OpEds, Magazine Articles by Daniel Jenks
Medium, 2020
In 2016, the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University launched a study... more In 2016, the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University launched a study into the lives of unaccompanied Central American youth residing with sponsors in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Many youth reported that they wished to eventually return to their home countries but that it often was not safe for them to do so because of threats from organized crime or government authorities. In our survey, youth expressed that police in their home countries had targeted them and their families. There, if it was not the police, it was local gangs or MS-13. In the United States, the major threats to them have also been gangs and the police. Sometimes youth reported pressure to join local gangs in their home countries, which many of them resisted successfully. Nonetheless, some police officers and members of the community assume that these young men are gang members. Youth often feel terrorized by gangs and police in both their home and host countries while their parents are very busy working multiple low-paying jobs to ensure their safety, health, and education.
Medium, 2020
Joe Biden’s mantra of Build Back Better implies that not only will he reverse Trump’s many disast... more Joe Biden’s mantra of Build Back Better implies that not only will he reverse Trump’s many disastrous immigration policies, or just a return to a perception of “normalcy,” but that he would make changes for the best. The Biden-Harris administration should propose much more progressive policy than that from the Obama-era. Most of those who voted for Biden want him to go further to fix the problems of the refugee and asylum system.
Medium, 2020
In all fifty states and numerous countries, protesters are demonstrating against racialized polic... more In all fifty states and numerous countries, protesters are demonstrating against racialized police brutality. In one of the last recorded incidents, a police officer in Minnesota knelt on Mr. George Floyd's neck for over eight minutes while he pleaded for his life, ultimately unable to breathe. Three officers watched on, doing nothing. However, this is not the first time that we have seen protests over the unnecessary murder of unarmed African Americans by police forces in the
Short articles, policy briefs by Daniel Jenks
Scholar Strategy Network, 2021
Since 2015, nearly 250,000 unaccompanied minors have arrived in the United States and been placed... more Since 2015, nearly 250,000 unaccompanied minors have arrived in the United States and been placed across the country with sponsors, who may be their parents, other family members, or friends. Many of these young people—from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—are motivated to travel by increasing violence and economic and political instability in their home countries, as well as a desire for reunification with their parents.
Of these children, over 20,000 have moved to the Washington, D.C. region, where many face barriers to integration in their communities. Their difficulties include dealing with traumatic experiences, family separation, inconsistent or interrupted schooling, and language barriers in their new schools. As scholars and policymakers, we must rapidly respond to the needs of migrant children and find the best ways to support these young newcomers who now call our region home.
Our research with the Center on Latino and Latin American Studies at American University includes interviews with fifty-eight recently resettled youth, thirty-six sponsors, and seventeen social service providers and school staff in the District of Columbia, Fairfax County in Virginia, and Prince George's County and Montgomery County in Maryland. The stories from these youths, sponsors, and practitioners illuminate a cross-section of the experiences of resettled Central American minors—experiences that, we hope, can inform policy interventions at the county level that can help the unaccompanied minors thrive.
Scholars Strategy Network, 2021
Over 20,000 unaccompanied minors (UAC)-many from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras-have moved ... more Over 20,000 unaccompanied minors (UAC)-many from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras-have moved to the Washington, D.C. region. The Arlington County School Board can support the migrant youth who call our region home by increasing language support, hiring more Spanish-speaking staff and social workers, expanding programs that address economic anxiety and food insecurity for all students, and provide trauma-informed training to all staff.
In Spanish by Daniel Jenks
Ética, Política y Migración, 2021
En este capítulo abordamos el tema de la migración centroamericana, sobre todo la que fue parte d... more En este capítulo abordamos el tema de la migración centroamericana, sobre todo la que fue parte de la ola de inmigrantes jóvenes y menores no acompañados (llamados en inglés Unaccompanied Alien Children) que inició en 2014 y que en cierto grado sigue hasta la fecha (Stinchcomb and Hershberg 2014). Este capítulo describe esta ola migratoria y presenta casos como ejemplos del viaje de salida, la travesía por México y la llegada a Estados Unidos en particular la zona metropolitana de Washington, DC. Los resultados provienen de un estudio llevado a cabo por el Center for Latin American and Latino Studies en American University en Washington, DC en el 2017 dirigido por los coinvestigadores Ernesto Castañeda, Noemi Enchautegui de Jesus y Eric Hershberg. El estudio usa entrevistas con menores no acompañados (N=58), así como con algunos de sus padres (N=41) y oficiales de las escuelas en el área alrededor de Washington, DC (N=23). En total se llevaron a cabo más de 122 entrevistas formales que fueron audiograbadas, transcritas y analizadas usando Nvivo, Qualtrics, y SPSS.
