A southwestern grassroots community coalition of undocumented Mexican community members: A location for bridging resources and sociopolitical action.

Abstract

The current nativist and ethnocentric policies and rhetoric put forward in the United States have compromised the safety of undocumented Hispanic/Latinx Americans. Many in these communities abstain from overt action toward change. Nonetheless, there are examples of community members who embrace the narrative "undocumented and unafraid." Through in-depth individual interviews and focus groups, we qualitatively examined how undocumented Mexican community coalition members (N = 10), focused on enacting socio-political change on behalf of their predominantly Mexican southwestern community, understood the role of their group as a venue for bridging resources and social action. Findings centered on three specific broad themes: (1) Meeting Community Needs: A Disconnection from Resources; (2) Community Coalition as a Space for Bridging Resources; and (3) Community Coalition as a Space for Activism and Social Change.