Undocumented Immigrant College Students' Social Supports Beyond Campus

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: (Re)Defining Risks, Acknowledging Cultural Wealth, and Improving Success Odds

Abstract

Previous studies found that undocumented immigrant students rarely seek out support or take advantage of campus resources even when provided by universities due to their undocumented status. However, these studies examine students’ college interactions from a perspective that gives primacy to the values and practices of higher education institutions, with little discussion about the resources students bring to college. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews, this study examines the various supports and resources that undocumented immigrant students seek out while in college and to what extent the resources they seek are university or non-university based. Findings suggest that undocumented immigrant students interact with people differently depending on their pre-college experiences, and sought off-campus supports that are similar to their pre-college resources.

Author

• Jaein Lee, Harvard University