American dreams on hold: Exploring the impact of immigration policy on the educational experiences and attitudes of graduating undocumented Latina/o college students

California State University, Los Angeles, 2012Committee members: Anthony R Ross, Lois Andre-Bechely, Anthony Hernandez, Anne HafnerCollege, Immigration, Latino, Policy, UndocumentedEach year in the United States, thousands of undocumented Latina/o immigrant college students face a variety of challenges as they negotiate postsecondary institutions and cultural landscapes that are predominantly fashioned by traditional American values about race, class, and immigration status that have shaped - and continue to influence - our political, educational, and economic systems.This qualitative case study utilized Latino Critical Race Theory and theories on persistence to explore the educational experiences and persistence stories of undocumented Latina/o students as they approached college graduation. The participants were 11 students who were within one year of degree completion at a large urban university in California. Data collection was conducted during <italic>testimonio</italic> interviews and a focus group. Artifact analysis and observations represented additional sources of data.The findings of this research indicate that individual, social, cultural, and institutional factors contribute significantly to the educational experiences and persistence decisions of undocumented Latina/o college students.Applied and Advanced Studies in Educatio