Rafael Martinez earned a doctorate, an achievement shared by about 2% of U.S. adults, according to the Brookings Institution.
Martinez is now a professor at Arizona State University, but for much of his youth, he lived in the United States without legal status.
While Martinez’s family lived under the constant threat of deportation, his parents worked, and he focused on his studies. He has said that much of that effort took place in the shadows, shaped by the fear of being discovered.
Today, Martinez is an outspoken advocate for immigration reform and a scholar of undocumented youth movements. In his book "Illegalized: Undocumented Youth Movements in the United States," he examines how undocumented youth built networks, challenged immigration policy and redefined public narratives about belonging. He connects that history to his own journey from undocumented student to scholar.
Guest
- Raphael Martinez, professor and author
This episode originally aired on Nov. 25, 2024.
