“No nos podemos desahogar en casa”: Schooling and Wellbeing Among Recently-arrived, Unaccompanied Central American-origin Adolescents

• In Event: Reimagining Belonging and Justice in K–12 Education: Centering Latine Students, Families, and Communities

Abstract

This mixed-methods case study explored how eight recently-arrived adolescent girls from Central America experience schooling and cope with migration-related stress. Drawing on the Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping and Critical Latinx Indigeneities, the research highlights how race, ethnicity, gender, and sociolinguistic background shape students’ social-emotional wellbeing and academic persistence. Quantitative data from validated stress and coping inventories were integrated with qualitative interviews to reveal that participants relied heavily on school-based emotional support, particularly in the absence of familial networks. The findings emphasize the importance of empathetic teachers and safe school environments in promoting resilience and belonging. This study addresses critical gaps in educational research by centering the voices of Indigenous and Afro-descendant Central American girls navigating U.S. schools post-migration.

Author

• Jessica Trejos, City University of New York