An Exploration of the Educational Journey of Post-Baccalaureate DACA Recipients

An Exploration of the Educational Journey of Post-Baccalaureate DACA Recipients

When the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) order was initiated, the career and education outlook for DACA recipients expanded as the legal employment authorization allowed for aspirations and pursuits of higher degrees and consequently career fields commensurate with their education (Abr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chung, Carol S
Format: Dissertation
Language:English
Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2022
Subjects:
Education Policy
Educational evaluation
Higher education
Hispanic American studies
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:When the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) order was initiated, the career and education outlook for DACA recipients expanded as the legal employment authorization allowed for aspirations and pursuits of higher degrees and consequently career fields commensurate with their education (Abrego, 2018). DACA is approaching its 10th year since President Obama signed the executive order, and during that time, DACA recipients and Dreamers have faced a somewhat tumultuous road as the legalities of the program have been challenged in the political and judicial forums. Despite the uncertainties of DACA’s future, Dreamers continue to exhibit their Community Cultural Wealth, the strengths in their skills and knowledge to navigate through such barriers (Yosso, 2005). Over 427,000 undocumented students are enrolled in colleges and universities throughout the country with undocumented graduate students making up approximately ten percent of those students (Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, 2021).The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of DACA students enrolled in graduate programs to develop a greater understanding of the implications of their immigration status on their graduate academic quest and their career aspirations. This study examined the experiences of five DACA recipients enrolled in graduate programs in California, which is home to approximately 30% of DACA recipients (DHS, 2019). Through counter-storytelling, the co-researchers shared their motivations in pursuing higher education, and the supports and barriers they experienced in relation to family influences, higher education experiences, mental health, and DACA’s impact on their education and career paths.
ISBN:9798802715093