Drafts by Daniel Jenks
Trauma Care, 2021
The aim of this paper is to explore the mental health challenges that Central American
immigrant... more The aim of this paper is to explore the mental health challenges that Central American
immigrant youth face before and after arriving in the United States. This population is hard to reach, marginalized, and disproportionately exposed to trauma from a young age. This paper investigates the mental health stressors experienced by Central American immigrant youth and asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, surveyed in the U.S. in 2017. This mixed methods study uses qualitative data from interviews along with close-ended questions and the validated PHQ-8 Questionnaire and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). These new migrants face numerous
challenges to mental health, increased psychopathological risk exacerbated by high levels of violence and low state-capacity in their countries of origin, restrictive immigration policies, the fear of deportation for themselves and their family members, and the pressure to integrate once in the U.S. We find that Central American youth have seen improvements in their self-reported mental health after migrating to the U.S., but remain at risk of further trauma exposure, depression, and PTSD. We find that they exhibit a disproportionate likelihood of having lived through traumatizing
experiences that put them at higher risk for psychological distress and disorders that may create obstacles to integration. These can, in turn, create new stressors that exacerbate PTSD, depression, and anxiety. These conditions can be minimized through programs that aid immigrant integration and mental health.
Papers by Daniel Jenks
Emerald Publishing Limited eBooks, May 24, 2022
Social Sciences
The events of January 6th were a clear example of threats to American democracy. De-democratizati... more The events of January 6th were a clear example of threats to American democracy. De-democratization is a process that preceded Trump’s election and that can still be seen in the United States and around the world. Social theorist Charles Tilly wrote about how becoming a democracy is not a unidirectional, one-time event or goal, but a non-linear process. This paper analyzes developments in the United States that signal rises and falls in the level of democracy over the last several decades. It discusses Donald Trump’s rise to power, the insurrection on January 6th, 2021, and the state of inclusion of ethnoracial minorities in the United States. It uses Tilly’s proposed processes of democratization and de-democratization. This more nuanced understanding of democracy and state–society relations helps avoid celebratory stances about the promise of electoral politics as well as pessimistic assessments about the imminent arrival of fascism and authoritarianism.
Children and Youths' Migration in a Global Landscape
In the second decade of the twenty-first century, an increasing number of children from El Salvad... more In the second decade of the twenty-first century, an increasing number of children from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala began arriving without parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. In many cases, the parents had left for the United States years earlier to earn money that they could send back home. Ernesto Castañeda and Daniel Jenks recount these young migrants’ journey from Central America to the U.S. border, detailing the youths’ difficulties passing through Mexico, proving to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials that they have a legitimate fear of returning or are victims of trafficking, and staying in shelters while their sponsorship, placement, and departure are arranged. The authors also describe the tensions the youth face when they reunite with family members they may view as strangers. Despite their biological, emotional, and financial bonds to these relatives, the youth must learn how to relate to new authority figures and decide whether or how to follow their rules. Offering a complex exploration of youth migration and family reunification, Reunited provides a moving account of how young Central American migrants make the journey north and ultimately reintegrate with their families in the United States.
Sociological Studies of Children and Youth, 2022
Purpose: To describe some of the tensions that both unaccompanied and
accompanied immigrant child... more Purpose: To describe some of the tensions that both unaccompanied and
accompanied immigrant children and youth face when reuniting with family members living abroad after years of living apart, separated by borders and anti-immigrant policies are described.
Methods: Fifty-eight interviews with immigrant minors from El Salvador,
Honduras, and Guatemala and the tensions they reported having after moving in with their biological parents or legal sponsors in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area are drawn upon.
