Undocumented Latino College Students: Their Socioemotional and Academic Experiences by William Pérez, Richard Douglas Cortés (review)

In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled (in Plyler v. Doe) that undocumented children could attend public schools regardless of their immigration status (Olivas, 2012). The population of undocumented youth in the United States is substantial—approximately 2.1 million (Batalova & McHugh, 2010). This group is growing up with protected legal access to public education from kindergarten to high school. However, for these undocumented students, the transition to college and to the job market involves leaving the legally protected status of K-12 students and taking on adult roles that require legal status as the basis for participation (Gonzales, 2011). This switching among contexts makes for a tempestuous transition and has important implications for identity formation, friendship patterns, aspirations and expectations, and social and economic mobility (Gonzales, 2011). In spite of the barriers they experience, many undocumented students are now going to college.

In particular, community colleges because they are conveniently located, cost much less than four-year colleges, feature open admissions, and accommodate students who work or have family responsibilities, are suited to meet the educational needs of immigrants and undocumented students who want to obtain an affordable postsecondary education, learn English-language skills, and prepare for the labor market (Teranishi, Suárez-Orozco, & Suárez-Orozco, 2011). Unfortunately, very little is known about the college experiences of undocumented students in community colleges. With some limitations, Pérez and Cortés’s (2011) book represents a timely contribution to the topic of immigration and higher education and presents a much-needed perspective on the socioemotional experiences of Latino undocumented students in community colleges.

The book is well organized into six chapters. Chapter 1 states the goal of the book and describes the political and educational context that undocumented immigrants face in the United States. Chapter 2 provides a thorough literature review on students’ psychological well-being and introduces the socioemotional framework used to analyze undocumented students’ college experiences. It is worth noting that Pérez and Cortés’s (2011) literature review can be used as a teaching tool for those who are new to this topic. They provide the readers with an excellent overview of the available scholarship on undocumented students and higher education.

Furthermore, the comprehensive review provides background information on the contexts (e.g., economic and institutional) that affect undocumented students in higher education and particularly the struggles that these students encounter due to their immigration status both in and out of educational settings. They also describe the study’s two-part methodology: (a) survey data from 37 undocumented students, (b) 24 student interviews, and (c) in-depth interviews with eight community college personnel.

Chapter 3 presents the narratives of undocumented students who experience feelings of shame, anger, despair, marginalization, and uncertainty stemming from discrimination, anti-immigrant sentiment, fear of deportation, and systemic barriers (e.g., ineligibility for financial aid and unwelcoming and unsupportive environments). Take, for instance, the stories of Jacinto and Esperanza who often feel “a sense of humiliation and voicelessness due to their undocumented status” (p. 50). They constantly expressed how difficult and shameful it is not to have a driver’s license to prove their identity. Esperanza describes how depressed she gets when she thinks about graduating from college because she will not be able to work in her desired field. All of her hard work has brought her academic success in college, but her narrative ends with her not being able to get a job where she could use her college degree.

Chapter 4 highlights the important role that institutional agents play in buffering these students’ negative college experiences. The authors found that, despite moments of despair and an uncertain future, rather than becoming dejected, undocumented Latino students reframe their circumstances in positive terms.

Chapter 5 elaborates on the institutional perspective of undocumented students. Community college personnel interviews reveal that...