Same Dreams, Different Realities: Leveraging Community-Based Participatory Research to Support Newcomers and Their Families

By: Beth Davis and Bethany Letiecq

As part of a community-based participatory research study in an immigrant enclave outside of Washington, DC, our research team heard the stories of numerous newcomer families that brought to life the injustices of the U.S. immigration system and the ways poor economic and housing conditions, created by systemic oppression, were amplified during the pandemic. As schools reopen, it is critical that educators and policymakers are aware of these conditions and the additional stressors newcomer students and their families experience as a result of the pandemic. Below, we share the story of Isabel and her family, who resided in the U.S. for about a year when the pandemic struck, and suggest a research agenda to better understand the conditions undocumented newcomer families and their school-aged children experience, its impact on education and how schools might respond.

When interviewing Isabel and other newcomer parents, they expressed sadness as they processed being so close to reaching their goals for a better future for their children in the U.S. and unexpectedly having those dreams derailed by the pandemic. Isabel, a mother of two elementary-aged children, explained that she and her husband recently settled in the U.S. and secured jobs and housing. However, as the pandemic took hold, they lost their jobs and quickly felt the financial burdens of paying for rent and basic necessities, while also trying to repay loans they took out to cover their journey to the U.S. With no legal pathway to enter the U.S. and an urgency to flee their country, Isabel’s family received loans from community and family members in Honduras to pay coyotes to facilitate their family’s migration. Coyotes, or guides, charge up to $10,000 a person for protection along the journey, such as paying bribes for safe passage through cartel territory and guiding immigrants safely across the Rio Grande to avoid drowning or detainment. While the coyote fee is exceptionally steep, the lack of legal pathways to enter the U.S. and the life-threatening conditions in their home countries push families into this risky pact.

Before COVID, Isabel said work was going well and they were on their way to repaying the loan, but now it is difficult and she is worried about the money they still owe. In addition, the family is paying legal fees to apply for asylum in hopes of changing their undocumented status – a status that prevented them from receiving government assistance to offset the economic stress of the pandemic. The legal fees for these cases cost upwards of $10,000 and there is no guarantee of a positive outcome. If rejected, the family must decide between self-deportation or returning to the shadows of undocumented life. For Isabel, she discussed the stressors of living in limbo – unsure if they would be deported and questioning how they would provide for their family if that happened. In their most recent court appearance, Isabel’s family learned their hearing was postponed a full year because of COVID – meaning they will continue to live in the uncertainty of their future and be excluded from accessing government assistance programs.  

 U.S. immigration laws and policies are complex and became harsher in recent years, creating more fears of detainment, deportation, and family separation among immigrants. These fears, coupled with economic and housing insecurity, have spilled over into the classroom, often creating difficult learning conditions for students. In a national survey of 730 schools, approximately two-thirds of educators reported that their classroom climate was negatively impacted during times of heightened immigration enforcement and emotional and behavioral challenges among immigrant students was observed by 90% of administrators (Gandara & Ee, 2018). At the same time, studies show that educators and policymakers alike lack specific knowledge regarding the context of immigrant families (especially with undocumented members) and/or carry misperceptions that limit their full understanding (Allard, 2015; Sanchez, 2014).  This can result in missed opportunities to support students and their families and promote well-being. As shared by Isabel, economic, housing, and immigration stressors were compounded by the pandemic and immigrant communities continue to be disproportionally impacted. With the reopening of schools, it is critical that educators and policymakers work to build trusted relationships and familiarize themselves with newcomer family experiences like Isabel’s – including their hopes and dreams for their children. Newcomer families should be invited to share their experiences and inform policy and practice, yet it can be challenging to connect with immigrant families who remain in the shadows, hidden from people seeking to serve and support them.

To increase connectivity with immigrant families, we employ a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. CBPR is not a research method per se, but an approach to building trusted partnerships with marginalized communities by establishing community advisory boards (CABs) that guide research and action-taking. CABs made up of community members help researchers, educators, and policymakers reach more deeply into systemically marginalized communities to better understand community needs, goals, fears, and strategies for overcoming socially-made challenges. CABs can also facilitate understanding of cultural and linguistic nuances and broker cross-cultural relationships. CBPR engages communities in the research process and uplifts their expertise into local decision making to inform policy and practice in education.

By building community-university-school partnerships, practitioners of CBPR illuminate the ways newcomer families are grappling with and/or overcoming the challenges of realities in the U.S. Importantly, it is also critical to understand family persistence and resistance within contexts that are structurally oppressive or unequal. These strategies and strengths can be tapped to inform student and family interventions. More research is needed to understand how systemic inequalities impact the learning conditions and outcomes of newcomer students and the ways families envision schooling that supports their children in- and outside of the classroom. By understanding the needs and desires of newcomer families, schools can provide more targeted wraparound service delivery, offer specialized professional development, and can put policies and practices in place to create immigrant-friendly schools in times of heightened uncertainty. Furthermore, this research can advance systemic and structural reforms that treat immigrant children and their families with dignity and compassion.

Beth Davis is a PhD candidate in the Education Policy program at George Mason University. Her research addresses education equity for immigrant and undocumented students from PK-16. Her current research focuses on the learning conditions, outcomes, and resource allocation of newcomer schools Previously, she worked for Prince George’s County Public Schools to increase wraparound service delivery, facilitate family engagement and community partnerships, and implement college and career programs for first generation students. Additionally, she serves on several committees in the DC area to advocate for policy reforms to increase access to equitable education for immigrant youth.

Bethany Letiecq, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of the Human Development and Family Science program at George Mason University. Dr. Letiecq employs community-based participatory and action research approaches to conduct research in partnership with underserved and under-resourced families to promote culturally-responsive, strengths-based interventions and social justice. Currently, she is working with immigrant Latinas from Central America and African American women to build community-university partnerships and delineate pathways to resilience and wellbeing. Dr. Letiecq teaches courses on family law and public policy and relationships and family systems. She serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Family Issues and has published her research in such professional outlets as Family Relations, Fathering, Journal of Family Issues, Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, and Health Education and Behavior. She is affiliated with the National Council on Family Relations, the American Sociological Association, and the American Public Health Association.

References

Allard, E. (2015). Undocumented status and schooling for newcomer teens. Harvard Educational Review, 85(3), 478-526. doi: 10.17763/0017-8055.85.3.478

Gandara, P., & Ee, J. (2018). U.S. immigration enforcement policy and its impact on teaching and learning in the nation’s schools. The Civil Rights Project: UCLA. Working paper. https://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/research/k-12-education/immigration-immigrant-students/u.s.-immigration-enforcement-policy-and-its-impact-on-teaching-and-learning-in-the-nations-schools

Sanchez, P. (2014) Research and policy: Dignifying every day: Policies and practices that impact immigrant students. Language Arts, 91(5), 363-371. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24575547