Masters Thesis

Constructing Community: San Fernando Valley Youth and Community Activism

This qualitative research project will highlight the lived experiences of Latinx youth involved in community activism in the San Fernando Valley. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with self-defined activists, this research highlights the potential factors that lead Latinx youth to be invested in creating change within their communities. This research engages participants from two cohorts of youth activists in the San Fernando Valley, participants from Tia Chucha's Young Warriors Program, and those involved in activism surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020. The study's objective is to highlight the different routes youth take on their journey to becoming involved in community activism, as well as the importance of their participation. Findings are similar to those of existing literature that indicates potential routes for youth involvement as (1) Higher Education, (2) Immigrant Generation, (3) Ethnic Identification, and (4) Social Media. An additional category not explored in the literature was Community Based Organizations. Youth involvement in community activism is particularly important because of restrictions that limit their ability to engage in traditional avenues of political participation. This project concludes with implications for practices to consider when engaging youth activists and a discussion for future research.

Items in ScholarWorks are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.