority of them Latina/o. Many wish to attend college, but “out-of-state” or “international” tuition costs make it impossible, and they are ineligible for most financial aid. Recently, there has been a swell of activism to gain or maintain in-state tuition for these youth at public universities, and a national student-led movement that brought the DREAM Act to a congressional vote. This session features research about the activism and educational experiences of these undocumented students, who continue to face challenging lives because of their unauthorized status.

Sub Unit

• Division G - Social Context of Education / Section 2: Education in Multicultural Contexts Within and Across Subject Areas

Chairs

• Patricia Sanchez, The University of Texas - San Antonio

• Cindy Cruz, University of California - Santa Cruz

Papers

• Life in the Shadows: Texas Latino/a DREAMers - Shaun Chapa, University of North Texas; Mariela Nunez-Janes, University of North Texas

• Teachers as Border Brokers: Undocumented Students in Search of Community, Learning, and Acompañamiento - Enrique Sepulveda, University of Saint Joseph

• Shifting Political Frames in the Undocumented Student Movement - Roberto G. Gonzales, University of Chicago

• Immigrant Student Citizenship and the Role of State-Level Victory: The Illinois DREAM Act - Hinda Seif, University of Illinois at Springfield, Assistant Professor

Discussants

• Kysa Nygreen, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• William Perez, Claremont University - Claremont Graduate University