Issues & Resources

Context

In Life on the Line, the border is quite real for Kimberly and her family. Yet it is also something of a metaphor. Millions of families are waiting in limbo for key immigration policies to be determined.

You’ve probably heard a lot about DREAMers — young immigrants who aspire to go to college in the U.S. — and about an increasing movement toward comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. But you may have heard less about how our policies are affecting American children whose families must continue to live in the shadows of our society while one or more parent awaits a visa.  Those families can wait for 20 or more years. Meanwhile, their children — who have done nothing wrong — must also live in the shadows, without proper access to education, health care, nutrition, and other essentials so they can become contributing members to our society.

As we’ve been researching these issues for Life on the Line, we discovered how deeply they affect the lives of young people.  Some of the most comprehensive sources we’ve found for examining these issues are:
ColorLines — In-depth reporting on immigration and race issues in the U.S. See in particular the seminal Shattered Familiesreport, a publication that reveals how deported parents leave thousands of children in foster care.
The New York Times — Excellent coverage on immigration reform. See in particular the first major article about transfronterizos — youth like Kimberly from Life on the Line who become child commuters across the border for school.
The Huffington Post — Great political coverage about the emerging immigration bills at the state and federal level. See in particular “Children Of Immigrants Ask For Halt To Deportation That Splits Families”and “Undocumented Young Activists Talk About Depression And Suicide.”
The Pew Research Center — Research, data and analysis about Hispanics in the U.S.  Excellent source for both trends and in-depth reports.
The Migration Policy Institute — Great research and reports, particularly on socioeconomic outcomes for migrants. See “A Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Health Coverage Profile of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States,” Migration Policy Institute, May 2013.