“It Wasn’t Only the Pandemic:” A Collaborative Autoethnography of Latinx Women in Higher Education Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rapidly Shifting Immigration Contexts

Abstract

ABSTRACT This presents a collaborative autoethnography to examine the impact of COVID-19 and concurrent shifting immigration policy on Latinx undocumented women in higher education. The authors leverage an intersectional lens to analyze the matrix of stressors that impact undocumented students during the pandemic. Findings show that: (1) the impacts of the pandemic were exacerbated by concurrent, rapidly-shifting immigration policy; (2) undocumented students take an increasing role in helping their families navigate and respond to their family’s needs during COVID-19; and (3) both the pandemic and policy shifts created additional instability during key transitions for both DACA and fully undocumented individuals in higher education. This collaborative method of research also creates a space for intersectional praxis through which undocumented students and scholars can build community, mobilize action, and co-produce knowledge. This study builds on the knowledge of the experiences of undocumented students in the pandemic, which can serve as a starting point to create institutional and policy solutions to support undocumented students in recovery from COVID-19.