Interview with Lisa Patel on Youth held at the border: Immigration, education, and the politics of inclusion, by Lisa Patel

Abstract

Illegal. Undocumented. Remedial. DREAMers. All of these labels have been applied to immigrant youth. Using a combination of engaging narrative and rigorous analysis, this book explores how immigrant youth are included in, and excluded from, various sectors of American society, including education. Instead of the land of opportunity, immigrant youth often encounter myriad new borders long after their physical journey to the United States is over. With an intimate storytelling style, the author invites readers to rethink assumptions about immigrant youth and what their often liminal positions reveal about the politics of inclusion in America. Book Features: Engaging case studies that capture the lived experiences of immigrant youth, from secondary school and beyond, a cohesive analysis of how immigration law, education, and health intertwine to shape possible life pathways, descriptions of educational practices that both support and disempower newcomer immigrant students, recommendations for interrupting day-to-day practices that privilege some, and disadvantage others.