ABSTRACT

Prior research suggests that hostile immigration policies can motivate undocumented immigrants’ political engagement, but may also create unique risks that limit their willingness to participate. We examine how perceptions of the immigration policy context may help or hinder undocumented college students’ political engagement. Using data from an online survey of 1,277 undocumented college students attending California 4-year public universities, we conducted regression analyses to examine the extent to which perceived discrimination, social exclusion, and threat to the family due to current immigration policy affects three forms of political engagement: political voice, collective action, and individual action. We then examined potential factors that may facilitate engagement, including participation in campus and community-based organizations and legal protections. Results show that perceived discrimination and threat to family due to the immigration policy context are positively associated with all forms of political engagement, while social exclusion is negatively associated. Campus and community engagement weakly moderate these relationships. Comparisons across immigration status suggest that many of these relationships are unique to students who have legal protections like DACA. Ultimately, we argue that undocumented students’ political engagement is shaped by nuanced manifestations of a hostile immigration policy context.

摘要

先前的研究表明，敌对的移民政策可以激发无证移民的政治参与，但也可能产生独特的风险，限制他们的参与意愿。我们研究了对移民政策背景的看法如何帮助或阻碍无证大学生的政治参与。使用来自加州四年制公立大学的 1,277 名无证大学生的在线调查数据，我们进行了回归分析，以检查由于当前的移民政策而导致的感知歧视、社会排斥和对家庭的威胁影响三种形式的政治参与：政治声音、集体行动和个人行动。然后我们检查了可能促进参与的潜在因素，包括参与校园和社区组织以及法律保护。结果表明，由于移民政策背景而感知到的对家庭的歧视和威胁与所有形式的政治参与呈正相关，而社会排斥则呈负相关。校园和社区参与对这些关系的调节作用很弱。不同移民身份的比较表明，这些关系中有许多是拥有 DACA 等法律保护的学生所独有的。最终，我们认为无证学生的政治参与是由敌对移民政策背景的细微表现所塑造的。而社会排斥则是负相关的。校园和社区参与对这些关系的调节作用很弱。不同移民身份的比较表明，这些关系中有许多是拥有 DACA 等法律保护的学生所独有的。最终，我们认为无证学生的政治参与是由敌对移民政策背景的细微表现所塑造的。而社会排斥则是负相关的。校园和社区参与对这些关系的调节作用很弱。不同移民身份的比较表明，这些关系中有许多是拥有 DACA 等法律保护的学生所独有的。最终，我们认为无证学生的政治参与是由敌对移民政策背景的细微表现所塑造的。