Pathways to Social Mobility: Engaging Mexican-American Youth through Photo-Mapping

Background: Mexican-Americans confront numerous challenges in the pursuit of social mobility, including low rates of college graduation and high rates of poverty. While research has shown the importance of individual, family, and neighborhood factors in shaping youth mobility trajectories, much less is known about how Mexican-American youth themselves identify and experience mobility in the social and physical environments where they live. Social mobility is a key social determinant of health, and developing a nuanced understanding of how mobility is impacted by neighborhood-based barriers and facilitators is critical in developing effective strategies to promote opportunity and enhance the health and well-being of Mexican-American youth. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods Photo-mapping research project combining Photovoice and participatory mapping to engage 25 Mexican-American youth in examining their social and physical contexts visually and spatially, and to generate narratives describing their mobility experiences and strategies. Findings: Youth experience mobility barriers and facilitators on neighborhood and regional levels and craft unique approaches (e.g., volunteerism, strategic networking) for leveraging their social and community networks to access opportunities. Family and peer support and attitudes were identified as critical factors for facilitating sustained mobility efforts, particularly when pursuing higher education. Discussion: Regarding mobility barriers and outcomes among Mexican-American youth, our findings both validate prior research and extend our knowledge by (1) demonstrating the utility of the Photo-mapping method for engaging youth; (2) learning what youth see as the most salient barriers and facilitators to mobility; and (3) highlighting the presence of mobility ladders in neighborhoods characterized by limited opportunity.