College Experience of Undocumented Latino Students

Abstract

Undocumented Latino students who enroll in and attend colleges and universities face a multitude of barriers and often must navigate complex situations and structures that make them more vulnerable of not completing their education (Diaz-Strong & Meiners, 2007). When undocumented students attend colleges and universities, they often encounter social, political, financial, and emotional barriers that threaten their success and challenge their existence (Hurtado & Ponjuan (2005). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to extend the understanding of the holistic and subjective viewpoints of the college experience for undocumented Latino students through the use of Q methodology. The results of 19 participants sorting 47 statements were three distinct factor arrays that were interpreted to describe the college experience from the personal perspective of the students. The Rejected American students reveal the overall feeling of being an American, but they also feeling threatened and rejected. The Conflicted Identity students have conflicting narratives and the feeling of existing through controlled participation. The Assimilated as Americans students remain steadfast in the midst of uncertainty without excuses as a dominant mentality. The conclusions based on the findings are the necessity of family support, the importance of assistance from high school counselors, the mixed messages of the college environment, and how campus community integration can be achieved. Studies on the view points of the general U.S population toward those who are undocumented could provide valuable information on that affect the college experience for those who are undocumented. Moreover, future studies on those who are undocumented, other than Latino students, could provide information on how students from other races and ethnicities perceive their college experience and the extent to which their immigration status affects it.