Generations of Seasonal Farmworkers Migrant Education
research agenda by Yesenia Alcala
What inspires students of seasonal farmworkers to persevere and further their education?
Introduction
What is this study about?
My area of interest is education for migrant students that have traveled or are still traveling with their parents from Del Rio, Texas to Princeville, Illinois, in search of seasonal farm work in the fields or canning factory. My inquiry focuses on what helps to motivate a migrant student to continue on to a vocational college, higher education or to pursue entrepreneurship as a transitional process from seasonal farm work. I wish to know more about this because I want to create awareness on how education or acquired skills can change one’s standard of living. I have made contact with a couple of willing participants that are interested in sharing their personal stories and experiences. These are children of seasonal migrant farm workers that traveled the same road as my family did not too long ago. However, they are now adults and have children of their own and no longer seasonal migrant farm workers. My initial start to my agenda will begin by applying to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) so that I can have permission to document the life experiences of the willing participants for my analysis.
My Personal Journey as a Migrant Student
Why do this study –
Reflections of a childhood that left a huge imprint in my heart.
My interest stems from living the life of a migrant and traveling each year with my parents for farm work. I come from a generation of farmworkers that started with my grandparents back in the 1940’s. It became a way of life and I never thought about it as being nothing other than hard honest work. However, it was during my secondary schooling years that I realized that my family’s way of life wasn’t the norm that not everybody left during the school year to travel to a different state to help their parents sustain the family through farm work.
Having lived this experience I feel it gives me a personal angle on whom and how to approach previous migrant students that shared this same lifestyle as I did. The entrepreneurship angle will involve learning what inspired some of the participants to become entrepreneurs. I am interested to know what inspired these individuals and how these techniques can be adopted and taught to other migrants students to fuel motivation and jump start their future dreams.
My intentions are to hear the stories and experiences of other migrant students that traveled the same path as my family did and find out what helped them continue their education, because I myself didn’t start my college journey till the age of 29. To start a conversation with my participants I would like to ask questions such as: 1) What obstacles did you encounter during migration and how did you overcome those constraints?, 2) Did your parents influence you to continue the farm work or go to school and why?, and 3) During your school years what helped you stay in school and further your education?
It is of great interest to me to do meaningful research with migrant students on their perceptions, and how teachers, school administrators and migrant council programs can further assist this group of students that have a difficult time keeping a stable education. Moving forward with this analysis is in progress by staying in touch and interacting with the willing participants in weekly or monthly communication via social media and socializing when I go visit my family in Del Rio, TX.
Paying it Forward
At this present time there are still many students that travel with their parents for farm work all over the United States. The importance of education plays in the hearts on some of these young migrant students with little or no support from their parents and school administration and still they preserve and succeed. I want to know what helps these students succeed and how can I contribute for future generations of migrant students to reach their potential in higher education.
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