- Bunche Hall
UCLA
- Central Americans In the U.S., Law and Society, Sociology of Families, Latina/o Studies, Gender Studies, Immigration, and 14 moreRace and Ethnicity, Qualitative Research, International Migration, Latino/A Studies, El Salvador, Undocumented Immigration, Central American Studies, Transnational Families, undocumented latino immigrants in the U.S., Mothering and Sociology, Legal Consciousness, Central American Diasporas, Salvadorans In the US, and Legal Violenceedit
- My research investigates how immigration laws and the legal statuses they confer on immigrants mediate the educationa... moreMy research investigates how immigration laws and the legal statuses they confer on immigrants mediate the educational, occupational, and emotional experiences of undocumented Latino immigrants and their families in the home country. Central to my research agenda is the systematic analysis of “illegality” – the historically contingent, socially, politically, and legally produced condition of immigrants’ legal status and deportability. My work also highlights the unintended mechanisms that empower undocumented immigrants to organize collectively to create change in US society. Finally, I also examine how gendered structural constraints, along with gendered family norms and expectations intersect with legal status and inform immigrants’ behavior and integration experiences.
My first book, Sacrificing Families: Navigating Laws, Labor, and Love Across Borders (Stanford University Press, 2014), offers a first-hand look at Salvadoran transnational families, how the parents fare in the US, and the experiences of the children back home. It captures the tragedy of these families' daily living arrangements, but also delves deeper to expose the structural context that creates and sustains patterns of inequality in their well-being.
If you are interested in reading any of my articles, please email me for a copy. (abrego at ucla dot edu)edit
Despite the common assumption that immigration laws target only undocumented immigrants, "illegality" intimately and deeply impacts a larger proportion of immigrants and Latinos. Based on in-depth interviews and participant observation... more
Despite the common assumption that immigration laws target only undocumented immigrants, "illegality" intimately and deeply impacts a larger proportion of immigrants and Latinos. Based on in-depth interviews and participant observation with documented and undocumented Latino immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico in Los Angeles over a 10-year period (2001-2010), this article examines how illegality encompasses all members of a family, even when only one person or a few people are categorized as undocumented or only temporarily protected. Illegality can create tension for people whose disadvantages are heightened by structural limitations related to immigration laws. From children's sense of abandonment by parents, to siblings' heightened rivalries, and resentments between spouses, illegality shapes families' interactions and well-being. On the other hand, with extensive social networks and in a social context that provides some a sense of safety, families can try to reframe illegality to experience it as a source of solidarity and strength, even when it increases barriers and burdens.
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US military and economic intervention in El Salvador has set the conditions for mass migration since the 1980s. Both then and now, despite well-documented human rights abuses, the US government refuses to categorize Salvadorans as... more
US military and economic intervention in El Salvador has set the conditions for mass migration since the 1980s. Both then and now, despite well-documented human rights abuses, the US government refuses to categorize Salvadorans as refugees. Weaving in personal and political narratives, this essay examines the parallels of violence against refugees in the 1980s and the present. It also analyzes the silences created through the denial of state terror and the political and collective consequences of these silences for Salvadorans in the US.
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Abrego, Leisy and Ariana J. Valle. 2015. “Salvadoran-Americans.” In Oxford Bibliographies in Latino Studies. Ilan Stavans, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press, January 16, 2015.... more
Abrego, Leisy and Ariana J. Valle. 2015. “Salvadoran-Americans.” In Oxford Bibliographies in Latino Studies. Ilan Stavans, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press, January 16, 2015. http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199913701/obo-9780199913701-0096.xml
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"This article analyzes how Central American immigrants in tenuous legal statuses experience current immigration laws. Based on ethnographic observations and over 200 interviews conducted between 1998 and 2010 with immigrants in Los... more
"This article analyzes how Central American immigrants in tenuous
legal statuses experience current immigration laws. Based on ethnographic observations and over 200 interviews conducted between 1998 and 2010 with immigrants in Los Angeles and Phoenix and individuals in sending communities, this study reveals how the convergence and implementation of immigration and criminal law constitute forms of violence. Drawing on theories of structural and symbolic violence, the authors use the analytic category “legal violence” to capture the normalized but cumulatively injurious effects of the law. The analysis focuses on three central and interrelated areas of immigrants’ lives—work, family, and school—to expose how the criminalization of immigrants at the federal, state, and local levels is not only exclusionary but also generates violent effects for individual immigrants and their families, affecting everyday lives and long-term incorporation processes."
