I Lived Experiences of Undocumented Latin@ Students
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i Lived Experiences of Undocumented Latin@ Students: Phenomenological Research Study by Ricardo Pacheco Dissertation Submitted to the Doctoral Program of the American College of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION March 2021 ii Lived Experiences of Undocumented Latin@ Students: Phenomenological Research Study by Ricardo Pacheco Approved by: Dissertation Chair: Amanda Jandris, Ph.D. Committee Member: Krista Allison, Ph.D. iii Copyright © 2021 Ricardo Pacheco iv Abstract Undocumented Latin@ students face numerous life experiences. Economic, legal, and social difficulties are just a few examples affecting academic performance and potentially drop out of high school. The labeling as an undocumented Latin@ student increased the probability of nonparticipators in high school education, reducing college entry options, and societal rejection experiences. The qualitative, phenomenological research study explored the lived experiences of 20 undocumented Latin@ students. The aim was to address the connection between lived experiences of undocumented Latin@ students and the dropout rate in Lincolndale, New York. Latin@ is a term used in contemporary Latin culture to identify diverse Latinos as including gender-neutral members of the Latino community. The semi-structured interviews addressed the research questions of lived experiences and implementations for assisting undocumented Latin@ students. Various themes emerging from the data collection and analysis using MAXQDA are social-economic, sociocultural, family, school environment, religion, policy changes, economics, legal representation, communication, classes to fit goal objectives, bilingual teachers, college aspirations, and a sense of belonging. Collaborative initiatives between educators, support staff, parents/legal guardians can help undocumented Latin@ students achieve academic success. The research confirmed that life experiences of undocumented Latin@ students influence academic performance. No research study is available addressing specifically the undocumented Latin@ student’s life experiences. The study will be shared with the Spanish Eastern District Institute and foster more dialogue on assisting undocumented Latin@ students. v Dedication I want to dedicate the dissertation to my wife, Marilyn, for the love, patience, support through my ordeal with prostate cancer and encouraging words to continue and finish my doctoral journey. Perseverance and determination are two powerful forces we have employed. To my lovely daughter Samantha, thank you for assisting me in my recovery process and leaving your place of employment to do so. I am blessed to have a wonderful, beautiful, smart, and hard-working daughter for taking me through my recovery process and assisting me with learning to maneuver my ACE portal. Your contribution to house shores and cooking for daddy was a blessing, and your words of encouragement provided fuel for moving forward. vi Acknowledgements I want to thank Mrs. Bradley. As a young man living in the streets of the Bronx, New York, in extreme poverty, Mrs. Bradley empowered me to believe and overcome the many adversities. Mrs. Bradley instilled in me a good education could open doors for success. My gratitude and admiration to Dr. Jandris, my dissertation chair, for the guidance and mentorship in completing the paper. To Dr. Allison for advocating and assisting me when I needed it the most. The American College of Education is an institution invested in the success of the students. My doctoral journey was made possible with the support and assistance of professors and support staff. A special thanks to Dr. Aguilar, Dr. Moskowitz, Dr. Akin, Dr. Bral, and Dr. Johnson. To many of my classmates for the encouraging words in difficult moments during the doctoral journey. vii Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. xi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1: Introduction To The Study ............................................................................................ 1 Background of the Problem ................................................................................................ 2 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................... 6 Significance of the Study .................................................................................................... 7 Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 10 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................... 11 Definitions of Terms ......................................................................................................... 13 Assumptions ...................................................................................................................... 14 Scope and Delimitations ................................................................................................... 15 Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 17 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 20 Literature Search Strategy ................................................................................................. 20 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................... 21 Research ............................................................................................................................ 22 Literature Review .............................................................................................................. 22 Historic Setup ........................................................................................................ 23 Historical Political Context ................................................................................... 24 Crossing the Border .............................................................................................. 25 Undocumented Latin@ Students in High School ................................................. 27 viii Law and Public Policy. ......................................................................................... 34 Observation Notes. ................................................................................................ 35 Discrimination. ...................................................................................................... 36 Latino Community ................................................................................................ 37 Policy and Governance. ........................................................................................ 39 Social Media Outlets.. ........................................................................................... 40 Political. ................................................................................................................ 41 Language Barrier. ................................................................................................. 42 Gentrification. ....................................................................................................... 43 School Choice. ...................................................................................................... 45 Culture and Music. ................................................................................................ 46 The Office of Refugee Resettlement Westchester. ............................................... 46 Gap in Literature ............................................................................................................... 48 Summary and Conclusions ............................................................................................... 48 Chapter 4: Research Findings And Data Analysis Results ........................................................... 67 Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 67 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 70 Central Research Question .................................................................................... 77 Policy changes. ..................................................................................................... 77 Economic influence. ............................................................................................. 77 Legal representation .............................................................................................. 78 Participant 1. ......................................................................................................... 79 Participant 2. ......................................................................................................... 80 ix Participant 3. 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