The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) policy has given unauthorized immigrants access to many opportunities, specifically education. While DACA has improved the lives of many undocumented immigrants, this group continues to face obstacles while pursuing their educational aspirations. Using semi-structured interviews, the current study…

Using data from 40 qualitative interviews with undocumented immigrant students, this article explores the experiences of undocumented students in seeking help applying to and navigating college. Participants reported mixed experiences---some received incorrect information about the options available to them or immigration policies, whereas others…

The necessity of a college degree is irrefutable. However, the path to college for undocumented students can be crowded with boulders, steep walls, or altogether non-existent. Drawing on interviews with 25 undocumented Latina/o students and 5 years (2012-2017) of school ethnography, I show that their college-going experiences are framed by the…

This study examined the lived experiences of K-12 DACAmented Latine educators in Northern California through a Chicana/Latina feminist epistemological lens and utilized "testimonios" as a methodological qualitative tool. Grounded in LatCrit and UndocuCrit, the purpose of this study was to center the voices and lived experiences of Latine…

The undocumented student experience has been a topic of interest for educational institutions since the passing of AB 540 in 2001 and has become an increasingly prevalent phenomenon amid emergent legislation, ever-changing political climates, and the rise of Dream Centers and undocumented student liaisons across higher education systems. However,…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the academic and interpersonal lived experiences of Latino Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students by analyzing their individual stories and personal accounts as community college students. This study focused on students who were undocumented but were able to attend community…

This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the perspectives of university students who self-identified as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) regarding the academic support systems they received and/or required to graduate on time. The study's primary objective was to discover support mechanisms that supported DACA recipients…

Given that community colleges enroll most of the undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students across the nation, there is an economic and moral imperative to understand how the sociopolitical environment has shifted educational opportunities for undocumented and DACA students. This paper unveils how institutional agents…

Undocumented youth experience heightened moments of exclusion in certain places and at particular times. Civics classrooms can be such places, especially during times of hypernational focus such as national elections. This article begins by describing one undocumented student's experience in his U.S. Civics class. It goes on to detail a study…

During the anti-immigration climate of the Trump administration rooted in racist nativist rhetoric, the feeling of vulnerability became palpable for Undocumented and DACAmented students. Racist nativism, however, is not a new phenomenon; it existed long before the Trump Effect. This study presents the testimonios of seven Undocumented and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of documentation on the educational experiences, college readiness and aspirations of undocumented Latinx migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Design/methodology/approach: This ethnographic study was conducted in a High School Equivalency Program at a large university in the Midwest. Data…

Using "testimonios," we highlight six current university Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students' funds of knowledge, or the lived experiences and culturally developed skills, specific to being DACA recipients, that these students leveraged in the past, currently lean on now for continued success, and learn what resources…

With support from the UndocuScholars Project at UCLA, scholars conducted a nationwide, in-depth investigation of undocumented student resource centers (USRCs)--physical spaces on higher education campuses where centralized services and resources for undocumented students are provided. At the time of the study, 59 USRCs were identified--most of…

To inform higher education and student affairs (HESA) professionals who work with college students outside of the classroom, we asked the research question: How do undocumented Latinx college students use aspirational capital to navigate higher education? Aspirational capital is the ability to maintain hopes and dreams for the future in the face…

This article examines my experiences as a Latina DACA-benefited researcher conducting qualitative research with Latinx DACA-benefited college students. Drawing from an interview study across two states, I describe my actions and responses to three stages I experienced in the field: reflexive analysis of positionality, acknowledgement of shared…