Institute for the Study of Societal Issues

While much of the literature on undocumented immigrants has focused on employment and education outcomes, we know little about the effects of their precarious legal status on interpersonal relationships. Based on interviews with 50 Korean and Mexican undocumented young adults, I find that, regardless of ethnoracial background, undocumented immigrants approach relationships cautiously, engaging in "security work" to protect themselves and their loved ones. Security work is a negotiated process of interpersonal interaction and status disclosure consisting of specific relational conditions to maximize affective and material security. First, shared immigrant background provides a baseline sense of comfort and safety. Respondents find symbolic belonging with those of immigrant descent, while exercising caution around anyone who is white. However, due to the stigma of undocumented status, both structural homophily and experiential homophily operate in determining disclosure patterns. Co-immigrant background is powerful but insufficient for establishing the trust required for disclosure; instead, shared experience is the necessary condition. This study demonstrates that the vulnerable, stigmatized nature of illegality circumscribes the freedom with which young undocumented immigrants navigate the most personal spheres of their social worlds. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the profoundly pervasive effects of immigration status on the everyday lives of undocumented immigrants.