Examining the Sociopolitical Development of Immigrant-Origin Youth During a Season of Social Unrest

The sociopolitical context for immigrant-origin (I-O) youth's civic development in the U.S. has dramatically shifted in the years following the 2016 election (e.g., heightened xenophobia). I-O children comprise 26% of young people in the U.S. and include those born outside the U.S. (first generation) and those with at least one parent born outside the U.S. (second generation). Using a qualitative approach, this study examined how I-O youth (N = 65, M = 16.22 years) experienced and engaged with the phenomena of the 2020 election season amidst recent economic, political, and social consequences from the pandemic and the current social movements against systemic racism. Findings expand our understanding of how I-O youth engage as political actors by examining the processes surrounding their sociopolitical development.