Allyship

Here are resources for those seeking to be in active allyship with undocumented students.

Undocumented Student Support Viking Funder was established to help meet the pressing needs of undocumented students at Western- please consider donating to it today.

Terminology

Blue Resource Center’s Common Terminology

Immigrants Rising’s Defining Undocumented

Training Opportunities

Undocu Ally Training, facilitated by University of Washington’s Leadership Without Borders, which provides training and additional resources for UW faculty and staff as well as for other institutions of higher education and school districts to develop a better understanding of how they can build more supportive environments for undocumented students.

UndocuAlly Training, facilitated by Washington State University’s Undocumented Initiatives, which highlights best practices to support undocumented students. 

Immigrant Justice Now! Curriculum is a curriculum for non-immigrants acting in solidarity with immigrant communities.

For Educators in Higher Ed.

A Guide for Success in Secondary and Postsecondary Settings from the U.S. Department of Education describes key practices that educators, school leaders and community organizations can use to better support youth, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. 

The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education & Immigration is dedicated to increasing public understanding of how immigration policies and practices impact students, campuses, and communities. Below are some recommended readings from the organization:

Higher Ed Immigration Portal is a digital platform that integrates data, policies, and resources about DACA and undocumented, other immigrant, international, and refugee students to support immigration reform and federal policymaking, fuel change at the state and campus level, and build a diverse movement of partners and stakeholders advocating for these students. Some recommended resources to check out include:

Research:

“As Soon as They Hear ‘Undocumented,’ They Stop Advising”: Theorizing a (Sub)conscious Evasion of Responsibility from Institutional Agents to Undocumented Students utilizes diffusion of responsibility and critical race theory to bring forward the experiences of undocumented students and institutional agents at Great Basin University (GBU). The findings presented here include, (sub)conscious evasion of responsibility and “all students” as white traditional students.

Building Effective Support for UndocuEducators to Thrive and Persist in Higher Education provides guidance about how campus stakeholders can ensure that UndocuEducators, who play crucial roles in higher education, thrive and succeed in their institution.

Helping Students Get Their UndocuHustle On: Introduction to Entrepreneurship Lesson Plan will help educators introduce entrepreneurship to students through an interactive workshop.

“I’m Here to Fight Along With You”: Undocumented Student Resource Centers Creating Possibilities investigated undocumented student support services from the perspective of 49 Undocumented Student Resource Center (USRC) practitioners. Their narratives evidence best practices in undocumented student support services and contribute to the generation of practice-related opportunities across higher education institutions. This study raises implications for higher education research and practice.

Immigrant and refugee ESL students’ challenges to accessing four-year college education: From language policy to educational policy examines the challenges that first-generation immigrant and refugee ESL students face in accessing four-year college education through a qualitative interview study at a U.S. public university.

Immigration Status and Postsecondary Opportunity: Barriers to Affordability, Access, and Success for Undocumented Students, and Policy Solutions provides an overview of issues at the intersection of immigration and postsecondary education, including examining relevant policies; identifying barriers facing undocumented students in accessing postsecondary education; state- and institutional-level solutions to address these barriers; and policy recommendations to improve affordability, access, and success for undocumented students.

Mentors, resiliency, and ganas: Factors influencing the success of DACAmented, undocumented, and immigrant students in higher education

NASPA Undocumented Immigrants and Allies Knowledge Community (UIAKC) aims to engage higher education and student affairs professionals in social discourse and action that centers undocumented students and professionals. We aim to share information, knowledge, practical resources, and research about, with, and for undocumented students, students from mixed-immigration status families, and undocumented professionals in higher education.

Undocumented Student Allies and Transformative Resistance: An Ethnographic Case Study examines staff and faculty allies working to help meet the needs of undocumented students at a large research university in the western region of the U.S. Drawing on scholarly work rooted in critical race theory and ethnic studies, the authors highlight forms of transformative resistance. They focus on four key findings: 1) student activism as a catalyst for staff and faculty engagement, 2) confronting contradictions and raising consciousness, 3) developing more supportive policies and programs, and 4) collaborating with organizations and communities beyond the university.

Undocumented Students in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature, 2001 to 2016 presents a critical review of the recent literature on undocumented students in higher education, placing it in the context of recent anti-immigrant sentiment and policy revisions. The 81 reviewed studies reveal that undocumented students confront significant financial barriers, shoulder unique psychological and social burdens tied to their legal status, and lack access to forms of social capital that facilitate postsecondary success.

Undocumented Undergraduates on College Campuses: Understanding Their Challenges and Assets and What It Takes to Make an Undocufriendly Campus

What Facilitates and Supports Political Activism by, and for, Undocumented Students? responds to the question of what motivates undocumented students, through the lens of critical consciousness, to engage in political activism, and what is the role of adult-allies? 

For Mental Health Service Providers

A Guide to Providing Mental Health Services to Immigrants Impacted by Changes to DACA and the COVID-19 Pandemic was written by a group of mental health providers and scholars who identify as immigrants, who are current DACA recipients or formerly undocumented, and who have experience working with DACA recipients through clinical work, community organizing, and academic research. 

Coalition of Undocumented Psychologists is designed to bring together undocumented students, scholars, and practitioners interested in or working in all areas of psychology. 

Developing Psychotherapy Strategies to Foster Resilience and Prevent Trauma Among Immigrants  is a webinar presented by the American Psychological Association.

Strengthening Communities of Support to Serve Immigrant Clients

Stress & Trauma Toolkit for Treating Undocumented Immigrants in a Changing Political and Social Environment

For Researchers

Research Collectives With, For, and By Undocumented Scholars: Creating Counterspaces for Revelation, Validation, Resistance, Empowerment, and Liberation in Higher Education

Conducting Research with Undocumented & Mixed-status Families During COVID: Ethics, Practices, and Methods

“I’ve never cried with a stranger before”: pedagogies of renewal and research dilemmas with/by Undocuscholars