IHDSC scholarly affiliate Sophia Rodriguez, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and Sociology of Education at NYU Steinhardt, recently celebrated the publication of her groundbreaking work, Undocumented in the U.S. South: How Youth Navigate Racialization in Policy and School Contexts. Centering youth voice and experience, this ethnography explores how undocumented youth and their families navigate current and historical racialization, segregation, and inequality across numerous contexts. Dr. Rodriguez spotlights these contexts, including the everyday interactions youth have with teachers, peers, and community members; school and organizational contexts and policies; and broader state policies in the U.S. South. She also highlights that educators and school administrators have the responsibility and power to promote equitable educational practices and opportunities for undocumented youth, especially given the real ramifications of legal status and immigration policy on students’ educational trajectories.
Rutgers University Press comments that this ethnography urges readers to “consider youth experiences as central knowledge for improving educators’ awareness and school practice, while promoting policies that are humanizing and rooted in youth experience.”
Together with the CRACS Co-Lab, we were delighted to co-host a book launch event at Housing Works Bookstore Café on September 23rd, 2025, to celebrate and spotlight this important work. Dr. Rodriguez was joined by panelists and fellow IHDSC affiliates Drs. Hirokazu Yoshikawa & R. L'Heureux Lewis-Mccoy of NYU, and moderator Dr. Felicia Arriaga of Baruch College.
Dr. Rodriguez spoke to a full house about the hundreds of hours of observational research, interviews with youth and school administrators, and in-depth policy review that seeded a novel framework for analysis.
To learn more about and access a free copy of Undocumented in the U.S. South: How Youth Navigate Racialization in Policy and School Contexts, visit Rutgers University Press or NYU libraries.
