ABSTRACT
The experiences of immigrant Latinx youth in the United States are quite diverse and deserve exploration. This study explores the link between gender and schooling within the context of undocumented immigrant Latina youth. Using ethnographic data, we focus on the gendered education experiences and views of a young Latina and her relationship with her transnational family. Findings reveal that immigrant Latina youth, informed by their awareness of parental sacrifice, come to view schooling as essential to “becoming somebody”; and the duality that centering their immigrant experience on education produces. On one side, Latina youth are a vulnerable population in the United States as they bear the gender ideology of patriarchal societies. On the other hand, they are expected to succeed academically. The findings in this study echo the growing concern that immigrant youth are susceptible to a variety of hardships and pressures that many adults do not fully understand, and suggest that more attention should be paid to Latina immigrant youth’s narratives on schooling and education.
