^aUniversity of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL

Abstract

Latinas in the US juvenile legal system face unique challenges due to their specific location in gender and cultural hierarchies within societies that privilege males and White ethnic European Americans. In addition to growing up in urban communities besieged by poverty, patriarchy, and racism, often originating from nations hindered by war and lack of infrastructure, Latina girls in the juvenile court system contend with two other challenges: language barriers and difficulties with acculturation. However, noticing young women's interactions in detention allowed a more nuanced understanding of these factors. Even as they faced difficulties specific to being Latina, young women displayed strengths arising from being bilingual and transcultural. Drawing from qualitative research with 41 Latina teenagers in secure juvenile facilities, this article details how young Latina women's interactions while in lock-up turn so-called adversities into advantages, even as they were adjudicated delinquent in US juvenile correctional facilities.