2013 Winner: For The Record: The Struggle Over Foreclosures and Loan Modifications in the Immigrant Community of

Project Information
For The Record: The Struggle Over Foreclosures and Loan Modifications in the Immigrant Community of
Social Sciences
Latin American and Latino Studies
This thesis draws on three years of participant observation research with Grupo de Justicia Social, a grassroots organization that offers free loan modification, consultation, scam prevention and emotional coping strategies, to shed light on the experiences of Mexican immigrant families facing foreclosure and load modification in Watsonville, California. I argue foreclosure prevention and loan modification policies by the Obama administration fail to capture Mexican immigrants’ cases given their understanding of housing not only as an economic investment but also as a step of stability into American society worth fighting for. The discourse and practices of the participants at Grupo de Justicia Social inform the mechanism through which Mexican immigrant families gained homeownership, the lack of legal and financial information readily available to Spanish speakers, and the disorientation regarding housing, finances, and legal frameworks embodied by the cultural contexts held by the participants.
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Students
  • Aleshia Barajas (Merrill)
Mentors