“Why we could not study:” The gendered enrollment barriers of 1.25 generation immigrants

Abstract

This paper examines the barriers to school enrollment experienced by 1.25 generation Mexican and Central American immigrants who are undocumented. Arriving between the ages of 13 to 17, a segment of 1.25 generation youth never enroll in traditional K-12 schooling in the United States. Existing literature shows that work demands conflict with traditional U.S. schooling and that lack of information presents barriers to enrollment. I build on existing knowledge by showing that these barriers are gendered. Consistent with existing studies, I find economic needs push 1.25 generation men into low-wage work rather than school. Paid work demands, however, was not the main barrier encountered by 1.25 generation young women. Rather, providing unpaid care work along with lack of information and support kept young women out of school. Ultimately, I urge stakeholders to expand how we think about the work demands keeping 1.25 generation youth out of schooling and call for more targeted supports to address their enrollment barriers.