Essay On Undocumented Students

945 Words2 Pages

There are over 11 million undocumented individuals living within the United States today (Passel, 2011). Along with experiencing the same stresses and risk factors the other Latino immigrants face, undocumented students face a unique set of challenges when looking to attaining post secondary schooling (Perez 2010). Undocumented students are not eligible for federal financial aid and many private scholarships, formal employment, are unable to obtain driver’s licenses, and often live in fear of being deported at any time. However, research shows that undocumented students have been able to overcome the odds against them through community and family resources and the support of educators working with and for them on matters of importance, such as tuition equity policies for state institutions. On June 15, 2012, President Obama authorized the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals executive order, which deferred the removal process for The social, psychological, and educational experiences of undocumented students have a number of effects on their success throughout their lives. This paper examines the academic resiliency and educational persistence of undocumented college student populations through the collective action resiliency framework. Undocumented Immigrant Youth Migration places great stress on youth and this radical change can place great pressure on families. For children of these families, the immigration and migration experiences greatly reframes their lives as they work to adapt to their new surroundings. There are many stressors related to migration including a sense of isolation, obtaining documentation, going through the acculturation process, learning English, and adjusting to the schooling experience (Suarez-O... ... middle of paper ... ...at the support they received from their parents during their childhood was the single most important factor affecting their high academic aspirations and expectations. Family plays a major role in the development of resiliency in immigrant students (Siantz, 1997). Stanton-Salazar’s (2001) study of low-income Mexican adolescents and their families found that immigrant parents often had high expectations for their children even though many did not have the opportunity to attend school in their own country and were unable to help their children navigate the educational system in the United States. Supportive relationships, especially encouragement from teachers, administrators, or other adults, are also a key factor in developing resiliency among immigrant students (Bernard, 1995). These findings express the importance of examining resiliency among undocumented youth.

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