About this poster

---

Panel information
Panel 1. Context: Cross-Cultural, Neighborhood, and Social

Abstract

---

Sociopolitical development (SPD) is the process of becoming aware of creating a more just society through mutually resisting oppression and moving towards liberation (Watts et al., 1999, 2003). SPD may be impacted by opportunities provided by adults; however, in times when adults attempt to present themselves as allies to youth of color, they may instead challenge and delegitimize their theories of political action and social change efforts (Murch, 2010; Taylor, 2016). The potential for some adults to impede or “manage” youth SPD is in line with the hierarchical nature of traditional adult-youth relationships, in which the adults are positioned as the expert (Weiston-Serdan, 2017).

Young Latines are engaging in civic action to address issues important to them (e.g., racism, homophobia, gun violence; de los Reyes, 2023). Yet, within this community, friction exists between the visions of older activist groups and groups led by younger, more inclusive, Latines. Marisa Franco, co-founder of Mijente, a Latine political organizing group largely focused on young Latine people and grassroots/digital organizing, described this divide during an interview, “Oftentimes we’re asked in movement to leave certain parts of ourselves—our race, our sexuality, etc.—at the door in order to participate in Latino activism” (Betancourt, 2021, p. 3).
For adults to be true allies in the anti-racist and intersectional sociopolitical action of young Latines, there needs to be a deeper understanding of how adults can be impediments.

Through a qualitative approach, Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2014), this presentation will provide an in-depth understanding on how adults may hinder the sociopolitical development of Latine youth. Participants were recruited from U.S. regions with large but varying Latine populations in collaboration with two large universities and the affiliate offices of a national youth mentoring organization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of Latine immigrant-origin youth between the ages of 18 and 24 years. Interview data were analyzed by three coders. Of the 23 participants, over half (n = 13) identified adults who hindered their exploration of social issues or activism. These adults included family members, teachers, school administrators and community members.

Our results show how adult misuse of power impacted Latine youth’s sociopolitical development through i) overt familial disapproval, ii) discouraging dialogue, iii) minimizing youth concerns, iv) restricting youth action, and v) manipulation. These findings suggest that adults, including those in families, schools, and the community, can hinder youth's exploration of social issues and attempts to take action to redress racism and other forms of structural oppression. This underscores the need for further studies on the negative impacts of adult-youth interactions on youth relationships, psychological well-being, and their willingness to seek assistance from adults during pivotal developmental stages. Additionally, this study highlights potential conflicts between Latine young people and adults in their family, which could lead to an intergenerational acculturation gap and disagreements on issues like LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, and racism. These conflicts can drive youth to seek support from other adults closer to their age, or outside their families. Lastly, findings also have implications for youth development practitioners interested in elevating youth voices and leadership within social movements.

Author information

Author	Role
Wendy de los Reyes, University of Michigan	Presenting author
Rosario Barraza, Florida State University, United States	Non-presenting author
Corissa Draper, DePaul University, United States	Non-presenting author

⇦ Back to session