The English as a second language (ESL) student population is one of the fastest growing demographics in U.S. public schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021). ESL students who attend post-secondary schools are more likely to choose community colleges (David & Kanno, 2020). Despite this, a dearth of research on immigrant ESL students in community colleges exists (Bunch et al., 2011; Conway, 2009; David & Kanno, 2020; Park, 2019; Teranishi et al., 2011). Moreover, research suggests a graduation gap exists with ESL college students graduating at lower rates than non-ESL counterparts (Razfar & Simon, 2011). Community colleges must ensure they can meet the needs of this student population. I conducted a one-year critical event narrative inquiry (Kim, 2016; Webster & Mertova, 2007), which explored seventeen immigrant ESL students' lived experiences with college. I identified eight critical events, representing students' most meaningful and transformative experiences. These included the lack of authentic caring relationships, loss of being part of a group-oriented supportive community, and challenges and benefits of becoming more individualistic. These findings suggested subtractive schooling (Valenzuela, 1999) and culture loss (Wong Fillmore, 1991) contributed to students' meaningful experiences.I shared implications in the form of letters, inviting administrators and content faculty to partake in action-oriented discussions to enhance equity and inclusion for immigrant ESL students through examining institutional policies, processes, curriculum, professional development, and support services through culturally relevant and culturally sustaining lenses (Ladson-Billings, 2014; Paris & Alim, 2017). The significance, strengths, and limitations of the study, as well as potential for future studies were also discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]