Undocumented and Unafraid: A Multimethod Investigation of Undocumented Student Activists

Using narrative inquiry to collect data through interviews and an arts-based approach to present the findings through a narrative film screenplay format, this multimethod qualitative study aimed to expose the reality faced by undocumented students, especially those involved with activism, through tales of resilience and grit. The theories that framed this study were Aguilar’s (2019) UndocuCrit and Freire’s (2010) Critical Consciousness. Two undocumented contributors participated in this study, taking part in interviews and in a photo-elicitation exercise, where they were invited to bring pictures that represented their lives as undocumented or DACA students and then reflect on the images to provide a deeper insight into their reality. The resulting fictionalized screenplay is a composite of the literature review, theoretical frameworks, data collection, and my own experiences as an immigrant in the U.S., and it is a coming-of-age story that sheds light on the lived experiences of an undocumented student activist.