Citation

Solis J. J. Soc. Iss. 2003; 59(1): 15-31.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1540-4560.00002

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sociohistorical theory was used to examine illegality as a form of state violence that bears upon the formation of undocumented Mexican immigrants. This article proposes a theory of dialectical violence that integrates societal with personal enactments of violence through case illustrations of Mexican youth. In a grassroots association defending immigrants' rights, youth develop within conflicting discourses about undocumented immigrants proposed by society, family, and community. Methods included ethnographic analysis of the association's documents, a workshop in which five participants authored a booklet with texts and illustrations about their lives in the city, and an interview with their mothers. Findings illustrate how Mexican youth enter a cycle of violence as a result of their undocumented status, socioeconomic class, language and ethnic-racial memberships.