legal statuses experience current immigration laws. Based on ethnographic observations and over 200 interviews conducted between 1998 and 2010 with immigrants in Los Angeles and Phoenix and individuals in sending communities, this study reveals how the convergence and implementation of immigration and criminal law constitute forms of violence. Drawing on theories of structural and symbolic violence, the authors use the analytic category “legal violence” to capture the normalized but cumulatively injurious effects of the law. The analysis focuses on three central and interrelated areas of immigrants’ lives—work, family, and school—to expose how the criminalization of immigrants at the federal, state, and local levels is not only exclusionary but also generates violent effects for individual immigrants and their families, affecting everyday lives and long-term incorporation processes."
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This article examines the legal consciousness and incorporation experiences of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Although this population may be disaggregated along several axes, one central distinction among them is their age... more
This article examines the legal consciousness and incorporation experiences of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Although this population may be disaggregated along several axes, one central distinction among them is their age at migration. Those who migrated as adults live out their daily lives in different social contexts than those who migrated as children. Therefore,
although all undocumented immigrants are legally banned, their identities, sense of belonging, and interpretation of their status vary. Based on ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews of Latino undocumented immigrants from 2001 to 2010, I examine how illegality is experienced differently by social position. The findings suggest that the role of life-stage at migration and work-versus-school contexts importantly inform immigrants’ legal consciousness. Fear predominates in the legal consciousness of first-generation undocumented immigrants, while the legal consciousness of the 1.5 generation is more heavily infused with stigma. Fear and stigma are both barriers to claims-making, but they may affect undocumented immigrants’ potential for collective mobilization in different ways.
although all undocumented immigrants are legally banned, their identities, sense of belonging, and interpretation of their status vary. Based on ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews of Latino undocumented immigrants from 2001 to 2010, I examine how illegality is experienced differently by social position. The findings suggest that the role of life-stage at migration and work-versus-school contexts importantly inform immigrants’ legal consciousness. Fear predominates in the legal consciousness of first-generation undocumented immigrants, while the legal consciousness of the 1.5 generation is more heavily infused with stigma. Fear and stigma are both barriers to claims-making, but they may affect undocumented immigrants’ potential for collective mobilization in different ways.
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Increasingly restrictive immigration laws powerfully shape experiences of Latina immigrant mothers in the U.S. These laws impede mothers and children from migrating together, cause and prolong family separations, and create a real and... more
Increasingly restrictive immigration laws powerfully shape experiences of Latina immigrant mothers in the U.S. These laws impede mothers and children from migrating together, cause and prolong family separations, and create a real and constant fear of
deportation. Based on ethnographic observations and dozens of in-depth interviews conducted between 1998 and 2010 with Guatemalan, Mexican, and Salvadoran immigrant mothers and their children, we contend that the implementation of contemporary U.S. immigration laws are a form of legal violence. These laws restrict immigrant women’s ability to mother their children and bring suffering to women when they try to fulfill their parental responsibilities. As we demonstrate, the current system separates families, blocks access to dire social services, and harms documented, undocumented, and liminally legal Latina mothers alike.
deportation. Based on ethnographic observations and dozens of in-depth interviews conducted between 1998 and 2010 with Guatemalan, Mexican, and Salvadoran immigrant mothers and their children, we contend that the implementation of contemporary U.S. immigration laws are a form of legal violence. These laws restrict immigrant women’s ability to mother their children and bring suffering to women when they try to fulfill their parental responsibilities. As we demonstrate, the current system separates families, blocks access to dire social services, and harms documented, undocumented, and liminally legal Latina mothers alike.
