Central American Immigrant Students’ Academic Experiences During Family Separation and Upon Reunification in California

• In Event: Academic Experiences of Immigrant and Migrant Students

Abstract

Centering on the type of family separation that occurs from being left behind in their countries of origin, and guided by Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit), Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, attachment theory, theory of ambiguous loss, legal violence, and racist nativism the current study relied on platicas with 10 students between the ages of 12 and 17 to examine Central American immigrant students’ academic experiences during the separation and upon reunification in California. While immigrant families often make sacrifices with the assumption that such family separations will allow them to provide their children a better future; unfortunately, in most cases, children end up suffering negative life outcomes because of their and their family’s migration experiences.

Author

• Karen Magana, University of California - Los Angeles