The Structural Violence of DACA and Youth Resistance

Public Significance Statement Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is meant to provide legal protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. before age 16. This study found that a number of challenges associated with DACA exist and prevent DACA recipients from receiving full acceptance into U.S. society. Nevertheless, DACA youth report multiple ways that they respond to these challenges, including having radical hope, paying it forward, accessing social support and social capital, and having undocumented pride. Objectives: This study examined how youth who have received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) experience structural violence and their responses to that violence. Method: Participants included 20 Latinx individuals, between the ages of 16 and 29, who migrated to the U.S. before age 16. The majority held DACA status. In-depth qualitative, narrative interviews were conducted with each participant. Results: Narratives revealed multiple ways that DACA youth experience structural violence, including (a) challenges with the application process, (b) the financial burden created by the lack of access to federal financial aid for higher education, and (c) fears surrounding DACA. Youth responded to structural violence via (a) paying it forward, (b) radical hope, (c) social support, and (d) undocumented pride. Conclusions: Narratives demonstrate the ways in which young people experience structural violence despite the benefits of DACA and how some resist this violence. Implications for a legislative pathway to citizenship are discussed.