ERIC Number: ED654680
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 132
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-5825-2578-3
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Dreamer's Dream: Understanding and Assisting Undocumented Community College Students
Carmelo Osvaldo Miranda
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of California, Davis
This study aimed to understand the lived experience of eleven undocumented students that attended a community college in an agricultural part of Northern California without a designated undocumented student academic center. Specifically, these students were interviewed to understand the factors that impacted their education and their sources of capital they used while attending a community college. It is important to note that this study took place when the Trump administration was seeking to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and participants were waiting to hear the decision regarding DACA from the Supreme Court of the United States. Additionally, this study took place under a global pandemic, which was a unique experience for these college students. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, recruitment and the data collection occurred virtually to ensure the safety of participants and the researcher. A snowball method was used to recruit participants and the recruitment took place via Canvas (an online course management system). Interviews were conducted online using different video chat platforms and open-ended questions were used to gather information from students. This method of interviewing students through video chat provided visual feedback and the ability to note participants' body language and facial expressions for the field notes. Also, analytic memos were produced at the end of each interview to capture reflections and any additional information that might be useful or relevant to this study. This study addressed two research questions: 1. What factors influence undocumented community college students' educational journey? 2. In the absence of a dedicated academic center for undocumented students, what sources of capital are students using while attending a community college? In total seven themes emerged from this study. Based on the first research question, three themes emerged: a) Government policies aiding educational goals b) Unforeseen hardships that challenge students' academics c) Motivation contributing to students' academic persistence. Based on the second research question, four themes emerged: d) Day-to-day connections within different communities for academic information e) Campus support programs facilitating students' academics f) Holistic off-campus resources contributing towards scholastic goals g) Students' reflections and ideas on new campus resources. This study highlighted the ability of undocumented college students being able to reach their academic goals by utilizing their social capital. It also demonstrated the need of having a dedicated academic center for undocumented college students at a community college. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Community College Students, Undocumented Immigrants, Student Experience, Court Litigation, COVID-19, Pandemics, Student Attitudes, Decision Making, Educational Policy, Public Policy, Student Motivation, Academic Persistence, Student Personnel Services, Cultural Capital
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A