Social Capital in a Time of Uncertainty: New Evidence From a National Effort to Study the Impact of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

In 2012, President Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, providing temporary work authorization and protection from deportation for certain undocumented immigrants who moved to the U.S. as children. In Spring 2015, our team carried out 541 in-depth interviews in six states, seeking to understand the impact of DACA on the lives of undocumented youth. In this panel, we discuss findings from this first wave of interviews, specifically focusing on the ways in which social capital mediates the impact of DACA on undocumented youth’s education trajectories, out-of-school activities, feelings about deportation, and family engagement. Our findings shed light on the significant benefits and continued barriers experienced by DACAmented youth.

Sub Unit

• Division G - Social Context of Education / Division G - Section 4: Social Context of Education Policy, Politics, and Praxis

Chair

• Roberto G. Gonzales, Harvard University

Papers

• New Opportunities, New Challenges: The Importance of Social Capital in DACAmented Students' Postsecondary Trajectories - Kristina Paige Brant, Harvard University

• Social Networks Within "Sanctuaries": Examining the Role of Out-of-School Experiences in Access to Resources for Undocumented Youth - Deepa Sriya Vasudevan, Harvard University

• "Family Is Where I Go To": Parents' Role in Undocumented Immigrant Youth's Civic Engagement - Jaein Lee, Harvard University; Angie Bautista-Chavez, Harvard University

• Social Capital and the Fear of Deportation: Pre– and Post–Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Experiences of Undocumented Youth - Carolina Valdivia, Harvard University

Discussant

• Genevieve Negron-Gonzales, University of San Francisco