12/02/2025 - IIH/SOC MIGRATION WORKSHOP SPEAKER SERIES: DR. ALEJANDRO OLAYO-MÉNDEZ, S.J., ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, BOSTON COLLEGE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Alejandro Olayo-Méndez is an assistant professor at the Boston College School of Social Work. His research focuses on migrants’ and refugees’ livelihoods and the role of humanitarian organizations in contexts of migration and forced displacement. He has conducted extensive ethnographic research along migration routes in Mexico. His book Humanitarianism from Below by NYU Press explores how casas de migrantes or migrant shelters shape the migratory processes in the region. In recent years, he has travelled widely across the Mexico-U.S. Border studying migrants’ digital practices, the impact of the CBP One™ app, and migrants’ well-being. He published part of his findings in the report—Navigating the U.S.-Mexico Border: Digital Practices of Migrants and Their Psychosocial Needs—in collaboration with Jesuit Refugee Service/USA. Additionally, he wrote an article discussing the experience of Latino immigrants in the United States during the pandemic. He led a research project with the Jesuit Network with Migrants (Latin America and the Caribbean), which examines integration practices and accompaniment of refugees and migrants in 14 countries and their lived experiences in those countries. Alejandro is also a Jesuit Catholic Priest.
To learn more about Dr. Olayo-Méndez’s work, explore his book Humanitarianism from Below by NYU Press and his research here.
10/28/2025 - IIH/SOC MIGRATION WORKSHOP SPEAKER SERIES: DR. LAURA E. ENRIQUEZ, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, CHICANO/LATINO STUDIES, UC IRVINE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Dr. Laura Enriquez presented findings from her forthcoming co-authored book exploring how family legal vulnerability makes undocumented immigration status a central source of inequality for undocumented young adults and U.S. citizen children of undocumented immigrants. Focusing on Latinx students within the University of California system, the talk revealed how shared family legal constraints impacted mental health, academic success, and political engagement regardless of individual immigration status. Dr. Enriquez highlighted the resilience and agency of these students as they navigated challenges, offering institutional recommendations to strengthen campus resources and promote equity.
To learn more about Dr. Enriquez’s research, a free version of her award-winning book Of Love and Papers: How Immigration Policy Affects Romance and Family can be found here.
