Barriers and bridges to well-being for Latinx immigrant youth in a new Latinx destination: A digital narrative inquiry

Abstract

An increasing number of Latinx young people in the United States are facing unique challenges to attaining and maintaining well-being as residents of new Latinx destinations. This study analyzes the testimonios of 12 Latinx immigrant youth (aged 18–21) who participated in a digital narrative research project in New Orleans – a new Latinx destination in the US South. Findings are interpreted and discussed through the lens of the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), revealing Latinx young people’s perspectives on the barriers to experiencing well-being, the “bridges” that helped them to experience well-being despite those barriers, and the ways in which broader contexts and identities shaped their lived experiences. This study offers evidence of the detrimental health impacts of racialization and marginalization on Latinx youth in a new Latinx destination, as well as the assets, resources, coping skills, and meaning-making processes that supported their well-being.