2009 naspa presentation. silenced voices

8/14/2019 2009 NASPA Presentation. Silenced Voices

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SILENCED VOICES: UNDERSTANDINGSILENCED VOICES: UNDERSTANDING

COLLEGE PERSISTENCE FACTORS FORCOLLEGE PERSISTENCE FACTORS FORUNDOCUMENTED MEXICAN IMMIGRANTUNDOCUMENTED MEXICAN IMMIGRANT

WOMEN FROM THE NEW LATINOWOMEN FROM THE NEW LATINO

DIASPORADIASPORA

Susana M. Muoz, Ph.D.

Post Doctoral Research AssociateEducational Leadership & Policy Studies

December 10, 2009


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National Dilemma

Approximately 37 million foreign-born immigrants are living inthe United States.

11.1 million are undocumented and 56% of thoseundocumented individuals arrived from Mexico (Passel,

2006) Children account for 1.8 million or 15% of undocumented

immigrants ; many of which have resided in the UnitedStates for the majority of their lives (Gonzales, 2007 &Passel, 2006).

Future trends suggest that the occupations most in demandwill require an Associates degree or above.

Investing in the educational attainment of Latino immigrantsand their children is important for economic and social

purposes (Gonzales, 2007).


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Literature ReviewLatinas in Higher Education

Latinos/as stress more than non-Latinos/as about issues related to finance,academic imperfections, and family obligations. (Longerbeam, Sedlacek,& Alatorre, 2004).

Latina college students have the additional challenge of breaking away fromtraditional roles for women (Gandara, 1995; Gonzalez, Jovel, & Stoner,

2004) .

Latinas succeed in college by valuing their education, having a sense ofresponsibility to obtain their degree because ofparental sacrifices,(Zalaquett, 2005).

Latina college students also experience institutional marginalization

(Rodriguez, Guido-DiBrito, Torres, & Talbot, 2000), microaggressions(Solorzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000), and cultural incongurency (Gloria &Castellanos, 2003).


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Overview of Study

Purpose: Understanding issues of college persistence for undocumented

Mexican college women from a New Latino Diaspora site: Elksville,Wyoming. I used a case study approach.

Research Questions:

1. How do culture, family, prior schooling, and immigration experiencesinfluence college persistence among Mexicana immigrant students?

2. What factors are associated with the college persistence for Mexicana

students?

Participants Four Mexican-born females who have attended the University of

Wyoming. I used a snowball sampling method to identity participants.


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Participants at a Glance

Pseudonym Age Class year Major Age arrivedin the United

States

Parentsoccupation

State oforigin

Number ofsiblings

Ana Mari 20 .Soph Business 12 :FatherRestaurant

cook:Mother

Restaurant&worker house

cleaning forprivate houses

,San Simon,Tlaxcala

Mexico

:1 brother age 18

Elena 20 .Soph Undeclared 7 :FatherConstruction

:MotherHousekeeping

for a hotel

,Irapuato,Guanajuato

Mexico

:2 brothers ages,19 15

:1 sisterage 17

Sofi 21 Junior Business 15 :FatherConstruction

:MotherHousekeeping

for a hotel

,Hueyotlipan,Tlaxcala

Mexico

:1 brother age 17:1 sister

age 8

Valera 23 College grad Political/science

-Pre law

15 :MotherHousecleaning

for private

houses

,Hueyotlipan,Tlaxcala

Mexico

:2 sisters,ages 19 18


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Theoretical Perspective

Borderland theory (Anzaldua, 1998)

Chicana epistemology (Delgado-Bernal,1998)

Trenzas de identidades multiples [Braidsof multiple identities] (F.E. Gonzalez,1999).

Yossos (2006) stages of Chicana/ocollege persistence:


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Contributions to Scholarship &Policy

Employed a cultural(Chicano/a studies)perspective withinpersistence study

No study that I am aware ofhas explored collegepersistence issues forundocumented Mexican

immigrant women from acultural standpoint

Findings impact the DREAM(Development, Relief, and

Education for AlienMinors)Act and future


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Factors for CollegePersistenceSupport and Challenges from their Home

System Vayas bien en la escuela para que no seas comonostros, tabajando [Do well in school so you dontbecome like us, working].

I dont want you to have to depend on a man.I dont want them to worry about things that I can

solve.

