Frida Calvo Huerta Social Science
Positive coping strategies and resilience to undocumented status: Evaluating the mental health effects of a peer mentoring program on undocumented young adults in the San Francisco Bay Area, California
Scholars Journal
Undocumented youth and young adults in the United States face a myriad of psychosocial stressors that negatively impact their mental health. Existing literature suggests the perceived support from peers dealing with similar challenges mitigates feelings of isolation, hopelessness and lack of control by fostering self-esteem, sense of purpose and belonging. Yet, individual encouragement and reassurance alone cannot address systemic barriers and do not provide enough help to persevere through stressors. Using Community Cultural Wealth and Resilience Theory, this study examines the experiences of undocumented youth and young adults participating in a college access peer mentorship program, UndocuScholars. Frida’s research study evaluates the mental effects that UndocuScholars has on their participants and identifies the coping strategies that the participants use to deal with status related stressors.
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies
Mentor: Andrew Wooyoung Kim, Anthropology