Browsing by Subject "Student activism"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Becoming undocumented and unafraid : impacts of “illegality” on identity formation and university student activism
(2019-01-30) Hernandez, Ana Vidina; Gulbas, Lauren E.; Rodríguez, Néstor
This study explores the ways in which the construction of illegality impacts the identity formation of undocumented organizers, as well as how this identity and broader understanding of social oppression leads to university student activism. This thesis documents the process by which this occurs, which is complex, painful at times, and beautiful. Through an analysis of 15 qualitative interviews with undocumented student organizers and field notes of meetings, hearings at the state capitol, and protests, this study uses activist research methods that serve a practical purpose for the social movement and contribute meaningfully to the academic knowledge base. Each participant, through their examples of interactions with systems, discussed the ways in which their skin color, perceived race, and legal status combined in oppressive or discriminatory experiences. Whether interaction with law enforcement, medical systems, or educational institutions, these students articulated the ways in which their identities impacted their perception in society, and thus their own identity formation. Participants also discussed the process that led them toward activism. This thesis explores the ways in which undocumented status is not necessarily noticeable on the outside, which contributed to students’ feelings of isolation or of thinking they were the only undocumented students in high school or college. Interviewees emphasized their start as organizers as being part of a call to action rooted in their experiences of finding a community to belong to. Participants also discussed allies’ contributions to the movement, burnout and emotional stress related to organizing efforts, and the complexities of the phrase “undocumented and unafraid.” Taken as a whole, this thesis details the formation of these individuals’ identities over the course of their lives. Overall this research provides further evidence of the potential for advancing rights for those who fall outside the arbitrary bounds of illegality and further demonstrates the power of young people in this movement.
Examining the activism experiences of Black women graduate students
(2018-04-24) Lowe, Tracie Ann Jeannette; Reddick, Richard, 1972-; Holme, Jennifer; Green, Terrance; Smith, Stella
The purpose of this study was to examine the activism experiences of Black women graduate students. Understanding how these women defined activism in their terms, as well as factors that influenced their activism, were important topics for investigation. This qualitative investigation employed a phenomenological approach to "discover and describe the meaning or essence of participants' lived experiences, or knowledge as it appears to consciousness" (Hays & Singh, 2014, p. 50). The conceptual framework used for this study was Black feminist thought, expressly the dimensions of Black women's activism (Collins, 2009). One dimension of the framework is struggles for group survival which consist of daily actions within Black women’s social spheres to influence change (Collins, 2009). Institutional transformation, the second dimension, involves actions taken to challenge and eliminate discrimination within public institutions (Collins, 2009). In total, there were 17 findings which are as follows: 1) defining activism is complex; 2) activism happens in different ways along a continuum; 3) activism comes with expectations 4) recognizing injustice and understanding identity; 5) learning and developing the language; 6) observing and testing the waters; 7) performing activism; 8) burnout and introspection; 9) reconciliation and expanded perspectives; 10) activism came with challenges and consequences; 11) personal characteristics shaped their activism; 12) the influence of others shaped their activism; and 13) social media influenced their activism; 14) activism and the student experience was interconnected and inseparable; 15) race and gender influenced their activism; 16) activism required a sacrifice of time and energy; and 17) they gained new skills and knowledge that they passed to others.
From the campus to the globe : race, internationalism and student activism in the postwar South, 1945-1962
(2012-05) Whittington, Erica Layne; Jones, Jacqueline, 1948-; Oshinsky, David M., 1944-; Brands, Henry W; Abzug, Robert H; Lawrence, Mark A; Mickenberg, Julia L
What drew southern college students into the struggle for civil rights? To help answer that question, this project examines student challenges to existing social practices in the South, and traces changes in their attitudes toward race and social justice from World War II through the early 1960s. Over that time, thousands of college students committed themselves to the idea that “keeping the peace” was intertwined with individual human rights at home and abroad. An internationalist outlook shaped interest in race relations, citizenship, and gender roles. Southern youth were central to this development, pushing for social change at home in accordance with their concerns about national security and world peace. This history traces networks of southern college students, focusing on the cities of Austin, TX and Chapel Hill, NC, both of which produced vibrant progressive student organizations and national student leaders during the early postwar period. It uncovers an important yet understudied tributary of the larger Civil Rights Movement, and helps contextualize the interracial, “Beloved Community” activism of the early 1960s. As black students linked internationalism with civil rights as part of the “Double V Campaign” following World War II, many white students also began advocating for domestic desegregation, inspired by their experiences of traveling abroad and interactions with visiting international students. Integrated conferences sponsored by University YMCA/YWCAs and the National Student Association created a progressive, interracial student network. Through these organizations, many postwar students began redefining their own societal roles, and to explore their potential as political actors. Interracial encounters empowered southern students to envision new social relations between blacks and whites, women and men, and American and international citizens. Under the banner of “human relations,” they began to break down personal barriers and to consciously relate to one another on the basis of shared humanity. This dissertation is the first historical work to closely examine organized efforts to change individual attitudes toward race among both white and black southern students during the 1940s and 1950s. It recaptures the early postwar dynamism of southern campuses, where students took action, in both their schools and their hometowns, to better their world.
"Undocumented and unafraid" : an investigation into the political identities of college students in Texas
(2016-05) Sikes, Chloe Elizabeth; Urrieta, Luis; De Lissovoy, Noah
In 2001, Texas became the first state to pass legislation that permitted undocumented high school students to qualify as state residents for the purposes of in-state tuition eligibility at Texas public colleges and universities (Rincón, 2008). Passed through House Bill 1403, in-state tuition made higher education more accessible than it had been prior to the legislation. This legislation, as well as successful efforts to protect it over the years, was due in no small part to the advocacy of undocumented college students and alumni themselves (Rincón, 2008; Nicholls, 2013). These efforts do not solely revolve around the issue of in-state tuition; they can be contextualized through a long history of Chicana/o social movements, community and youth organizing, and broader immigrant rights struggles (Berta-Ávila, Tijerina Revilla & Figueroa, 2011; Seif, 2004). These histories highlight how education has traditionally been a nexus for tensions surrounding citizenship, civic participation, and access to societal resources and recognition (Pérez, Espinoza, Ramos, Coronado, & Cortes, 2010). Despite the well-established relationship between citizenship, education, and immigrant students’ movements (Gonzales, 2008; Negrón-Gonzales, 2009, 2014; Berta-Ávila, Tijerina Revilla & Figueroa, 2011; Abrego, 2008), little research has been conducted that 1) incorporates students’ voices directly in substantial ways, and 2) focuses on the Texas context. To address this gap in literature and knowledge, I pose the primary question: how do undocumented advocates in Texas conceptualize their political identities? This study attempts to uphold the narratives of identity construction from advocates’ own perspectives and contribute to the knowledge of the undocumented student movement in substantial ways. Implications involve suggestions for educators across grade levels and higher education, policymakers, and advocacy groups.