Description:
Each year, thousands of youth endure harrowing unaccompanied and undocumented migrations across Central America and Mexico to the United States in pursuit of a better future. Drawing on the firsthand narratives of migrant youth in Los Angeles, California, Stephanie L. Canizales shows that while a lucky few do find reprieve, many are met by resource-impoverished relatives who are unable to support them, exploitative jobs that are no match for the high cost of living, and individualistic social norms that render them independent and alone. Sin Padres, Ni Papeles illuminates how unaccompanied teens who grow up as undocumented low-wage workers navigate unthinkable material and emotional hardship, find the agency and hope that is required to survive, and discover what it means to be successful during the transition to adulthood in the United States.
Review Quotes: "What Canizales illustrates through her fieldwork is the gauntlet of everyday difficulties faced by undocumented youth, first and foremost their precarious status, which complicates their search for work, stable housing and safe navigation of the city. Gender is a factor in this context. Cultural expectations are different for males and females, and Canizales deserves credit for examining the unique obstacles faced by female migrants."
-- "California Review of Books"