Findings: Youth reported that getting used to cohabitation and in-person relationships with their parents or other sponsor was difficult at first, though it improved over time. Despite the biological, emotional, and financial bonds, minors had to learn how to relate to new authority figures and follow their rules. Many reported feeling lonely and missing grandmothers and other family members and friends left behind in the country of birth.
Research implications: Interviews with counselors and local authorities that interface with these families show that parenting and youth programs in the places of settlement can become effective interventions to improve relations between children and parents recently reunited, which can indeed help with scholastic achievement and socio-economic advancement.
Value: The interview extracts bring a window into intrafamily dynamics, often overlooked in discussions of the integration of immigrant children and youth into their new homes and communities.
Trauma Care
The aim of this paper is to explore the mental health challenges that Central American immigrant ... more The aim of this paper is to explore the mental health challenges that Central American immigrant youth face before and after arriving in the United States. This population is hard to reach, marginalized, and disproportionately exposed to trauma from a young age. This paper investigates the mental health stressors experienced by Central American immigrant youth and asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, surveyed in the U.S. in 2017. This mixed methods study uses qualitative data from interviews along with close-ended questions and the validated PHQ-8 Questionnaire and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). These new migrants face numerous challenges to mental health, increased psychopathological risk exacerbated by high levels of violence and low state-capacity in their countries of origin, restrictive immigration policies, the fear of deportation for themselves and their family members, and the pressure to integrate once in the U.S. We find that Central American youth have se...
Books by Daniel Jenks
Russell Sage Foundation, 2024
In the second decade of the twenty-first century, an increasing number of children from El Salvad... more In the second decade of the twenty-first century, an increasing number of children from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala began arriving without parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. In many cases, the parents had left for the United States years earlier to earn money that they could send back home. Ernesto Castañeda and Daniel Jenks recount these young migrants’ journey from Central America to the U.S. border, detailing the youths’ difficulties passing through Mexico, proving to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials that they have a legitimate fear of returning or are victims of trafficking, and staying in shelters while their sponsorship, placement, and departure are arranged. The authors also describe the tensions the youth face when they reunite with family members they may view as strangers. Despite their biological, emotional, and financial bonds to these relatives, the youth must learn how to relate to new authority figures and decide whether or how to follow their rules. Offering a complex exploration of youth migration and family reunification, Reunited provides a moving account of how young Central American migrants make the journey north and ultimately reintegrate with their families in the United States.
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OpEds, Magazine Articles by Daniel Jenks
Short articles, policy briefs by Daniel Jenks
Of these children, over 20,000 have moved to the Washington, D.C. region, where many face barriers to integration in their communities. Their difficulties include dealing with traumatic experiences, family separation, inconsistent or interrupted schooling, and language barriers in their new schools. As scholars and policymakers, we must rapidly respond to the needs of migrant children and find the best ways to support these young newcomers who now call our region home.
Our research with the Center on Latino and Latin American Studies at American University includes interviews with fifty-eight recently resettled youth, thirty-six sponsors, and seventeen social service providers and school staff in the District of Columbia, Fairfax County in Virginia, and Prince George's County and Montgomery County in Maryland. The stories from these youths, sponsors, and practitioners illuminate a cross-section of the experiences of resettled Central American minors—experiences that, we hope, can inform policy interventions at the county level that can help the unaccompanied minors thrive.
In Spanish by Daniel Jenks
Drafts by Daniel Jenks
immigrant youth face before and after arriving in the United States. This population is hard to reach, marginalized, and disproportionately exposed to trauma from a young age. This paper investigates the mental health stressors experienced by Central American immigrant youth and asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, surveyed in the U.S. in 2017. This mixed methods study uses qualitative data from interviews along with close-ended questions and the validated PHQ-8 Questionnaire and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). These new migrants face numerous
challenges to mental health, increased psychopathological risk exacerbated by high levels of violence and low state-capacity in their countries of origin, restrictive immigration policies, the fear of deportation for themselves and their family members, and the pressure to integrate once in the U.S. We find that Central American youth have seen improvements in their self-reported mental health after migrating to the U.S., but remain at risk of further trauma exposure, depression, and PTSD. We find that they exhibit a disproportionate likelihood of having lived through traumatizing
experiences that put them at higher risk for psychological distress and disorders that may create obstacles to integration. These can, in turn, create new stressors that exacerbate PTSD, depression, and anxiety. These conditions can be minimized through programs that aid immigrant integration and mental health.
