“How Long is it Going to Take for Me to Be Seen as Equal?”: Implications of the Current Political Climate on Immigrant-Origin Youth

Abstract

This phenomenological qualitative study explores the implications of the 2016 United States presidential election of Donald Trump on the lives of immigrant-origin (first- and second-generation) youth. Through dyadic interviews with four high-school aged immigrant youth, it explores two main questions: (1) What stressors, concerns, or worries do immigrant youth experience or have? and (2) Have immigrant youth been affected by the present sociopolitical climate and if so, in what ways? The results of this study suggest that external expectations and pressures are a significant source of stress for immigrant youth, as are the absence of both social and instrumental supports. It also finds that the election and subsequent political events have compounded immigrant youth’s stress by cultivating an environment of weariness, skepticism, and questioning. Implications for practitioners and researchers who work with immigrant youth are discussed.