"They Don't Get the Story": Campus Climate and Undocumented Latina Undergraduates at a Historically White Institution

• In Event: College Environment and Campus Inclusion

Abstract

Prior to the election of Donald Trump, research has found that Students of Color, particularly Latina/o and Black students, experience negative campus climates on college campuses. With increased racial tensions since the 2016 presidential election, undocumented immigrants are made vulnerable to anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric by the current administration. This qualitative study examined how Latina undergraduate undocumented students perceive and respond to campus climate at a historically white institution. Using interviews, observations, and one focus group as primary methods of inquiry, this study employs a theoretical framework of critical race theory, coupled with Latina/o critical theory and undocumented critical theory to highlight the lived experiences of Latina/o undergraduate undocumented students in higher education.

Author

• Marisol Sanchez Castillo, University of California - Los Angeles