The Power of Authorization: Immigrant Youth and the Fear of Their Wickedness

• In Event: 34.096 - MTCC Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 34.096-4 - Special Populations: Critical Issues of Forgotten Middle, Refugee, and Migrant Youth

Abstract

This paper will explore the intersections of youth immigrant status and the stigmas attached to breaches of legality. Contemporary discourse on immigrant status and unauthorized status in the US blurs distinctions between the innocence of youth and the deliberateness of adult action. The notion of the Dreamer has not inspired the compassion of the nation, yet the fear of a potential criminal among the multitude of immigrants stirs communities rife with xenophobia. In other words, immigrant youth—whether undocumented or not—must negotiate transitions into adulthood with labels of wickedness firmly attached to their very existence. Investigating the elements that constitute stigmas of wickedness on US inhabitants categorized as “illegal” can help youth individually and collectively strategize against social and legal obstacles.

Author

• Edgar Valles, University of Wisconsin - Madison