AbstractsWomens Studies

The report focuses on the experiences of three undocumented Mexican women who fled to the United States because of political persecution and economic insecurity in their home country. The purpose is to humanize the struggles, persecutions, and dangers that five million undocumented women living in the U.S. face coming from Mexico and Central America. Not only are they escaping countries that offer them little or no protections, their status as undocumented women working in the U.S. makes them vulnerable to exploitation, rape, and economic disparity. They seek a better future, not for themselves, but for their children. But the discord on Immigration Reform, the demand for low-wage labor, and the lack of legal protections in the U.S. keep these women afraid, oppressed, and in hiding. Advisors/Committee Members: Alves, Rosental C. (advisor), Timms, Ed (committee member).