Promising Pathway: Economic Opportunity and the Realities of Post-College Workforce Transitions

• In Event: The American Dream: Cultivating Equitable Workforce Pathways for International Scholars in U.S. Higher Education

Abstract

This session outlines the experience of international scholars transitioning to the workforce at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and immigration policy turmoil. International scholars are often touted for their economic value and impact on the U.S. economy as well as their boundless academic and cultural contribution to national and local communities (Glass, C. R.; Godwin, K. A., & Helms, R. M., 2021). Promising pathways to the workforce after graduation (Lu & Schulmann 2015) and career opportunities are the primary reasons why they choose to pursue their degrees abroad (Glass, Godwin, Helms, 2021). International scholars are particularly attracted to U.S. higher education programs as their credentials hold the promise of equitable access to high earnings, quality jobs, economic mobility and financial security (Chetty, Hendren, Jones, Porter, 2019; Postsecondary Value Commission, 2021). However, the reality is that broader interlocking systems of power such as race, citizenship, and nationality impact their access to the workforce, and once they do arrive within these spaces, they are reminded that they are not afforded with the same standards and social protection mechanisms as U.S. citizens, due to their non-citizenship status, which places them in a vulnerable position in terms of their rights and well being.
This presentation draws upon interview data using a multilevel intersectionality framework (Núñez, 2014) to unravel how ‘non-citizenship’ status has led to international scholars’ disenfranchisement and work barriers, as well as the institutional and political mechanisms that perpetuate inequality and oppression. From an intersectional lens, is it clear that workforce pathways and servitude situations disadvantage too many scholars. If the field of higher education is sincere about advancing equity and inclusion along with attracting scholars to U.S. higher education and its workforce, considerable investment of time, money and energy is needed to rectify these habitudes. This presentation concludes with recommendations for organizations and federal policymakers to reshape policies and practices to create a more efficient pathway for scholars to access the workforce, and more equitable support systems for international scholars.

Author

• Anita Gopal, American University