The STEM Glass Ceiling: The Influence of Immigration Status on STEM Trajectories of Afro-Caribbean Women (A Narrative Approach)

Afro-Caribbean women initially construct their science identity outside of the United States in unique sociocultural contexts where Black is the dominant racial group and British-styled instruction remains intact. Afro-Caribbean women often experience the "triple threat" minoritizing effects of being Black, female, and international/nonimmigrant when they pursue STEM education and careers in the United States. Using grounded theory methods, I gathered the narratives of eight Afro-Caribbean women in STEM education or careers in the United States to examine how citizenship and immigration status influenced their STEM trajectories. Participants described how their educational and career aspirations were either supported or constrained by citizenship. Immigration status, therefore, operated as a figurative glass ceiling for some of the Afro-Caribbean women in this study, limiting degree and career choice.