부산대학교 도서관

The goal of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the barriers that Central American migrant youth face in California education settings while using the power of participatory action research to harness the direct voices of this unique and rapidly growing population. The current study examined narratives from 12 former students (ages 17-23) who migrated from Central America and enrolled in U.S. public schools during their adolescence. Participants were recruited by former staff and their peers using social media. Qualitative inquiry about their educational experiences was conducted via semi- structured interviews with the support of peer researchers using a questionnaire focused on themes of students’ educational history, country of origin, age of arrival, socioeconomic status, mental health, and school supports. Interviews were transcribed and coded thematically. Results showed that the developmental timing of migration, country of origin, family history, and reason for immigrating all had an impact on adjustment to school and mental health. Most notably, results indicated that the effects of mental health permeated all themes explored in this study suggesting that behavioral health care and social-emotional support services are an unmet need in this population. The research team has concluded that the diverse needs of this population require comprehensive efforts and supports in the school setting and have direct implications for social work in developing supports, policy, and best practices in direct service to support the complex needs of this population.