Racist Nativist Microaggressions in the Trump Era: Experiences of DACA and Undocumented Latinx College Students

• In Event: "Why Do They Hate Us?" Education and Racist Rhetoric in the Trump Era and Beyond

Abstract

Beginning with his presidential campaign, Donald Trump has advanced racist nativist discourses that frame undocumented Latinx immigrants as “invaders” and “criminals.” Given these discourses, immigrant Communities of Color are increasingly targeted by expressions of racist nativism—a form of racism that is based upon real or perceived immigrant status which has which has historically targeted Latinx communities and in turn, assigns them a foreign identity that justifies subordinating practices and policies. In this chapter, we examine how these discourses impact Latinx DACA and undocumented college students in higher education, nationally.
Building upon growing literature examining Latinx DACA and undocumented student experiences, we grounded our findings in racist nativism (Pérez Huber, Benavides Lopez, Malagón, Vélez & Solorzano, 2008) to underscore the critical but often overlooked subjugation Latinx students experienced daily due to their rea l or perceived race/ethnicity and immigration status. Importantly, presenting our findings from a critical perspective focused analysis on how Latinx DACA and undocumented students, as People of Color, were targeted and impacted overtime by racial microaggressions while also underscoring the systemic nature of such intentional or unconscious assaults. In order to grasp the scope of the Trump Effect on undocumented and DACA college students while also capturing the details of context similarities and differences, we used case study design as an approach to the research presented in this chapter (Scholz & Tietje, 2002). For this chapter, we drew from datasets collected from two different studies located in California and Colorado that both interrogated the impacts of the 2016 election on undocumented and DACA students. Both studies paralleled each other in the statement of problem, purpose of the study, selections criteria, and had similar state policy context, presenting a unique opportunity to explore similarities and nuances in student experiences between the two state contexts. A total of 70 students who self-identified as DACA or undocumented and attended a two or four-year public or private college or university were interviewed either one-on-one or through a focus group.

Drawing from in-depth interview data, we found racist nativist microaggressions were commonplace for Latinx DACA and undocumented students within and beyond their college campuses despite regional differences. Our findings also revealed that as a result of Trump’s anti-immigrant and anti-Latinx rhetoric, students became more fearful and uncertain of their future. Even still, students felt empowered to resist this racism, remain resilient, and maintain a sense of hope. Our analysis combined data from two demographically and politically distinct states enabling us to capture a true sense of the national climate, which illuminated the lasting harmful effects of racial microaggressions and anti-immigrant political discourses on participants’ mental and emotional well-being. These hard and real truths can longer be ignored by institutions and leaders must begin to emphatically challenge anti-immigrant rhetoric on campus and become more intentional about addressing DACA and undocumented students’ needs. In this session, we discuss the findings in more depth, its implications and provide institutions recommendations for practice, policy, and future research.

Authors

• Darsella Vigil, Unversity of Denver

• Valerie Gomez, UC San Diego