Invisible Childhoods of Farmworkers’ Children: Child Labor and Educational Outcomes on California’s Central Coast

Children of farmworkers on California’s Central Coast experience a legal and social regime that allows agricultural child labor while limiting educational protections. This dissertation examines how statutory exemptions in U.S. child-labor laws produce legally stratified childhoods and educational inequality for these children. Drawing on historical analysis, ethnography, and legal critique, the study traces how agricultural exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act position immigrant children as economic contributors rather than protected minors. It documents living and working conditions, schooling disruptions, and long-term educational consequences, situating findings within broader debates on race, class, and citizenship. The research informs policy discussions on child-labor reform and educational safeguards for vulnerable child populations.