Undocumented Latino youth turn to activism to combat obstacles
Undocumented Latino youth turn to activism to combat obstacles
- May 14, 2012
- A study by Leo Chavez, anthropology professor, and Roberto Gonzales, sociology alumnus, is featured on YubaNet May 12, 2012
From YubaNet:
Undocumented Latino youth in the U.S. face futures clouded by fewer rights than their
documented peers and the constant fear of deportation. Such status constraints usually
aren't fully understood until young adulthood, said UC Irvine anthropologist Leo Chavez,
and the awareness often serves as a catalyst for political and civic involvement.
"Rites of passage common to American youth – getting a driver's license, traveling,
working and applying to college – are either denied, unattainable or dangerous to
pursue for undocumented immigrants," he said. "It's at this point that many realize
society sees them as disposable, as easily cast away. Yet rather than merely give
up, they become involved in campaigns to change the law." In a study that appears
in the June issue of Current Anthropology, Chavez and co-author Roberto Gonzales,
an assistant professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration,
use interviews and survey data to shed light on the experiences of undocumented Latinos
in Orange County who came to the U.S. as children.
For the full story, please visit http://yubanet.com/usa/Undocumented-Latino-youth-turn-to-activism-to-com....
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