Abstract
The career development of Black immigrant college students has been understudied. More often studies have focused on immigrants of the Latino/a and Asian backgrounds. The few studies that have focused on Black students do not distinguish between those of immigrant origin, rather Black immigrant students are lumped together with the native born African American students, negating their unique experiences. In this chapter, the authors present a theoretical perspective of understanding career development, factors that influence career choice and development, challenges in career development, as well as interventions appropriate with this population. Research has revealed major gaps in the understanding of Black immigrant students' college experience and career development. Consequently, future research suggestions have been provided.
TopIntroduction
The number of immigrants in the United States has been increasing steadily in the last few decades. In 2018, there were 44.7 million immigrants living in the United States, the highest ever since the census was taken (Batalova, Blizzard, & Bolter, 2020). One in every seven U.S. residents is foreign-born according to the 2018 American Community Survey (ACS) data, while one in eight residents is a native with at least one immigrant parent (American Immigration Council, 2020). Currently, immigrants constitute 13.7% of the country’s overall population. It is noteworthy that most Black immigrants are living in the United States with formal immigration authorization. According to a Pew study, 84% of Black immigrant population are living in the U.S. with formal authorization (Anderson & Lopez, 2018).
As the number of immigrants and their children increase, the need to pursue higher education becomes more apparent (Soria & Stebleton, 2013). According to data by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), almost 20% of all U.S. college students were immigrants and second-generation students (Association of American Colleges and Universities, [AAC& U], 2015). It is projected that the number of immigrant students in college will continue to increase depending on the immigration policies in place (Stebleton, Huesmann, & Kuzhabekova, 2010).
Immigration is a particularly relevant topic in the academy, given that immigrants and second-generation Americans represent an increasingly large number of college students (Association of American Colleges and Universities [AAC& U], 2015). According to the Migration Policy Institute, (MPI) more than two million immigrants and second- generation Americans are enrolled full-time in US colleges, accounting for almost 20% of all US college students, and 24% are enrolled in community colleges.
Immigrants in higher education are frequently mischaracterized, misunderstood, and understudied. Furthermore, there is insufficient research to inform a comprehensive understanding of their experiences, including the unique challenges of immigrant students in higher education (Kim & Diaz, 203; Teranishi, Martin, & Suarez-Orozco, 2013). More research is needed on immigrants in college and a more comprehensive analysis of their experiences in higher education (Teranishi et al., 2013). It is important to have a broad understanding of immigrant students as they comprise a diverse group based on immigration status and ethnic/cultural identities, which may contribute different academic outcomes. Immigrants are a diverse group and come from a varied geographical background and arrive in the United States with various assets and challenges (Teranishi et al, 2013). The objective of this chapter is to explore the career development of Black immigrant college students and highlight the challenges that they encounter in their pursuit of a higher education and career. The chapter also provides recommendations that college professionals could implement while working with this underserved population of students.
Key Terms in this Chapter
First Generation College Students: College students who do not have at least one parent who earned a bachelor’s or higher degree.
Immigrant: A person who enters the United States with the intention of remaining here permanently.
Third Generation: Were born in the United States to U.S. born parents (grandparents were immigrants).
Black Immigrants: Refers to any person born outside of the United States, Puerto Rico and any other U.S. territories and whose country of origin is located in Africa or the Caribbean.
First Generation Students: Students were born abroad to at least one immigrant parent.
Foreign-Born Blacks: Refer to persons who were born outside of the United States and its territories.
Second Generation: They were born in the United States but have at least one parent who was born abroad.
Social Cognitive Career Theory: A model of career development that delineates how a person’s inputs, contextual factors and socio-cognitive factors affect a persons’ career interests, goals, and actions.