Chasing the “American Dream”

Abstract

This chapter describes a participatory action research (PAR) project involving food and housing (FHI) insecure students from impacted communities in the California Central Valley who engage in research, action, and planning to address issues that impede their ability to succeed academically. FHI students completed research and are engaged in action to challenge the California State University, Stanislaus community to increase awareness of unfair systemic conditions that contribute to student FHI and to better understand and respond to the stigma and isolation students with marginalized identities experience. Students have also begun to engage in program-level planning and decision-making processes that impact the availability and delivery of resources for FHI students at CSU Stanislaus. This PAR project represents an ongoing (four year) effort and commitment by students who experience FHI, Faculty and Student Affairs professionals to work collaboratively to implement recommendations and take meaningful action that emerged from this participatory action research study.