Undocumented, young immigrants face obstacles, uncertain futures

Undocumented Latino youth who migrate to the United States face futures clouded by limited rights and the constant fear of deportation, according to a new report from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Irvine. Many don't fully realize the constraints of their status until they become older teenagers and young adults, the report finds. "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," said Leo Chavez, professor of anthropology at University of California, Irvine. "It's at this point that many undocumented Latino youth realize society sees them as discardable, as easily castaway. Yet, rather than merely give up, many become involved in campaigns to change the law." In a paper, "Awakening to a Nightmare," which appears in an early preview site for the June issue of Current Anthropology , Chavez and co-author Roberto Gonzales , assistant professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, shed light on both tangible outcomes and lived experiences of undocumented Latinos in Orange County, Calif., who came to the United States as children. Using in-depth s and phone surveys, the researchers obtained detailed information on income, work, education, residence, family, discrimination, immigration status, political engagement, use of medical services and health of undocumented immigrants in comparison to documented immigrants and citizens.