Career & Tools

On October 28, the "Incorporating Undocumented Students and Youth: A UC-Wide Workshop of Research and Policy Recommendation" conference featured current research from scholars across the University of California system, including faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students.

By Ana Romero, Diversity & Outreach Peer
Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 - 3:08pm


Credit: Adrienne Shih

On October 28, University of California, California State University, and community college faculty, staff, students, and individuals from community organizations attended "Incorporating Undocumented Students and Youth: A UC-Wide Workshop of Research and Policy Recommendation," hosted at UC Irvine. The conference featured current research from scholars across the University of California system, including faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students.

After a welcome by Dr. Laura Enriquez, assistant professor of Chicano/Latino Studies at UC Irvine, scholars presented research that addressed the education experiences of undocumented students, current programs being implemented at various universities, and how social and political factors may be influencing students' academic success.

Presenters highlighted that the passing of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) has allowed undocumented students greater access to various resources and opportunities to engage in programs such as education abroad program and career-related internships. Faculty and staff presented on current programs being implemented at their respective universities, such as the Undocumented Student Program at UC Berkeley, the Dream Career Academy at UC Merced, and the UC Undocumented Legal Services Center, which provides free legal advice and representation for undocumented students and their mixed-status families.

While current legal policies and practices at the university level are improving the lives of undocumented youth, there still exists a need to address the unique barriers of this student population. While DACA allots undocumented students certain benefits, these students continue to live in fear of the detention and possible deportation of loved ones and anxiety over the uncertainty of the future, all which may negatively impact their academic success.

Presenters recommended that universities need to provide DACA-relevant programs and resources such as emergency grants, financial support for in-state and out-of-state DACA students, safe zones, food and housing insecurity resources, graduate school preparation programs, counseling services, know-your rights-workshops, hiring of more undocumented student coordinators, and training for faculty and staff. Additionally, there is a need for resources and guidance for undocumented students entering the graduate school system. Given that there are a number of undocumented students without DACA, programing and resources need to be inclusive of students with varying legal protection.