The American Dream Conundrum: Undocumented College Student Identity, Education, and Agency

• In Event: 69.057 - Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: 69.057-12 - Undocumented and First-Generation Youth Experiences

Abstract

For undocumented college students, the American Dream is a conundrum. To pursue it, they must suspend their knowledge that there is no current viable path to citizenship and yet, the illusion is strong enough for them to vehemently continue the quest. As undocumented college students navigate the craggy terrain of higher education, they rely on their agency to maintain their hopes of living and contributing to the United States, the place they consider home. The purpose of this research is to conduct an in-depth participatory action research study that asks, how do undocumented college students make sense of the American Dream and how do their identity, education and agency manifest, develop and intersect in coming to that understanding?

Author

• Aurora Chang, Loyola University Chicago