"Here and There": Children and Youth's Perspectives on Borders in Mexico-U.S. Migration

• In Event: 18.059 - MTCC Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: 18.059-4 - Atravesando Fronteras! Dreamers, Border-Crossing Pedagogies, and Immigrant Spaces of Belonging

Abstract

Children’s experiences are central to understanding the consequences of maternal migration and family separation in Mexico and the United States. This article explores child and youth perspectives on both sides of the border regarding migration and family separation. Transnational care constellations allow children and youth to imagine the other side of the border, and via these imaginaries, they are able to explore their thoughts and perspectives on material things and inequality, as well as a sense of belonging and family. The idea of family never quite disappears even with distance and prolonged periods of separation. Children and youth take real and perceived inequalities to heart, and this complicates how they come to resent, idolize, love, and miss family members.

Author

• Gabrielle Oliveira, Boston College