Warming Up or Cooling Out? Educational Trajectories of Undocumented College Students

• In Event: 136 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 06. Immigrant Identity, Aspirations and Integration

Abstract

Classical models of immigrant assimilation employing higher education as a mechanism for social mobility may not apply to young adults who are excluded from the institutions deemed integral to the assimilation process. As a result, many young adults who have lived most of their lives in the United States but lack citizenship, the so-called “Dreamers,” may be relegated to a pattern of downward assimilation as the institutions necessary for social incorporation, namely higher education and the labor market, may be inaccessible. This project examines how educational opportunities and prospects for incorporation into the United States vary according to one’s citizenship status. I address the educational trajectories and experiences of immigrant-origin students at a large, urban university system with a sizeable population of undocumented students. A quantitative analysis of institutional data demonstrates the differences in educational pathways, including college major choices, of undocumented students relative to other immigrant-origin and native students.

Author

• Jennifer Catherine Sloan, The Graduate Center, City University of New York