Young and Undocumented: The Impacts of Immigrant Illegal Status on the Incorporation of Undocumented Youth in California

Caitlin Patler
Sociology
UC Los Angeles

This dissertation explored the experiences of one of our state’s most invisible populations: undocumented young adults. It asked: What are the implications and unique constraints of undocumented immigration status on the lives of immigrant youth in California? What are their current patterns of postsecondary school enrollment, degree attainment, employment, and civic engagement? How, if at all, do institutional resources (school, community, or government resources) mediate these outcomes? The research provided initial answers using original survey and in-depth interview data from the California Young Adult Study (CYAS). Not surprisingly, undocumented youth face tremendous barriers to higher education and meaningful employment, yet their experiences are not uniform. By exposing these types of disparities, this project fit squarely within the UCCSC’s goal of understanding inequality in California, and exposing the “underlying layers of contradiction” in our state.