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Sofia Pereira Ribeiro

Professor Batty

English 101

07 October 2019

The Challenges of Being an Undocumented Latinx Student

Throughout many generations, undocumented Latinx students have been overcoming

numerous barriers during their educational life. However, one obstacle seems to overall prevail:

immigration status. Undocumented individuals lack numerous resources which can directly

affect their ability to succeed or even attend college.​ ​By receiving temporary rights during their

educational path, these students will have the chance to pursue their majors and careers.

Although there would be individuals who will attempt to take advantage of certain rights, such as

receiving a temporary Social Security number, conditions would be established as a means to

allow those who follow them to achieve their academic goals, therefore, resulting in a more

educated workforce, which would overall benefit the economy.

Due to the lack of an immigration status, these undocumented students are unable to

finance their education, which can often prevent them from being academically successful. Many

of these immigrants move to the United States at a young age, which results in the integration of

the American culture in their lives, including speaking the native language and making the

culture their own, yet without legal documentation, these foreign individuals remain unable to be

qualified as U.S. citizens. Thus they are not entitled to citizenship rights—such as obtaining the

identification card, known as the Social Security number, which directly affects their
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qualification for federal financial aid or a job. As a consequence, undocumented students lack

various resources that could potentially assist them. In the article "Legitimacy, Social Identity,

and the Mobilization of Law", Leisy Abrego evaluates the outcomes of the Californian bill AB

540, which allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition since it was first established in

2002. Abrego stated, "[b]arred from most legal resources, undocumented immigrants often live

in the shadows of society… With limited access to jobs, education, and social services,

undocumented immigrants are also restricted in their efforts for socioeconomic mobility and

community development" (714). That is to say that such restriction can oftentimes jeopardize

their educational completion by overall affecting their lifestyle. Yet, some may argue that such

an issue has been solved through recently created legislations, such as the AB 540.

It is valid that some policies have been aiding undocumented students to attend college

and pursue their majors, however, these individuals remain struggling to finance their high-cost

tuition. With the goal of making institutions of higher education more accessible for immigrant

students, the Californian government signed a bill, known as Assembly Bill 540. This law allows

undocumented individuals, who grew up and attended high school in California, to pay in-state

tuition, instead of out-of-state—which can be three to six times more than the resident fee. In the

article by Abrego, she mentions how "[b]efore the passage of AB 540…, some of the students

who were academically eligible to attend college… [would often decide] not to apply because it

was beyond their means" (718). In other words, before the law, students with precarious

economic conditions would not even attempt to enter an institution of higher education. Later on

in the article, the author also highlights how the passing bill is allowing students to attend

Californian colleges, more specifically community colleges. Though the policy assists students
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to pay resident fees, college tuition remains excessively expensive, mainly in 4-year institutes.

Furthermore, without an immigration status, these students are also unable to access one of the

country's most reliable financial tools: financial aid.

By receiving the rights, undocumented students will have the ability to apply for financial

aid, which will allow them to better focus on college—after all, they will not have to worry about

how they are going to pay for each college class. In the Chicano Research Studies Center

(CRSC) report, "Struggling for Opportunity: Undocumented AB 540 Students in the Latina/o

Education Pipeline"​, Huber et al. indicates some of the financial difficulties undocumented

students have to undertake, even with the benefits of the AB 540. Through various interviews,

the report reveals how the inability to apply for federal financial assistance can often discourage

and even prevent students from attending institutions of higher education. ​According to Huber et

al., "AB 540 does not allow undocumented students to apply for state or federal financial aid

programs, thus most of these students still struggle financially as they pursue a postsecondary

degree" (1). That is why providing students with temporary rights would permit them to succeed.

The most advantageous right these individuals can have would be the acquisition of a Social

Security Number (SSN). By receiving such a piece of documentation, students will not only have

the opportunity to apply for such assistance but they will also be able to legally work as

temporary student workers; therefore, students would be more likely to succeed in college.

