Advancing Equity for Undocumented Students and Students from Mixed-Status Families at the University of California
The University of California has become a national leader in implementing policies and programs to address undocumented students’ unique needs. Even with these forward-thinking initiatives, the inequities faced by other students who are negatively impacted by immigration policy, including U.S. citizens who have undocumented parents, have largely been unaddressed.
Based on data from a spring 2020 survey of 2,742 UC undergraduate students, this report compares the experiences of three groups: undocumented immigrant students, U.S. citizen students with undocumented parents, and U.S. citizen students with immigrant parents who are permanent residents or naturalized citizens. The findings powerfully illustrate that immigration policy disrupts the educational experiences and wellbeing not only of undergraduate college students who are undocumented, but also those students who are citizens from mixed-status families. This report identifies areas of improvement to advance equity for all students affected by immigration policies that harm undocumented immigrants and individuals with precarious legal statuses.
On Tuesday, February 16, 2021, we hosted a virtual panel discussion of the report featuring the authors in conversation with UC undocumented service providers.
View the recording here
Speakers include:
- Laura E. Enriquez, Associate Professor of Chicano/Latino Studies at UC Irvine
- Ignacio Alarcón, Assistant Director of the AB540 and Undocumented Student Center at UC Davis
- Cecilia Ayón, Professor of Public Policy at at UC Riverside
- María Blanco, Executive Director of UC Immigrant Legal Services Center
- Angela Chen, Director of the UCI Dream Center at UC Irvine
- Jennifer Nájera, Associate Professor and Chair of Ethnic Studies at UC Riverside
- Zulema Valdez, Associate Vice Provost for the Faculty and Professor of Sociology at UC Merced
Media Coverage:
UC Irvine School of Social Sciences: Research to Advance Equity and Inclusion
UC Merced Newsroom: New Study Shows Immigration Policies Impact Student Success
UC Riverside News: UC systemwide survey reveals disparities among undocumented students
ABC30 Fresno: Changing immigration policies negatively impact undocumented students, new UC study says
Telemundo: Cited in Programa ayuda a jóvenes que podrían ser candidatos del DACA
La Opinión: ‘Fue doloroso ver que mis papás no podían ir a su país’