Intersectionality In Higher Education

Words: 1352
Pages: 6

EDHP 552: Final Paper
Introduction
In higher education, the political difference that is present among students and staff is so wide and vast that we forget the inequality and privilege that some students might receive over others. The concept of intersectionality and socio-economic rivalry are important for student affairs administrators in First Year Experience (FYE) programs when addressing the intersections of racial/ethnicity and the citizenship status of first generation college students. In this paper I plan to discuss the racial/ethnicity history in higher education followed by talking about the growing importance of serving undocumented student, and how crucial both topics are in understanding the future of students services.
Racial/Ethnic
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According to Thelin (2011) before the actions demonstrated by the Civil Rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s minority students, were segregated from that of the dominant group in higher education not given much attention by colleges. Thelin (2011) goes on to state that after the Civil Rights movements, the influx of minority students into higher education institutions, pushed for the need of addressing the growing need of assisting minority students in succeeding once they arrive to college. Sethna (2011) explains that many students who entered higher education did not have the socio-cultural-economic capital needed to succeed in higher education. Sethna (2011) goes on to say “…higher education as an institution had not been formatted in servicing students who did not have the socioeconomic/cultural capital needed to navigate through higher education, namely pressure of funding their academics and lack of representation in their course curriculum” (p.7-8). The federal government took charge with the establishment of the Educational Opportunity Program and the Trio Programs. According to Takaki (2008) these programs were founded to combat and address the concerns of a changing higher education atmosphere by assisting …show more content…
immigration law, have dramatically shifted where U.S. immigrants are coming from. Today, according to the PEW (2007) Hispanic Center, 80% of undocumented immigrants are Latin@. In reference to Perez (2010) undocumented immigrants are impacted by their status by not being eligible for federal financial aid programs and federally funded programs. Perez (2010) states that undocumented students who are admitted to any higher education institution are treated as second-class citizens due to the lack of resources available for them on college campuses. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (2015) site provides information regarding the finical cost for undocumented students, which varies by each state, but in most cases undocumented students pay their college expenses through private loans, scholarships that do not require SSN, or by themselves. Perez (2010) goes on to say that in some states students are unable to take advantage of the various services that a university may offer when they are students and the options are less once they graduate. The article expresses that even though undocumented students are seen as a huge revenue source for higher education institutions, the fact that they are unable to provide documentation of being a United States citizen creates the illusion that denying services for them is justified. Though in states such as California with a large Latin@ population and have progressive