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Undocumented youth in the United States


 * Emotional Challenges of Undocumented Young Adults: Ontological Security, Emotional Capital, and Well-being
 * Effects of Minority Status and Perceived Discrimination on Mental Health
 * Si Mis Papas Estuvieran Aquí’: Unaccompanied Youth Workers’ Emergent Frame of Reference and Health in the United States
 * Respect Yourself, Protect Yourself: Latina Girls and Sexual Identity.
 * Perceived Discrimination, Social Stress, and Depression in the Transition to Adulthood: Racial Contrasts.

The Impact of Stigma on Undocumented Youth Stigma affects undocumented youth in the United States everyday. Stigma occurs when you judge someone or treat someone differently based on something that is out of their control and it has countless effects on whoever is on the receiving end. The stigma that undocumented youth face, starting from a very young age, has shown to have serious effects on their wellbeing. An immigrant’s “transition from the world of youthful innocence—of school and friends, clubs, sports, and dances—to the tenuous circumstances of clandestine adult life was jarring.” Undocumented youth are excluded from driving, traveling, or getting a job which would usually be normal and relatively easy life experiences for someone who was born in the United States, but for undocumented youth it causes a significant amount of stress.

By knowing the stressors that immigrant youth are confronted with, it can help us understand how these stressors affect their mental and overall well being in the short term and the long term. The mental wellbeing of undocumented immigrants is affected by the amount of “ontological security” they have or lack thereof. According to Vaquera, ontological security is the confidence that most people have in the consistency of their social and physical surroundings which unfortunately is not something that most undocumented immigrants have access to. Most undocumented youth have no choice but to go through life with minimal social support. They often face judgment for seeking any assistance as they are usually seen as outsiders. Being seen as an outsider in your own community and home town only have negative consequences on undocumented youth.

Even just “perceptions of discrimination" are closely tied to mental strain and pressure. The more they lack social resources, the more likely they are to endure the challenges that perceived discrimination can cause. Undocumented youth face challenges such as dealing with housing, community, and job market situations. As well as, being unable to access social support systems like healthcare. These obstacles can cause psychological, chronic stress at such a young age which is extremely dangerous. Many undocumented immigrants describe "the mental and emotional distress of verbal abuse, name-calling, and financial stress; and difficulties escaping these conditions.” Ultimately, stigma and discrimination affect undocumented youth in a variety of ways.