In having a temporary SSN, Latinx students will have the chance to work and apply for

financial aid, which will assist them with their financial dues. In order to apply for federal

financial aid programs, such as the FAFSA (​Free Application for Federal Student Aid),​ students

are required to provide an SSN, otherwise, they are not eligible and the same applies to acquire a
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job. As simple as it may seem, it is notably complex for undocumented individuals to obtain such

an identification number. In the publication "Understanding the Benefits - Social Security", ​the

Social Security Administration (SSA) addresses the basics of the services they provide.

According to the SSA, ​"[t]o get a Social Security number or a replacement card, you must prove

your U.S. citizenship or immigration status, age, and identity" (5). ​In addition, w​hen it comes to

the matter of obtaining a job in the United States, the SSA emphasizes how it is required for

individuals to obtain a Social Security number (4). However, due to the lack of an immigration

status, undocumented students do not classify as beneficiaries, which results in their inability to

obtain a job or apply for any financial assistance program. Thus, numerous individuals have to

rely on clandestine jobs as their source of income.

Overall, it becomes evident how the lack of an immigration status can drastically impact

one's livelihood. When it comes to undocumented Latinx students, the need for assistance is

prominent and urgent. By allowing these individuals to obtain a temporary student worker status,

specifically a Social Security number, more people would have the chance to pursue their majors

and selected career, which would generate a greater workforce; therefore, allowing Latinx

individuals to start their businesses, become CEOs, create more jobs, and advocate for equity in

society because, like any other person, they could find a cure for cancer tomorrow, if given the

chance.
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Works Cited

Abrego, Leisy. “Legitimacy, Social Identity, and the Mobilization of Law: The Effects of

Assembly Bill 540 on Undocumented Students in California.” ​Law & Social Inquiry​, vol.

33, no. 03, 2008, pp. 709–734, DOI:10.1111/j.1747-4469.2008.00119.x.

Felix, Eric R., and Marlon Fernandez Castro. “Planning as Strategy for Improving Black and

Latinx Student Equity: Lessons from Nine California Community Colleges.” ​Education

Policy Analysis Archives​, vol. 26, no. 56, April 2018. ​EBSCOhost,​

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1179266&site=eds-live.

Huber, Lindsay Perez, et al. “Struggling for Opportunity: Undocumented AB 540 Students in the

Latina/o Education Pipeline. CSRC Research Report. Number 13.” ​UCLA Chicano

Studies Research Center,​ UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, 1 May 2009.

EBSCOhost​,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED521651&site=eds-live.

Krogstad, Jens Manuel, et al. “5 Facts about Illegal Immigration in the U.S.” ​Pew Research

Center,​ Pew Research Center, 12 June 2019,

www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/12/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/

Rose S. ​The Value of a College Degree.​ vol 45, 2013, pp. 24-32. ​EBSCOhost,​

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1023742&site=eds-

live.

Salinas, Cristobal, et al. “‘It Is Who We Are. We Are Undocumented’: The Narrative of Two

Undocumented Latino Male Students Attending a Community College.” Community

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College Review, vol. 47, no. 3, July 2019, pp. 295–317. ​EBSCOhost​,

DOI:10.1177/0091552119850888.

Social Security Administration. "Understanding the Benefits - Social Security." ​Understanding

the Benefits​, no. 05-10024, January 2019. ​SSA.gov,

https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10024.pdf​.

Stebleton, Michael J., and Marina B. Aleixo. “Examining Undocumented Latino/a Student

Interactions With Faculty and Institutional Agents.” ​Journal of Hispanic Higher

Education,​ vol. 14, no. 3, June 2015, pp. 256–273., DOI:10.1177/1538192715574097.

Urbina, Martin G. ​Latino Access to Higher Education : Ethnic Realities and New Directions for

the Twenty-First Century​. Charles C Thomas, 2015. ​EBSCOhost,​

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1079467&site=eds-live.