We are friends? Navigating relationships with undocumented college students as co-researchers in participatory action research

Abstract

This article focuses on the process of establishing, defining, and making sense of relationships with undocumented college students as co-researchers in participatory action research (PAR). Using memos and narratives with thick descriptions of critical moments that emerged during a qualitative higher education PAR study, the author examines the challenges and opportunities of engaging undocumented college students as co-researchers in all aspects of the research process. Through critical reflections of her positionality as a former undocumented immigrant and role as a critical higher education researcher, the author also provides recommendations for scholars interested in partnering with undergraduate students of minoritized identities as co-researchers in PAR projects and those seeking to humanize research methodologies as they investigate issues related to undocumented students.

Keywords:

• Participatory action research
• undocumented college students
• co-researchers’ relationships
• humanizing research methodologies
• higher education research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Undocumented immigrants are people residing in the United States who do not hold an authorized immigration status. This group encompasses immigrants who entered the country with or without proper immigration inspection (Center for American Progress, 2014).

2 Undocumented students are undocumented immigrants enrolled in the U.S. education systems (K-12 and higher education). Approximately 98,000 undocumented students graduate from high school every year (Zong & Batalova, 2019), and about 454,000 undocumented students are enrolled in higher education (Feldblum et al., 2020).

3 My co-researchers chose not to use pseudonyms as part of the study, but I limit the demographic and background information I provide about each of them to enhance anonymity and confidentiality measures.

4 President Obama announced an executive action called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on June 15, 2012; a directive that provides two benefits to undocumented immigrants who meet specific criteria: (a) a renewable 2-year work permit, and (b) a protection from deportation (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2020). The Trump administration terminated DACA on September 5, 2017 and DACA recipients began to lose their protections gradually. However, the Supreme Court of the United States determined that DACA was unlawfully terminated on June 18, 2020 and that the program must continue (Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, 2020). It is important to note that most undocumented students are not DACA recipients (Feldblum et al., 2020). The study described in this manuscript was conducted during the years that the Trump administration’s decision to end the DACA program was going through the federal judicial process.

5 As part of the analysis and writing process of this manuscript, I asked Pau, Paula, and Alejandro for their opinions on my interpretations of our relationships. Kindly, they all offered formal and informal feedback at different times and agreed that we had formed a bond that could be considered a combination of friendship, mentorship, and family-like relationships. I am particularly grateful for Paula’s insights on how this PAR project offered us both, inside and outside researchers, opportunities to not only develop our relationships but a more critical understanding of each other experiences through our natural and routine interactions during and beyond the project.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cinthya Salazar

Cinthya Salazar is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration at Texas A&M University. Dr. Salazar's research centers on the college access, persistence, and success of undocumented students in the United States.