Undocumented Students, Institutional Allies, and Transformative Resistance: An Institutional

211 Pages·2013·0.8 MB·English

by  Angela Chen

UCLA
UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Title
Undocumented Students, Institutional Allies, and Transformative Resistance: An Institutional
Case Study
Permalink
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4qm4k0h1
Author
Chen, Angela Chuan-Ru
Publication Date
2013

Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation
eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library
University of California
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles

Undocumented Students, Institutional Allies,
and Transformative Resistance:
An Institutional Case Study

A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy
in Education

by

Angela Chuan-Ru Chen

2013
© Copyright by
Angela Chuan-Ru Chen
2013
ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

Undocumented Students,
Institutional Allies, and Transformative Resistance:
An Institutional Case Study

by

Angela Chuan-Ru Chen
Doctor of Philosophy in Education

University of California, Los Angeles, 2013

Professor Robert A. Rhoads, Chair

This study focuses on the capacity of colleges and universities to minimize educational
inequalities experienced by undocumented students. It analyzes the role of student activism in
prompting institutional accountability and successful practices used by institutional allies, such
as faculty and administrators, in order to create a model for improving undocumented student
success. My research and writing is centered in critical pedagogy, critical race theory, and
feminist frameworks. These theoretical perspectives provide the lens to analyze interviewees’
understanding of educational disparities and their sense of agency to maintain and/or resist
existing institutional structures. This lens offers a framework to analyze the disenfranchised
educational experiences of undocumented students and to examine their counter narratives
within the larger social, economic, historical, and political contexts to understand external factors
ii
that shape discriminatory institutional practices. In-dept interviews were gathered from 23
institutional allies who shared their experiences working with undocumented students and also
from 21 undocumented students regarding their experiences navigating the institution. Interviews
with students illuminate their challenges and perspectives on efforts made by institutional allies.
The findings indicate that institutions, given the discretion they have within legal boundaries, do
act on behalf of undocumented students; however, a gap remains between student need and
institutional resources. In addition, the study suggests institutional and legislative policy changes
that would enhance the success of undocumented students in gaining access to and persisting
through higher education.

iii
The dissertation of Angela Chuan-Ru Chen is approved.
Mitchell J. Chang
David M. Hernández
Jane E. Pizzolato
Robert A. Rhoads, Committee Chair

University of California, Los Angeles
2013
iv
To my mother.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................1
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................13
CHAPTER THREE: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE .......................................................37
CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................48
CHAPTER FIVE: IMMIGRATION NARRATIVES AND CHALLENGES FACING
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS AT SRU .........................................................................70
CHAPTER SIX: INSTITUTIONAL ALLIES.......................................................................128
CHAPTER SEVEN: CALL TO ACTION ............................................................................165
APPENDIXES: INTERVIEW PROTOCOL .........................................................................188
REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................192

vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Age Upon Entry into the United States of Undocumented Student Respondents ....57, 71
Table 2 Departments and Participants Serving as Institutional Allies ..................................62

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Defining the Concepts of Resistance ......................................................................40
Figure 2 Country of Birth of the National Unauthorized Immigrant Population 2010 .........59
vii
Acknowledgements

I am deeply grateful and indebted to the students and institutional allies who participated in this
study. This study would not have been possible without your courage to take action and to allow
me to share your inspiring narratives.
I would like to give special thanks to my dissertation committee, Robert A. Rhoads, Mitchell J.
Chang, Jane E. Pizzolato, and David M. Hernández, for their suggestions for improvement,
mentorship, and support for research on undocumented student experiences. I would like to
thank Rob in particular for being an encouraging advisor, who has spent countless hours meeting
with me to refine my research and to incorporate theory into my analysis. I also want to thank
Mitch for serving as my M.A. advisor, checking in to see how life is going, and asking critical
questions about the significance of my work. I would like to thank Jane and David for your
endless support in the dissertation process and preparing me for the transition into my
professional role. I would also like to thank the Graduate School of Education and Information
Studies for providing a supportive departmental environment and to Amy Gershon and all of the
friendly and helpful staff in the Office of Student Services for making sure everything went
smoothly.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Alfred Herrera, Santiago Bernal, Kent Wong,
Janna Shadduck-Hernandez, Glenn Omatsu, and John Delloro, for advocating for immigrant
communities on so many fronts. I am deeply grateful to have mentorship from these individuals
who nurtured my research interest and connected me to the students, institutional allies, and
communities that were central to the immigrant rights movement. I am grateful to have learned
from these mentors the essence of being an activist educator. I want to thank Alfred in particular
for providing the space and time I needed to heal from my own experience of being
undocumented and the lost of dear friends in the movement.
I am grateful that my research was informed, challenged and enriched by a community of
scholars who examine immigrant experiences. I am especially thankful to William Perez,
Roberto Gonzales, Leisy Abrego, Abel Valenzuela Jr., Tam Tran, Tracy Buenavista, Matt
Matera, Jill Koyama, Mathu Subramanian, Sam Museus, Laura Enriquez, Michelle Espino,
Susana Muñoz, Richard Cortes, Ana Soltero Lopez, Argelia Lara, Jaime L. Del Razo, Angelo
Mathay, Jordan Gonzales, Fabiola Inzunza, Matias Ramos, Gabriel Chaparro, Chiara Paz, Cyndi
Bendezu, Betsy Estudillo, Carlos Salinas, Mariana Zamboni, and Nancy Guarneros for sharing
with me your insights and helpful criticisms.
I would also like to thank Rachel Fretz for mentoring me in the writing process and helping me
cope with the stress of the dissertation process.
I would also like to thank UCLA and community-based organizations that have provided
research, support, and safe spaces for undocumented students: UCLA Center for Community
College Partnerships, UCLA Labor Center, UCLA Center for Community Learning, UCLA
Bruin Resource Center, Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success at UCLA, Wesley
Foundation, Dream Resource Center, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Educators for Fair
Consideration, Asian Students Promoting Immigrant Rights through Education, Graduates
viii