Career Support for

Undocumented
Students
Kayla Y. Kosaki
Oregon State University

Overview

(Kim, 2013)

Purpose and utility of a

college degree and career
services for immigrants
and refugees
Conflicting legislation
disallowing qualified
graduates to utilize their
skills and talents
Economic disparity and
drain

Immigration Policies
Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA)

2012: Undocumented youth relief from

deportation, temporary work permits, &
SSN
Gonzalez, Terriquez, & Ruszczyk, 2014
Pursuing continued studies

Development, Relief, and Education

for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act

Pathway to legal citizenship

Immigration Policies

Career Development
Hollands Theory of
Vocational Choice

Holland (1985)
Person-Environment Fit; InventoryBased; Individualist

Social Cognitive Career

Theory

Lent, Brown, and Hackett (1996)

Goals, Self-Efficacy, Outcome
Expectations, Attributes, External
Environmental Factors, & Behavior

Challenges and Barriers

Racist Nativism

(Prez Huber, 2010)

Opposition to perceived
foreigner
Defensiveness and
protection of national
identity
Perceived and targeted
foreigner as threat to
national identity

Challenges and Barriers

Mental & Physical Health

Stressors from Migration (Prez,

2012)
Limits self-efficacy & belief they can
pursue their dreams or goals
(Gibbons & Shoffner, 2004;
Stebleton, 2007)
Disproportionately employed in
physically taxing conditions (Prez,
2012; Yakushko, Backhaus,
Watson, Ngaruiya, & Gonzalez,
2008)

Challenges and Barriers

Coming Out as Undocumented

Ortiz & Hinojosa, 2010

Guessing game in finding a
mentor, counselor, or advisor who
will empathize, guide, and support
Creating safe spaces
Multicultural competence training
to create proactive and sensitive
environment (Kim, 2013)

Recommendations
Contextual Counseling

Stebleton (2007)
Role of family, economic
conditions, community; alternative
decision making models
Emancipatory Communitarian
approach (Yakushko, et al., 2008)

Focus on Building a Network

Ortiz & Hinojosa (2010)

Sponsorship
Internships (Gross, 2004)

Recommendations
Creating a Globally-Minded
Staff & Community

Career transitions, cultural norms

here and internationally, intercultural
competence, providing interpreters
for domestic or international
students interested in moving either
way
Detailing confidentiality (Yakushko,
et al., 2008)

Why are white people expats

when the rest of us are
immigrants?

Any
Questions?