Gleaning Hope in a Vacillating DACA Sociopolitical Context: Undocumented Latinx Students' Support Systems Throughout K–16

• In Event: 66.052 - The Significance of Qualitative Studies on the Sociocultural and Sociopolitical Contexts of Education to Inform Policy

Abstract

In a Post-Truth era that threatens to “build a wall,” legislate a “travel ban,” separate children from their families at our borders, and repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the plight of immigrants and specifically undocumented children is at a critical juncture. The purpose of this study is to examine the ways in which undocumented Latinx students glean hope in an ever shifting DACA and often hostile anti-immigrant socio-political context to persist through school. We review key policies in U.S. immigration reform as they pertain to their educational opportunities throughout K-16. This policy analysis serves as a prelude to our research study.

We ground our study in a community cultural wealth (CCW) theoretical perspective, which centers the embedded strengths of communities of color “while critiquing deficit theorizing and data that may be limited by its omission of the voices of People of Color” (Yosso, 2005, p. 75).
Community cultural wealth comprises six varying, yet interconnected forms of capital which are derived from the unique lived experiences that undocumented Latinx students bring from their homes and communities into the learning environment (Yosso, 2005). Specifically, we drew from familial capital to more closely understand the role of family in their educational journeys. Familial capital expands the conceptualization of family to a broader understanding of kindship that is nurtured by extended familial and community ties with others who may or may not share blood relation (Carey, 2016; Cook & Williams, 2015).

This study utilized a narrative inquiry design based on the view that reality is constructed by individuals interacting with their social worlds (Merriam, 2009). Narrative inquiry encompasses the interdisciplinary study of the activities involved in generating and analyzing stories of life experiences (Schwandt, 2001), which are representative of social and cultural phenomenon
(Reissman, 1993). Six students participated in this study and met the following criteria: (1) currently enrolled in or a recent graduate of an institution of higher education (2) self-identified as undocumented, and (3) of Latinx descent. This study was driven by the following research question:
1. What are the key aspects of familial capital that Latinx undocumented students attribute to their educational and life success?
Data were collected through audio-recorded interviews and analyzed using a holistic-content analysis (Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, & Zibler, 1998), which considers the entire narrative and focuses on its overall content and global impression. Findings demonstrate that undocumented
Latinx students draw support from their proximal relationships to navigate their complex realities situated within their intersecting marginalized identities. Family, friends, and educators form the nexus of familial capital with subthemes of sacrifice, financial support, advocacy, and motivation. These findings are significant for educators and policymakers because they center the salience of undocumented Latinx students’ voices for policy considerations. Amidst contentious and polarizing views about immigration, and the uncertain state of DACA, this study calls us to ask critical questions about the future state of immigration policy. With these unanswered questions for many undocumented students, we find that hope lies within their strongest familial ties.

Authors

• Ayana Allen-Handy, Drexel University

• Abiola Farinde-Wu, University of Massachusetts - Boston