Beyond Good Intentions: What Supports (and Undermines) Latinx Youth Activism

de los Reyes, W., Sánchez, B., Draper, C., & Barraza, R. (2025). To help or hinder: The role of nonparental adults in the sociopolitical development of immigrant-origin Latinx emerging adults. Journal of Adolescent Research, 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584251344276

Introduction

In their 2025 study, de los Reyes and colleagues examine a critical gap in mentoring and youth development research: the dual role of nonparental adults in shaping the sociopolitical development of immigrant-origin Latinx emerging adults. While past work has highlighted the positive impact of mentors on academic and emotional outcomes, little research has explored how adults either support or undermine young people’s civic engagement and sociopolitical agency. The authors ground their inquiry in sociopolitical development theory and the integrative risk and resilience framework for immigrant-origin youth, seeking to better understand how adult-youth relationships operate within larger systems of power, identity, and resistance.

Methods

Using a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 Latinx participants aged 18 to 24, all of whom had at least one immigrant parent. Participants were recruited from states with large and diverse Latinx populations through partnerships with universities and mentoring organizations. Interviews explored participants’ experiences with adults who either encouraged or hindered their engagement with social issues. The team analyzed transcripts through iterative coding, triangulated with input from a youth advisory board, and used constant comparison to refine themes until data saturation was achieved.

Results

Findings reveal five distinct ways adults supported sociopolitical development: offering emotional support, creating opportunities for critical social analysis, modeling sociopolitical engagement, facilitating opportunities for action, and providing instrumental support, like training or connections. At the same time, over half of participants described adults who hindered their development by discouraging dialogue, restricting activism, or manipulating their beliefs. These negative interactions often mirrored their positive counterparts, underscoring the dual influence adults can exert. Many relationships—especially with family—were complex, with the same individuals sometimes offering support in one area while suppressing growth in another.

Discussion

This study contributes to sociopolitical development theory by expanding our understanding of “opportunity structures” to include not only institutional contexts but also family relationships. It implies the significance of emotional support, often overlooked in civic development research, as a sustaining force for youth activism. At the same time, it raises critical concerns about how adultism (the systematic privileging of adults over young people, often resulting in the dismissal or suppression of youth voices, experiences, and agency) and intergenerational power imbalances can silence or misguide youth. Participants demonstrated agency in navigating these dynamics, often engaging in strategic silence or selective disclosure to preserve relationships while pursuing their values.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Mentoring programs serving immigrant-origin youth should train adults to be critically reflective allies, not just cheerleaders. Programs must prepare mentors to engage in authentic, nonjudgmental dialogue about identity, oppression, and activism. Emotional support should be explicitly recognized as a core mentoring function, especially in politically charged environments. Lastly, mentors must be attuned to their own power and the ways they may (intentionally or not) reinforce barriers to youth civic participation. Investing in youth-led feedback mechanisms and advisory roles, as modeled in this study, can help shift the balance of power and ensure mentors are accountable partners in social change.

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