Theorizing Liminality for Central American Unaccompanied Youth in U.S. Public Schools

• In Event: Latina/o/x Educational Resistance and Relationships Across P-16

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to theorize the ways in which liminality plays a role in the experiences of Central American unaccompanied minors in schools. Using liminality (Turner, 1969; Menjívar, 2006) as the theoretical framing, it explores how educators (e.g., teachers, counselors, social workers) in US public schools perceive the needs, limitations, and support unaccompanied youth experience. Through in-depth interviews, educators identified the various ways in which schools offer limited belonging to unaccompanied minors. Additionally, many educators identified the adult like responsibilities unaccompanied youth have which often get in the way of their schooling. Ultimately, these findings help us consider how schools can serve as spaces of liminality for Central American unaccompanied youth.

Authors

• Martha C. Franco, California State University - Long Beach

• Stephany Cuevas, Chapman University