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Over the past few decades, undocumented settlement in the United States has grown to unprecedented numbers. Among the nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants, a substantial portion of undocumented youth is growing up with legal access... more
Over the past few decades, undocumented settlement in the United States has grown to unprecedented numbers. Among the nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants, a substantial portion of undocumented youth is growing up with legal access to public education through high school but facing legal restrictions and economic barriers to higher education and the workforce. Every year, about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school nationwide. Like other children of immigrants, they plan to remain in the United States, but these young men and women
have few means out of poverty. We provide a blueprint for assessing the future prospects of undocumented youth by offering a brief analysis of immigration and educational policies that currently affect the U.S. undocumented youth population and summarizing what is known about undocumented students’ educational and occupational barriers and opportunities, particularly as they transition out of high school. We also discuss potential solutions to improve their circumstances and tap into their talents. Without broader means to obtain a postsecondary education and legally participate in adult life, these young men and women are a vulnerable population at risk for poverty and hardship. However, if given opportunities to pursue higher education and work legally in this country, these bilingual, bicultural students would benefit U.S. taxpayers and the economy overall.
have few means out of poverty. We provide a blueprint for assessing the future prospects of undocumented youth by offering a brief analysis of immigration and educational policies that currently affect the U.S. undocumented youth population and summarizing what is known about undocumented students’ educational and occupational barriers and opportunities, particularly as they transition out of high school. We also discuss potential solutions to improve their circumstances and tap into their talents. Without broader means to obtain a postsecondary education and legally participate in adult life, these young men and women are a vulnerable population at risk for poverty and hardship. However, if given opportunities to pursue higher education and work legally in this country, these bilingual, bicultural students would benefit U.S. taxpayers and the economy overall.
Research Interests:
This article examines how migrant parents’ gender affects transnational families’ economic well-being. Drawing on 130 in-depth interviews with Salvadoran immigrants in the United States and adolescent and young adult children of migrants... more
This article examines how migrant parents’ gender affects transnational families’ economic well-being. Drawing on 130 in-depth interviews with Salvadoran immigrants in the United States
and adolescent and young adult children of migrants in El Salvador, I demonstrate that the gender of migrant parents centrally affects how well their families are faring. Gender structurally differentiates immigrant parents’ experiences through labor market opportunities in the United States. Simultaneously, gendered social expectations inform immigrants’ approaches to parental responsibilities and remitting behaviors. Remittances—the monies parents send—directly shape children’s economic well-being in El Salvador. I find that even though immigrant mothers are structurally more disadvantaged than immigrant fathers, mother-away families are often thriving economically because of mothers’ extreme sacrifices.
and adolescent and young adult children of migrants in El Salvador, I demonstrate that the gender of migrant parents centrally affects how well their families are faring. Gender structurally differentiates immigrant parents’ experiences through labor market opportunities in the United States. Simultaneously, gendered social expectations inform immigrants’ approaches to parental responsibilities and remitting behaviors. Remittances—the monies parents send—directly shape children’s economic well-being in El Salvador. I find that even though immigrant mothers are structurally more disadvantaged than immigrant fathers, mother-away families are often thriving economically because of mothers’ extreme sacrifices.
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This article examines the instrumental and constitutive effects of California Assembly Bill 540. The law grants undocumented immigrant students an exemption from out-of-state tuition, thereby making some forms of higher education more... more
This article examines the instrumental and constitutive effects of
California Assembly Bill 540. The law grants undocumented immigrant students an exemption from out-of-state tuition, thereby making some forms of higher education more accessible. Despite the narrow actionable aspects of the law, it unintentionally legitimizes this disenfranchised group. This longitudinal study of undocumented immigrant youth consists of in-depth interviews before, shortly after, and four years after the passage of the law. The findings demonstrate that AB 540 immediately relieved stigma and later provided a socially acceptable identity that, within a legal consciousness informed by meritocracy, empowered these students to mobilize the law in a number of unforeseen ways. The case strongly suggests that it is possible for unintended constitutive functions to have more transformative effects on the daily lives of targeted beneficiaries than the intended instrumental objectives of law.
