EXPLORING BELONGING: LATINA IMMIGRANT GIRLS CREATING JOY AND BELONGING ACROSS SCHOOL, HOME, AND COMMUNITY

Abstract

At a time of rising anti-immigrant sentiment, gender-based oppression, and educational rollbacks, first- and second-generation Latina immigrant youth are navigating complex conditions of exclusion and resistance. This dissertation examines how four high school-aged Latina immigrant girls experience, navigate, and create belonging across school, home, and community settings.

Grounded in Chicana feminist theory and Latina/o Critical Race Theory, the study uses a comparative multi-case study design with an embedded Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project. Over five months, participants engaged in bi-weekly sessions using testimonios, pláticas, photovoice, and mapping. In the final phase, they co-led a YPAR project exploring community safety for Latina girls.

The study explores three central questions: (1) What socio-cultural discourses and identities shape Latina immigrant girls’ experiences of belonging? (2) What systemic and interpersonal factors influence how they navigate and create belonging across contexts? (3) How do they use YPAR to imagine and build more affirming spaces?

Findings show that belonging is not a fixed condition but a fluid, power-laden process. The girls moved between moments of inclusion and exclusion, revealing how belonging is shaped by institutional dynamics, cultural discourses, and youth agency. Three key insights emerge: (1) belonging is relational and context-dependent; (2) community-based institutions play a critical role in sustaining belonging; and (3) youth-driven, culturally affirming spaces can support emotional safety and connection.

This study introduces the concept of Borderlands of Belonging to describe how Latina immigrant youth negotiate belonging across shifting personal, institutional, and systemic terrains. It also presents a visual model rooted in Chicana feminist thought to map how belonging is co-constructed through care, resistance, and imagination.

Methodologically, the project demonstrates how YPAR can be integrated into case study research to both document and create spaces of youth-led transformation. Practically, it offers guidance for educators, policymakers, and community leaders seeking to build systems of care that affirm culture, language, and youth voice. Ultimately, the study calls for a shift in perspective—from asking whether young people belong to examining how systems must transform to be worthy of their belonging.