Charting New Paths: Understanding and Support for Migrant and Undocumented Youth
Let's Chart New Paths, Together
Recall the last three headlines you read about immigration in the United States. For some of us, this can trigger warning signs of crossing into delicate territory—and we are. Throughout this toolkit, we call in one of the many proverbial elephants in the room: numerous factors have contributed to an increasing number of migrants and migrant youth arriving in our communities and requesting support.
Over four modules, this toolkit will explore Charting New Paths: Understanding and Support for Migrant and Undocumented Youth through the following topics:
- Part 1: On Language
- Part 2: Checking Our Capacity
- Part 3: Culturally Competent vs. Culturally Humble
- Part 4: Cultural Humility with Awareness and Empowerment
Throughout this toolkit, we consider the experiences of all young people who have migrated, regardless of documentation. Not every migrant is granted access to pathways for immigration relief and may live as an undocumented immigrant for an undetermined amount of time. And not every migrant is undocumented; we acknowledge migration may be a combination of choice and force.
This content is prepared with three underlying assumptions:
No human being is illegal, this includes young people.
Dehumanization is a major red flag for us. We strongly question actions that are rooted in chipping away people's personhood and dignity. Calling a person illegal or an illegal alien dismisses root causes of migration and actively dehumanizes. Actions can be illegal, but not people.
There are no simple solutions to complex problems.
The ebbs and flows of migration into (and out of) the United States are topics of ongoing research and discussion. The deeply layered nature of this discussion is wrapped in political, economic, and social crises.
Migrant youth are not a problem to be solved.
There is a crucial need to coordinate meaningful support responding to the unique experiences of migrant youth within an environment full of multidecade and multifaceted crises.
We will be centering these assumptions and invite you to come along as we consider strategies and resources to provide, improve, and/or maintain services and relationships with migrant youth. If you cannot hold these underlying assumptions, you are more than welcome to explore this toolkit! And this might not be the best place to start - consider exploring our past Building Community toolkits like Wellness Together: Cultivating Community and Mental Health, Partnering with Youth and Young Adults to Transform Mental Health Narratives, and more here.
This toolkit is being released as a newsletter series in May 2024. Learn more about new training and funding opportunities, news and policy updates, and how we can collectively strengthen outcomes for youth and young adults. Sign up for our newsletter to get this series and more delivered straight to your inbox.
