By CAROLINA, RACHEL, and ROBERT

Special thanks to Eva for designing our series logo

At My Undocumented Life, we are excited to announce a new series: Navigating Covid 19: Reflections and Advice from and for Undocumented Communities. With support from UndocuScholars at the Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education at UCLA, we commissioned undocumented community members and allies to write about their experiences and reflections on navigating the effects of the Covid19 pandemic as it relates to the experiences of undocumented immigrants and their loved ones. Stay tuned for posts in the series coming soon! And be sure to bookmark and share this page with your networks as we will continue to update it to feature all posts that are part of the series. 

“With Resilience, Anything is Possible” (by Ariadna) – “My name is Ariadna, but many know me as “Abby”. I am an undocumented first-generation student and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient. I currently work as a Certified Medical Assistant. As a Medical Assistant you are the support for the doctor, you room patients, take their vitals(blood pressure, height, weight), you take calls and speak with the patient if needed. Today I will tell you my journey during the current pandemic. We have all seen the news about COVID-19 (corona virus) and some of us have experienced it first-hand.”

“What’s Next After College for Non-DACA Students” (by Alejandra) – “My name is Alejandra and I recently graduated from Tufts University this past May!! Yay! Although this is not my first time on this site (check out my first article where I talked about applying to college), A LOT has changed since I last wrote a post in 2017. In this post, I want to share my reflection and experience regarding graduating while undocumented during the Covid19 pandemic.”

“Conducting Research with Undocumented and Mixed-Status Families During COVID: Ethics, Practices, and Methods” (by Daniela) – “In this post, I will share some of my and other researchers’ mistakes when conducting research on undocumented migration and how to address these weaknesses. I then offer tips for qualitative researchers to strengthen ethical research data collection during a pandemic.”

“Entrepreneurship Pathways, Regardless of Immigration Status” (by Iliana) – “As it turns out, entrepreneurship is an alternative to employment and a way for people to earn a living when employment barriers exist. The federal government doesn’t require undocumented immigrants to have work authorization or a social security number in order to be an independent contractor or start a business. Anyone, regardless of immigration status, can get an Individual Tax ID Number (ITIN) to open bank accounts, build credit, incorporate as a business, provide employee benefits and pay taxes. This is particularly important in current times when so many people are unemployed or underemployed, as a result of COVID-19.”

Carolina grew up undocumented in the U.S. for over a decade. In 2011, she created My Undocumented Life as a platform for undocumented communities to obtain up-to-date information and resources on pursuing higher education, immigration policies, and much more. Carolina recently completed her PhD in Education at Harvard. Her current research project explores the consequences of heightened immigration enforcement on undocumented immigrants and their families.

Rachel is a PhD candidate in the Social Sciences and Comparative Education Department at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education. She is also a Research Associate for The UndocuScholars Project at UCLA’s Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education. She has worked closely with immigrant and undocumented youth activists and students in numerous areas across the country for ten years. Her most recent work focuses on undocumented student activism at community colleges.  

Robert is a Professor of Social Science and Comparative Education, the Morgan and Helen Chu Endowed Chair in Asian American Studies, and co-director for the Institute for Immigration, Globalization and Education at UCLA. His research is broadly focused on race, ethnicity, and the stratification of college opportunity. His work has been influential to federal, state, and institution policy related to college access and affordability. He has provided congressional testimony regarding the Higher Education Reauthorization Act and No Child Left Behind, informed state policy decisions related to selective college admissions, and his research has been solicited to inform U.S. Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action and school desegregation. Prior to his appointment at UCLA, he served as a professor at New York University and the University of Pennsylvania

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At My Undocumented Life we provide up-to-date information and resources for undocumented immigrants and allies. We post scholarship opportunities that are open to undocumented students, strategies for navigating the educational system, information on how to apply for DACA/Advance Parole, news on DAPA, and much more. Most importantly, we want to provide a sense of community to our diverse group of readers. Learn more about our work here: “About Us“

Categories: COVID-19

Tags: Covid, Immigration, undocumented