Privacy rules for revealing one’s undocumented status to nonfamily members: Exploring the perspectives of undocumented youth of Mexican origin

Abstract

Based on the theory of communication privacy management, we explored: (a) undocumented immigrant youth’s privacy rules for managing their undocumented status disclosures to nonfamily members, and (b) responses to disclosures by recipients and undocumented youth. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 undocumented youth (10th–12th grades) who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. Youth managed their undocumented status with nonfamily members using criteria related to support activation, protection, acceptance, and a sense of empowerment. When disclosed, most recipients responded by providing emotional support and advice. Youth felt positively toward recipient reactions that were nonjudgmental. Lastly, most participating youth felt better after revealing their undocumented status because the youth learned that the recipient was in a similar situation or because the youth experienced catharsis. Our results show the extent to which preexisting privacy management research applies to an understudied, marginalized group and provides new insights on privacy management.