Trump and an Anti-Immigrant Climate: Implications for Latinx Undergraduates

Authors

Jeremy D. Franklin, University of UtahFollow
Rudy Medina, University of UtahFollow

Abstract

Historically minoritized students regularly report hostile campus climates and cultures, but the election of Donald J. Trump and the rise of conservative guest speakers on campuses have contributed to greater unrest. Using campus climate and culture literature as a framework, this paper investigates the impact of anti-Latinx rhetoric and race/ethnic unconscious policies on Latinx undergraduates. Findings from focus groups highlight eight themes: 1) Power of Political Rhetoric and Trump, 2) Coded Language, 3) Unsafe Academic Spaces, 4) Racialization of Immigration as a Latinx/Chicanx Issue, 5) Burnout, Stress, and Racial Battle Fatigue, 6) Balancing Academic Commitments and Social Activism, 7) The Reactive University, and 8) Students Doing the Work of the Administration. This study adds to this body of research by offering a peek into the future of campus climate under a Trump presidency and challenges assumptions that we live in a “color-blind” era.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Franklin, J. D. & Medina, R. (2018). Trump and an anti-immigrant climate: Implications for Latinx undergraduates. Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs, 3(3), 74-87.