“They Think I'm a Lawyer”: Undocumented College Students as Legal Brokers for Their Undocumented Parents

Abstract

Past research demonstrates that children of immigrants serve as language and cultural brokers for their parents. However, much of this work centers on immigrants with protected legal status. Drawing on thirty in-depth interviews with undocumented college students, I conceptualize the phenomenon of legal brokering to capture how undocumented students share legal resources with their parents. In addition to this conceptualization, I find that four factors shaped how students served as legal brokers: (1) online platforms; (2) institutional support; (3) networks of support; and (4) involvement in immigrant rights organizations. These findings advance theoretical frameworks in segmented assimilation theory, sociolegal studies, and immigrant illegality.