Papers by Daniel Jenks
accompanied immigrant children and youth face when reuniting with family members living abroad after years of living apart, separated by borders and anti-immigrant policies are described.
Methods: Fifty-eight interviews with immigrant minors from El Salvador,
Honduras, and Guatemala and the tensions they reported having after moving in with their biological parents or legal sponsors in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area are drawn upon.
Findings: Youth reported that getting used to cohabitation and in-person relationships with their parents or other sponsor was difficult at first, though it improved over time. Despite the biological, emotional, and financial bonds, minors had to learn how to relate to new authority figures and follow their rules. Many reported feeling lonely and missing grandmothers and other family members and friends left behind in the country of birth.
Research implications: Interviews with counselors and local authorities that interface with these families show that parenting and youth programs in the places of settlement can become effective interventions to improve relations between children and parents recently reunited, which can indeed help with scholastic achievement and socio-economic advancement.
Value: The interview extracts bring a window into intrafamily dynamics, often overlooked in discussions of the integration of immigrant children and youth into their new homes and communities.
Books by Daniel Jenks
Of these children, over 20,000 have moved to the Washington, D.C. region, where many face barriers to integration in their communities. Their difficulties include dealing with traumatic experiences, family separation, inconsistent or interrupted schooling, and language barriers in their new schools. As scholars and policymakers, we must rapidly respond to the needs of migrant children and find the best ways to support these young newcomers who now call our region home.
Our research with the Center on Latino and Latin American Studies at American University includes interviews with fifty-eight recently resettled youth, thirty-six sponsors, and seventeen social service providers and school staff in the District of Columbia, Fairfax County in Virginia, and Prince George's County and Montgomery County in Maryland. The stories from these youths, sponsors, and practitioners illuminate a cross-section of the experiences of resettled Central American minors—experiences that, we hope, can inform policy interventions at the county level that can help the unaccompanied minors thrive.
immigrant youth face before and after arriving in the United States. This population is hard to reach, marginalized, and disproportionately exposed to trauma from a young age. This paper investigates the mental health stressors experienced by Central American immigrant youth and asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, surveyed in the U.S. in 2017. This mixed methods study uses qualitative data from interviews along with close-ended questions and the validated PHQ-8 Questionnaire and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). These new migrants face numerous
challenges to mental health, increased psychopathological risk exacerbated by high levels of violence and low state-capacity in their countries of origin, restrictive immigration policies, the fear of deportation for themselves and their family members, and the pressure to integrate once in the U.S. We find that Central American youth have seen improvements in their self-reported mental health after migrating to the U.S., but remain at risk of further trauma exposure, depression, and PTSD. We find that they exhibit a disproportionate likelihood of having lived through traumatizing
experiences that put them at higher risk for psychological distress and disorders that may create obstacles to integration. These can, in turn, create new stressors that exacerbate PTSD, depression, and anxiety. These conditions can be minimized through programs that aid immigrant integration and mental health.
accompanied immigrant children and youth face when reuniting with family members living abroad after years of living apart, separated by borders and anti-immigrant policies are described.
Methods: Fifty-eight interviews with immigrant minors from El Salvador,
Honduras, and Guatemala and the tensions they reported having after moving in with their biological parents or legal sponsors in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area are drawn upon.
Findings: Youth reported that getting used to cohabitation and in-person relationships with their parents or other sponsor was difficult at first, though it improved over time. Despite the biological, emotional, and financial bonds, minors had to learn how to relate to new authority figures and follow their rules. Many reported feeling lonely and missing grandmothers and other family members and friends left behind in the country of birth.
Research implications: Interviews with counselors and local authorities that interface with these families show that parenting and youth programs in the places of settlement can become effective interventions to improve relations between children and parents recently reunited, which can indeed help with scholastic achievement and socio-economic advancement.
Value: The interview extracts bring a window into intrafamily dynamics, often overlooked in discussions of the integration of immigrant children and youth into their new homes and communities.