California Assembly Bill 540. The law grants undocumented immigrant students an exemption from out-of-state tuition, thereby making some forms of higher education more accessible. Despite the narrow actionable aspects of the law, it unintentionally legitimizes this disenfranchised group. This longitudinal study of undocumented immigrant youth consists of in-depth interviews before, shortly after, and four years after the passage of the law. The findings demonstrate that AB 540 immediately relieved stigma and later provided a socially acceptable identity that, within a legal consciousness informed by meritocracy, empowered these students to mobilize the law in a number of unforeseen ways. The case strongly suggests that it is possible for unintended constitutive functions to have more transformative effects on the daily lives of targeted beneficiaries than the intended instrumental objectives of law.
Research Interests:
Undocumented immigration has gained unprecedented prominence in many of the world’s wealthiest nation-states. In the United States, a substantial population of undocumented youth is growing up with legal access to public education through... more
Undocumented immigration has gained unprecedented prominence in many of the world’s wealthiest nation-states. In the United States, a substantial population of undocumented youth is growing up with legal access to public education through high school, but facing legal and economic barriers to higher education, even when attaining college admission. The legal and social contradictions associated with undocumented status limit these youths’ chances for upward mobility through traditional means. Based on ethnography and in-depth interviews, this article examines the experiences of documented and undocumented children of working-class Latino immigrants in Los Angeles. Because their educational and home environments are not differentiated, undocumented youth undergo similar social incorporation processes as their documented peers early on. However, their legal protections end after high school, greatly limiting their chances for upward mobility through education. In some cases, knowledge of future barriers to college attendance leads to a decline in educational motivation. Existing assimilation theories need to be expanded to include this novel and sizeable phenomenon.
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Abrego, Leisy and Berta Guevara. 2015. “Centroamérica: Origen, tránsito y destino de personas migrantes.” Brújula Ciudadana (Edición Especial: Encuentro de Jóvenes sin Fronteras). Agosto: 19-21.... more
Abrego, Leisy and Berta Guevara. 2015. “Centroamérica: Origen, tránsito y destino de personas migrantes.” Brújula Ciudadana (Edición Especial: Encuentro de Jóvenes sin Fronteras). Agosto: 19-21. http://www.iniciativaciudadana.org.mx/#!centroamrica-origen-trnsito/cimj
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Abrego, Leisy, Alfonso Gonzales, and Shannon Speed. 2015. “President Obama, Deception Will Not Work: It's Time to End Family Detention.” HuffPost Politics. May 20.... more
Abrego, Leisy, Alfonso Gonzales, and Shannon Speed. 2015. “President Obama, Deception Will Not Work: It's Time to End Family Detention.” HuffPost Politics. May 20. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leisy-j-abrego/president-obama-deception_b_7314656.html
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Abrego, Leisy. 2014. “Intervention and Displacement: How U.S. Involvement in Central America Pushes Children and Families to Migrate” Stanford University Press Blog. August 12.
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Abrego, Leisy. 2014. “Rejecting Obama’s Deportation and Drug War Surge on Central American Kids.” HuffPost Latino Voices. July 9.
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Abrego, Leisy. 2014. “Los sacrificios de las familias transnacionales.” Blog post in Spanish about Sacrificing Families for Salvadoran international online publication, El Faro Académico.
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Blog post in Spanish about Sacrificing Families for Salvadoran interanational online publication, El Faro Académico
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Menjívar, Cecilia and Leisy Abrego. 2012. “Legal Violence in the Lives of Immigrants: How Immigration Enforcement Affects Families, Schools, and Workplaces.” Report commissioned by the Center for American Progress.
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Abrego, Leisy. 2009. “Rethinking El Salvador’s Transnational Families.” Special Issue “A New Day in El Salvador: The FMLN Victory and the Road Ahead.” NACLA Report on the Americas 42(6). Available online at: https://nacla.org/node/6225