Apoyo Sacrificial, Sacrificial Support

Apoyo Sacrificial explores the experiences of undocumented Latinx parents as they support and guide their children’s pathways to higher education, and how their precarious immigration status impacts this support. In addition to analyzing the various understandings, interactions, and relationships undocumented Latinx parents develop with different education entities, including secondary schools and colleges and universities, the book also examines these in relation to the various social, political, and economic factors that shape parents’ engagement with their children’s education. Cuevas illuminates how the parents in her study engaged in supportive behaviors similar to those of middle- and upper-class families despite the barriers they faced, such as low-income households, undocumented legal status, and single parenting. Providing an alternative view of parental engagement and access to higher education, Apoyo Sacrificial will help educators truly meet the needs of marginalized students and communities.

Book Features:

• Illustrates the often unobserved and unappreciated supportive strategies employed by undocumented Latinx parents.
• Highlights in-depth qualitative interviews that center the voices and perspectives of parents.
• Shows how an undocumented immigration status is a unique barrier that shapes how families interact with education entities.
• Depicts the range of supportive behaviors undocumented Latinx parents engage in to ensure their children’s success, including access to higher education.
• Demonstrates how the parents of first-generation Latinx students play a critical role in their success, even after they matriculate to college.

Stephany Cuevas is an assistant professor of education in the Attallah College of Educational Studies at Chapman University, where she teaches in the Integrated Educational Studies (IES) program. Dr. Cuevas served as a college advisor in Oakland Unified School District and as the lead seminar instructor for the UC Berkeley Summer Bridge Program.

“This incredible study uncovers the strategies employed by undocumented Latinx parents and the sacrifices they make to provide their children foundational opportunities critical to college success. Theoretically engaging, empirically rich, and effectively argued, Apoyo Sacrificial, Sacrificial Support sheds important light on contemporary family engagement and the Herculean efforts undertaken by immigrant parents despite structural challenges. A must-read for anyone interested in understanding college readiness and the important role of the family.”
—Roberto G. Gonzales, Richard Perry University Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Contents

Preface xi
A Note About My Positionality xiv
Plan for This Book xiv

Acknowledgments xvii

Introduction: Immigrant, Undocumented, and Involved? 1
Parenting as Undocumented Latinx Immigrants in California 3
Latinx Parental Engagement in Postsecondary Success: What Do We Already Know? 8
Undocumented Latinx Parental Engagement: What Do We Need to Know? 11

1.  Dreams, Aspirations, and Sacrificios 13
Conceptualizing Sacrificios 16
Parents’ Dreams and Aspirations for Their Children 18
Sacrificios and the Salience of “Illegality” 22

2.  Apoyo and the Search and Choice Process 35
Barriers to Engagement for Undocumented Parents 37
Navigating Barriers: Parents’ Apoyo and Supportive Behaviors 45

3.  Continued Engagement in Higher Education 55
Parents’ Initial Experiences With College 58
Development of Parental Cultural and Social Capital 66
New Forms of Apoyo 71

4.  Apoyo Sacrificial and the Reconceptualization of Parental Engagement 77
Concerted Cultivation and Traditional Understandings of Parental Engagement 81
Apoyo Sacrificial: (Re)Considering the Impact of “Illegality” on Parenting 84

Conclusion 93
Summary of Key Findings 96
Recommendations 99
Final Reflections 105

Appendix: Studying Undocumented Parents 107
Setting: California and Coast University 107
About the Undocumented Latinx Parent Participants 108
Interviewing Undocumented Latinx Parents 112
Data Analysis 113
Note on Study Context and Timing 114
Ethical Considerations and Researcher Positionality 115

Notes 117

References 119

Index 129

About the Author 135