University of California at Merced, Merced, CA, USA.
J Health Soc Behav. 2023 Mar;64(1):120-135. doi: 10.1177/00221465221122831. Epub 2022 Sep 9.
Relying on in-depth interviews and ethnographic data in Los Angeles, California, this study examines the health experiences of unaccompanied, undocumented Latin American-origin immigrant youth as they come of age as low-wage workers. Findings demonstrate that unaccompanied, undocumented youth undergo cumulative physical and mental health disadvantages in the United States's secondary labor market and during critical developmental life stages while lacking the parental monitoring and guidance to navigate them. Developing comparisons between their past and present living conditions and between themselves and other youth in Los Angeles-what I refer to as an -youth workers come to perceive family disruptions, and especially separation from their parents, as the most salient factor affecting their health. While some youth ultimately resign themselves to short-term attempts to assuage illness, injury, or distress through activities like substance abuse, others pursue community connections and support groups that can sustain them long term.
本研究以加利福尼亚州洛杉矶的深入访谈和民族志数据为基础，考察了孤身、无证的拉丁美洲移民青年成年后作为低薪工人的健康经历。研究结果表明，孤身、无证的移民青年在美国的次级劳动力市场和关键发展阶段经历了累积的身心健康劣势，同时缺乏父母的监督和指导来帮助他们应对。在将他们过去和现在的生活条件以及与洛杉矶其他青年进行比较时——我称之为“青年工人”——他们开始意识到家庭破裂，特别是与父母分离，是影响他们健康的最突出因素。虽然一些青年最终放弃了通过药物滥用等活动来短期缓解疾病、伤害或痛苦的尝试，但其他人则寻求社区联系和支持团体，以长期维持他们的健康。
