ABOUT
As part of my senior capstone project for Ethnic Studies, I created this page in order to advertise the resources available to undocumented students at Brown University. This project emerged from my thesis in Sociology titled "The Experiences of Undocumented Latino College Students at Elite Universities," where I interviewed 15 students from different elite institutions. My project's findings indicate that there are differences between students' experiences depending on the institution they attend. Specifically, different universities provide different levels of support for undocumented students. Through comparisons between Brown and other universities, it was clear that undocumented students needed help identifying and accessing the resources available to them. These resources are not necessarily undocumented-specific as they are available to the whole Brown student body. However, these resources are intended to help students identify places where they can receive help with specific issues.
PROCESS
My initial steps toward creating the website were speaking to undocumented students at Brown. My thesis interviews helped me identify which specific problems some students were facing as well as how other students had solved these issues. After I gauged challenges and potential solutions, I met with various administrators. From my interviews, I knew that there was not a specific undocumented student point-person, so I visited different offices where I thought undocumented students would first approach for help. Some administrators had helped undocumented students before, whereas others were clueless on the topic. After talking to a few administrators, I realized that I was going in circles, learning little information but being redirected to other people, who would often direct me back to the person who I spoke to originally. Eventually, I visited the Chaplain's Office and spoke with Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson, who ultimately seemed like the most helpful resource for issues that undocumented students identified in their interviews.
HISTORY and PRESENCE
The history of these students at Brown has not been documented. It is unknown exactly when Brown started admitting undocumented students, but it initially did so without explicitly mentioning their policy. For many years, it was implicitly understood that Brown admitted these students, yet their policy was not officially posted on their website until 2013.
The Brown Immigrants' Rights Coalition (BIRC) was founded in 2008 by Tam Tran GS and VyVy Trinh '11. Despite Tam's unfortunate death during a car accident, BIRC persisted and established a presence on Brown's campus. In 2010, BIRC galvanized support from the university with regard to the DREAM Act. Former Brown President Ruth Simmons publicly signed a letter in support of the DREAM Act during a rally held on campus. In addition to frequent rallies in support of national immigration reform, BIRC also worked towards in-state tuition for undocumented students in Rhode Island, which was granted by the Rhode Island Board of Governors in 2011. BIRC established a scholarship for undocumented students in Tam Tran's memory.
Unfortunately, BIRC died down as several of its members graduated. The activism and presence of undocumented students at Brown faded along with BIRC. Not only has there been little activism surrounding undocumented student issues, but there is no established space where undocumented students can seek support from their peers. Whereas older students in my interviews identified BIRC as a place where they could meet other undocumented students, the younger students who had not benefited from the organization's presence did not know any other undocumented students at Brown. This contributes to the sense of alienation that these students feel.
Brown Daily Herald Articles:
Undocumented: Students in "Limbo" - published January 27, 2009
Undocumented Students Protest Status - published October 1, 2010
Financial Aid Office Posts Undocumented Student Policy - published April 12, 2013
Created and designed by Angie Ocampo '15
As part of my senior capstone project for Ethnic Studies, I created this page in order to advertise the resources available to undocumented students at Brown University. This project emerged from my thesis in Sociology titled "The Experiences of Undocumented Latino College Students at Elite Universities," where I interviewed 15 students from different elite institutions. My project's findings indicate that there are differences between students' experiences depending on the institution they attend. Specifically, different universities provide different levels of support for undocumented students. Through comparisons between Brown and other universities, it was clear that undocumented students needed help identifying and accessing the resources available to them. These resources are not necessarily undocumented-specific as they are available to the whole Brown student body. However, these resources are intended to help students identify places where they can receive help with specific issues.
PROCESS
My initial steps toward creating the website were speaking to undocumented students at Brown. My thesis interviews helped me identify which specific problems some students were facing as well as how other students had solved these issues. After I gauged challenges and potential solutions, I met with various administrators. From my interviews, I knew that there was not a specific undocumented student point-person, so I visited different offices where I thought undocumented students would first approach for help. Some administrators had helped undocumented students before, whereas others were clueless on the topic. After talking to a few administrators, I realized that I was going in circles, learning little information but being redirected to other people, who would often direct me back to the person who I spoke to originally. Eventually, I visited the Chaplain's Office and spoke with Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson, who ultimately seemed like the most helpful resource for issues that undocumented students identified in their interviews.
HISTORY and PRESENCE
The history of these students at Brown has not been documented. It is unknown exactly when Brown started admitting undocumented students, but it initially did so without explicitly mentioning their policy. For many years, it was implicitly understood that Brown admitted these students, yet their policy was not officially posted on their website until 2013.
The Brown Immigrants' Rights Coalition (BIRC) was founded in 2008 by Tam Tran GS and VyVy Trinh '11. Despite Tam's unfortunate death during a car accident, BIRC persisted and established a presence on Brown's campus. In 2010, BIRC galvanized support from the university with regard to the DREAM Act. Former Brown President Ruth Simmons publicly signed a letter in support of the DREAM Act during a rally held on campus. In addition to frequent rallies in support of national immigration reform, BIRC also worked towards in-state tuition for undocumented students in Rhode Island, which was granted by the Rhode Island Board of Governors in 2011. BIRC established a scholarship for undocumented students in Tam Tran's memory.
Unfortunately, BIRC died down as several of its members graduated. The activism and presence of undocumented students at Brown faded along with BIRC. Not only has there been little activism surrounding undocumented student issues, but there is no established space where undocumented students can seek support from their peers. Whereas older students in my interviews identified BIRC as a place where they could meet other undocumented students, the younger students who had not benefited from the organization's presence did not know any other undocumented students at Brown. This contributes to the sense of alienation that these students feel.
Brown Daily Herald Articles:
Undocumented: Students in "Limbo" - published January 27, 2009
Undocumented Students Protest Status - published October 1, 2010
Financial Aid Office Posts Undocumented Student Policy - published April 12, 2013
Created and designed by Angie Ocampo '15