This theoretical article approaches migration experiences by looking for and at spaces of belonging, rather than harm, wherein connection, sustenance, and recognition offer possibility to immigrant youth in migration. It details how such spaces can be constructed at the relational, community, and national level, with focus on how physical, legal, political, and cultural geographies and place shape opportunities for belonging. The paper identifies ways in which place informs the relationships that young people form with each other, with their families, and with adults, positing care as a critical foundation for spaces of belonging. The geographic features of neighborhoods and cities and their relationship to young people’s opportunities for agency and recognition are also outlined in relation to belonging, as are the national dynamics that foster spaces of belonging within transnational lives. This paper focuses on understanding how place informs migrant youth and children’s sense of inclusion, agency, dignity, and well-being.
Bruhn, S., & Gonzales, R. G. (2023). Geographies of belonging: Migrant youth and relational, community, and national opportunities for inclusion. Social Sciences, 12(3), 167.
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