Abstract
In his progressive analysis of the unique struggles of undocumented students in Americans By Heart: Undocumented Latino Students and the Promise of Higher Education, William Pérez provides the reader with new visions of Latino students in the U.S. education system. Pérez confronts popularly held beliefs that these students are freeloaders, that they’re taking advantage of the system, and that they don’t contribute anything to the American economy or American society more broadly. Through his application of scholarly literature and theory as well as his own firsthand case study of undocumented students, Pérez describes the complex situation faced by millions of students today. As the noted immigration sociologist, Zhou states, “Children with poorly educated and unskilled parents often find themselves growing up in underprivileged neighborhoods subject to poverty, poor schools, violence and drugs, and a generally disruptive social behavior” (Zhou, 1997, p. 68).
While this is true of many of the students in his case study, Pérez describes the resiliency, the motivation, and the high levels of academic success of a group of undocumented Latino students. According to his study, these students are able to achieve such resiliency through civic engagement, leadership positions, academically demanding programs, and with the support of mentors and parents.
This book is most successful in its use of a firsthand case study that demonstrates relatable and personal accounts of immigrant students. Chapters 5 and 6 are the most unique in their descriptions. Chapter 5 covers the importance of community colleges as a stepping-stone for undocumented students. “In California, the most recent estimates suggest that there are about 30,000 undocumented students enrolled in the community college system, compared with less than 5,000 enrolled in the University of California and California State University systems” (Pérez, 2012, p. 101). In most states, undocumented students do not qualify for state financial aid because of their status. Thus most of these students are unable to afford the ever-increasing tuition rates at both public and private colleges and universities.
Even though the community college is the most financially viable option for undocumented students, it still remains a significant challenge. Students not only have to pay for all tuition costs, but they also are less likely to receive financial support from their low-income parents. (Pérez, 2012, p. 105)
As a result of parents’ inability to assist financially, many undocumented students have to work while attending school full-time; this need to work is a risk factor that could threaten students’ success, but has a lower impact on the success of students in Pérez’s study.
Undocumented students find solidarity in welcoming and supportive social and academic support networks within their community colleges. Pérez notes that community colleges are often thought to be inferior to their 4-year university counterparts. However, his case study produced data to support both this perception as well as an opposing view.
Although much of the literature on community colleges cites the lack of supportive resources, undocumented students like Thalia reported positive views of their campus: “Everybody thinks it’s a bad college because it is in the ghetto but I am there and I am succeeding. I think it is a good college with some really good professors.” (Pérez, 2012, p. 108)
Dedicated faculty and academically rigorous programs support high-achieving undocumented students in their quest for academic success. Through analyses of support networks and academic opportunities, Pérez dispels the argument that community colleges don’t provide high-quality experiences for students. However, for many undocumented students community college is their only financially viable option.
A second and increasingly important question Pérez asks is “What are the consequences of growing up ‘American,’ yet living with only partial access to mechanisms that promote social mobility” (Pérez, 2012, p. 112). What happens to these educated and qualified students once they attain their degrees? Many of the students Pérez interviewed have high expectations of themselves and dream of becoming doctors, lawyers, and political activists. This finding is reinforced by an APA task force report on immigrants that states that
The patterns of high achievement among many in the first generation are remarkable given the myriad challenges they encounter, including xenophobia, economic obstacles, language difficulties, family separations, under resourced neighborhoods and schools, and struggles to gain their bearings in a new educational system. (American Psychological Association, 2012, p. 5)
It is one thing, though, to get the degree; it is a whole other thing, as Pérez notes, to get the job. “Because the entry into adulthood is practically an entry into ‘illegality,’ undocumented young adults find themselves contending with blocked opportunities, stigma, and fear” (Pérez, 2012, p. 114). One study participant, Lucia, got both her BA and MA degrees and when she finished she went back to the domestic service sector. “At the end of my degree, there was no job for me . . . there was no way of putting all this education to use” (Pérez, 2012, p. 118).
While the aforementioned chapters on community colleges and entering the workforce strongly support Pérez’s arguments, the weakest sections of this book are at the beginning. It is important and necessary to include the background information of the psychological effects of growing up as a 1.5-generation undocumented student, but Pérez relies too much on the work of other experts. This theoretical and psychological framework would have been much stronger had he applied more of his specific case study to the background information. The book could have also benefitted from a greater focus on one or two of the particularly intriguing immigrant stories. Having a broad base of data and interviews was critical in supporting his claims, but focusing on a few immigrants and their unique struggles would have provided the reader with more of an emotional connection to his arguments rather than a connection based on numbers and selective interview excerpts.
In his final chapter Pérez provides possibilities to change the outcome for these highly educated undocumented immigrants. He is a staunch supporter of the DREAM Act, a bill introduced in the U.S. Congress in 2001 that would have provided a path toward legal permanent residency after a 6-year period in which the undocumented student would graduate from college or serve at least 2 years in the military. However, the Dream Act failed to garner enough support in Congress and did not pass. Perez also suggests a need for a shift in political attitudes and cultural stigmas. “The framing of immigrants as ‘illegal’ often serves to hide our shared humanity and allows anti-immigrant sentiment, policies, and practices to become normalized ways of responding to undocumented immigration” (Pérez, 2012, p. 151). Overall, though, Pérez stresses the argument that undocumented students and immigrants in general are not simply taking advantage of the benefits of American society. Rather, they are active and engaged members of society. The entire country, not just the immigrants, benefits from investment in and support of both documented and undocumented immigrant students and their families to achieve a diverse, high-functioning, and competitive economy and a positive culture.
Due to its progressive approach on the issue of undocumented Latino students, this book is recommended for readers in academic fields of education, psychology, and even policy as well as those who work closely with undocumented students in high school, community college, or university settings. The references to academic experts do not translate well to a global audience, but for those with an interest in and who may work in related fields, this book is certainly worth the read. While the use of many subjects’ interviews can make it difficult to follow, their excerpts provide firsthand accounts of the unique challenges, barriers, and positive outcomes faced by many undocumented students. Strong qualitative data add necessary voice and character to the quantitative and theoretical framework.