The Complexities of Iowa Latinx Youth Resistance Amid Rising Xenophobia and Nativism in the New Latino Diaspora

• In Event: Learning and Healing Through Trauma: Cases of Restorative Justice Pedagogy Across Pre-K–20 "Pipeline"

Abstract

Little work examines the complexities of youth resistance efforts towards federal and state anti-immigrant legislation in the New Latino Diaspora. This critical ethnographic study draws from observation and interviews with eight Latinx youth who engage in transformational resistance. It explores how speaking at pro-immigrant protest is filled with challenges and transformations. Speaking at social protests provided youth with space for their voices to be heard and acquire collective knowledge, which develops confidence to speak out against social issues and learn about the political power of the Latinx community. Yet, youth also suffered from silencing by politicians, pressure to create social change, and a range of emotions which challenged their wellbeing. These challenges and opportunities reflect the complexities of youth resistance.

Author

• Carlos R. Casanova, Arizona State University