Community Psychology Commons^™

The Role Of Friendships Among Latino Male Adolescent Immigrants Who Are Unauthorized, Marcel Hernani Tassara

Dissertations (1934 -)

It is estimated that the United States is home to three-quarters of a million immigrant Latina/o youth who do not have proper authorization to be in the country (Passell, 2011). Given their unauthorized status these youth face a bevy of constraining factors, both proximal and distal. Furthermore, migration is typically characterized by a loss of social networks and cultural practices in exchange for disorienting social and cultural changes in a new land (Hernandez & McGoldrick, 1999). The importance of friendships during adolescence, has been well documented across cultures (Hartup, 1996). While a few studies have demonstrated the positive role friendships …