Unraveling the Notions of Dual

Socialization (Cultural Hybridity)Its difficult because in American culture if you try tobe too Mexican then its hard to get along withpeople. And when you are with Mexican people andyoure being too American you get criticized.

..just because I was girl and they grew up having the

girls do everything.


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Factors for CollegePersistenceMicroaggressions Against

Newcomers everyone looks at me in a weird way.Many times they ask me if Im aninternational student and I tell them,

No,..

Learning and Unlearning fromthe Language AcquisitionProcessESL experience was a waste of time.

Teachers think they are helping students, butin reality they are contributing to a students


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Factors for CollegePersistence

Dilemmas, Stressors, and Motivation Associated withUndocumented Status You get sad because your parents are going to keep paying

school for you instead of saving them some money. When it gets really stressful sometimes I just cry because I don't

know what to do and it's kind of like a release.

Sometimes I feel ashamed too when I talk about myimmigration status...

Creating Successful Academic Spaces and Social

Networks in College

I thought that I could do it on my own so I tried to do it bymyself but that didnt work in the end. we sometimes have that mentality that we are different. And

here in Elksville the fact that we are different is not necessarilypositive, but in college its the opposite because there is aninterest for having people who are different who havesomething else to contribute.


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Conceptual model for college persistencefactors for undocumented Mexicanimmigrant women


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Research Questions

How do cultural, family, prior schooling,immigration, college experiences influence collegepersistence among undocumented Mexicanastudents?

Strength gained from culture and family to persist

Unlearned the negative perceptions they had as learnersduring their prior schooling

Immigration experiences gave them a sense of purpose

What factors are associated with the college

persistence of undocumented Mexicana students? Microaggressions were evident in prior schooling, on

campus, and in community Campus involvement was prompt by the encouragement

of key staff people and initially comes with stress and

anxiety


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Recommendations

Provide more financial aid opportunities School Community University

partnership

Immigration policies vs. access to postsecondary education Providing states more information about

the benefits of in state tuition polices Passing the DREAM Act Pathway to citizenship for college

graduates needs to be addressed.


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Implications

K-12 administrators should take note of the negative ESL experiences andhow those carryover into college.

The stressors associated with immigration status, along with familyobligations, illustrate how these college students are constantly

navigating multiple worlds.

The voices in this study help to better inform admissions and financial aidpolicies.

Community entities are important to accessing college resources andseeking funding from local community donors.

These findings highlight the internal resiliency, determination, andmotivation of students who are uncertain about their future prospects

yet seek out higher education opportunities to better themselves, theirfamilies, and their communities.


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Future Research

Examining the college experiences of undocumentedMexican men.

Investigating the community college experiences forundocumented students.

Similar studies can be conducted in other New LatinoDiaspora sites such as Idaho, Washington, and Montana.

Looking at the experiences of undocumented Asian students

Examining the college experiences of undocumented

immigrants enrolled in graduate or professional schools.

Economic cost-benefit analysis of educating undocumented

immigrants students


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References

Delgado-Bernal, D. (1998). Using a Chicana feminist epistemology in educational research. Harvard EducationalReview,68 (4). Retrieved January 31, 2006, fromhttp://www.edreview.org/harvard98/1998/wi98/w98berna.htm

Gonzalez, F. E. (1999). Formations of Mexicananess: Trenzas de identidades multiples [Growing up Mexicana:Braids of multiple identities]. In L. Parker, D. Deyhle, & S. Villenas (Eds.), Race is . . .race isnt: Critical racetheory and qualitative studies in education (pp. 156-172). Boulder, CO: Perseus.

Gonzales, R. G. (2007). Wasted talent and broken dreams: The lost potential of undocumented students.Immigration Policy in Focus. 5(13), 1-11. Retrieved May 25, 2008, fromhttp://immigration.server263.com/images/File/infocus/Wasted%20 Talent%20and%20Broken%20Dreams.pdf

Jensen, L. (2006). New immigrant settlements in rural America: Problems, prospects, and polices. Reports onRural America, 1(3), 1-34. Retrieved April 10, 2008, fromhttp://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/Report_Immigration.pdf

Passel, J. S. (2006). The size and characteristics of the unauthorized migrant population in the U.S. WashingtonDC: Pew Hispanic Center. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/61.pdf


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THANK YOU!

Contact Information: Susana M. Muoz , Ph.D.

[email protected] 515-294-9090

&uestions Comments/is research was funded by the ASHE Lumina Foundati
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

2009 naspa presentation. silenced voices

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