Lauren Heidbrink

Education

  • Ph.D. (2010), M.A. (2007) John Hopkins University, Anthropology
  • M.A./M.S. (2003) DePaul University, International Public Service Management
  • B.A. (1998) University of Virginia, City Planning, Latin American Studies, Spanish Literature

Research Interests

Lauren Heidbrink is a legal anthropologist whose work sits at the intersection of immigration law and policy, critical childhood studies, Maya communities in Guatemala, and ecocide and femicide in Ecuador. In (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014), she traces the experiences of unaccompanied migrant children in U.S. federal custody and following release. Her second book (Stanford University Press, 2020; also available ) analyzes how securitized development and enforcement regimes reshape the futures of Indigenous Guatemalan youth deported from the United States and Mexico. Dr. Heidbrink is co-founder and editor of , a curated digital exhibit tracing the real and imagined circulations of global youth, and of , a platform designed to make emergent research accessible to interdisciplinary and multilingual publics. Dr. Heidbrink is currently accepting graduate and undergraduate applicants for her research lab . 

Courses Taught

  • HDEV 205: Immigrant Youth in 做厙弝け
  • HDEV 307: Approaches to Childhood
  • HDEV 310: Qualitative Methods in Human Development
  • HDEV 405: Latin American Childhoods
  • HDEV 410: Recipes for Resistance
  • HDEV 470: Seminar/Practicum
  • UHP 496A/496B/498: Honors Senior Project

  • Heidbrink, L., M. Cruz, G. Hernandez, and E. Gonzalez. (In Press). Were stronger together: Community-based research in undergraduate courses. Learning and Teaching: The International Journal of Higher Education.
  • Frank-Vitale, A., L. Heidbrink and L. X. Guaman. (2026). . Journal of North American Anthropology. 29(1): e70009. DOI: 10.1002/nad.70009
  • Heidbrink, L. Barillas Ch籀n, D., and G. Batz. 2024. . Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis, 6(1), 9-35. 
  • Mendiola Luna, L., Beltran, A., Fuentes, M., Zeferino, F., & Heidbrink, L. Journal of First-Generation Student Success, 4(2), 193203.
  • Escalante Villagr獺n, C., A. Grewe, A. Lopez, J. Pacay Mendoza, S. Pacay Mendoza and L. Heidbrink. 2024. Mercados Dignos: Intergenerational accompaniment among Indigenous collectives in Guatemala/Mercados Dignos: Acompa簽amiento intergeneracional entre colectivos ind穩genas en Guatemala. In s eds. K. Yarris and W. Duncan. Arizona University Press.
  • Heidbrink, L. and S. Diaz. 2023. . Harvard Public Health Review, 74: 10.54111/0001/VVV1.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2023. . Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 50(4): 811-829.
  • Heidbink, L. 2023. Cultural Elaboration of Care: Mobility among Indigenous Youth in Guatemala. In . Edited by R. Rosen, E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, E. Chase, S. Crafter and S. Mitra. London: University College of London Press.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2022. 漍. Journal of Intercultural Studies 4(43), DOI: 
  • Heidbrink, L. In Press 2022.. Annals of Anthropological Practice 46(1): 80-82.
  • Heidbrink, , Batz, G. and C. S獺nchez. In Press. Why would anyone leave?: Development, overindebtedness, and migration in Guatemala. Maya America.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2021. . Mexico City, Mexico: Universidad Nacional Aut籀noma de M矇xico, Centro de investigaciones Multidisciplinarias sobre Chiapas y Centroam矇rica.
  • Heidbrink, L., G. Afable and Delia. 2021. . American Anthropologist 123(3): 685-702.
  • Statz, M. and Heidbrink, L. 2021. . The Lancet.
  • Heidbrink, L. and M. Statz. 2021. Youth Circulations: Tracing the real and imagined circulations of global youth. In . Edited by F. Vavrus, M. Maynes & D. Levison. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2020. . Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. (Book Manuscript)
  • Heidbrink, L. 2020. . Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2020.1797479.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2020. Benevolent Complicity: The detention of unaccompanied children. In . Edited by K. Green, C. Coe and S. Balagopalan. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
  • Statz, M. and L. Heidbrink. 2019. . Law and Policy 41(4): 365-386.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2019. . Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2019. Acts of Removal. In . Edited by D. Boehm and S. Terrio. New York: New York University Press.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2019. Borders. The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2018. . Children and Youth Services Review 92: 30-38.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2017. . The Journal of the Social Sciences 3(4): 37-52
  • Heidbrink, L. and M. Statz. 2017. . Childrens Geographies 15(5): 545-557.
  • Cardoso, J., K. Brabeck, D. Stinchcomb, D. Birman, L. Heidbrink, O. Price, and L. Zayas. 2017. . Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, (2017): 1-20.
  • Zayas, L.; K. Brabeck; L. Heffron, PhD; J. Dreby; E. Calzada; J. Parra-Cardona; A. Dettlaff; L. Heidbrink; K. Perreira; H. Yoshikawa. 2017. . Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences.
  • Langtiw, C. and L. Heidbrink. 2016. . Community Psychology in Global Perspective 2(2): 40-55.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2015. . Journal of Applied Research on Children 5(2): Article 2, 1-29.
  • Richardson, W., L. Heidbrink and A. Muhammed. 2015. . In RIP Jim Crow: Fighting Racism through Higher Education Policy, Curriculum, and Cultural Interventions. Series: Equity in Higher Education Theory, Policy, & Praxis. Virginia Stead, editor. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2014. . Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, Human Rights Series. (Book Manuscript)
  • Heidbrink, L. 2013. . American Bar Association Childrens Legal Rights Journal 33(1): 133-190.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2012. . In Transnational Migration, Gender and Rights. Ragnhild Sollund, editor. Great Britain: Emerald Press.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2010. Recasting the Agency of Unaccompanied Youth. In . R. Reynolds, et al., editors. Philadelphia: Drexel University College of Arts and Sciences and the Drexel iDea Repository. 2010.

  • . Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation, and Empowerment.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2024. . Washington, DC: Womens Refugee Committee.
  • Heidbrink, L. and S. Diaz. 2024. . Center for Human Rights of Children.
  • Heidbrink, L. and M. Statz. 2024. Issue brief: . National Association of Immigration Judges.
  • Heidbrink, L. and I. Pinheiro. 2024. Censo de Cant籀n Candelaria. Guatemala: Colectivo Vida Digna.
  • Barillas Ch籀n, D., Batz, G. and L. Heidbrink. 2023. Family Separation under Zero Tolerance: US crimes against Indigenous Peoples. Amicus brief prepared for the International Criminal Court.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2023. . Washington, DC: Womens Refugee Commission.
  • Heidbrink, L., N. Salcedo, A. Beltran, L. Mendiola Luna, Y. Carillo, M. Fuentes Guzman, G. Hernandez, A. Eun Jang, V. Versher, J. Conde Mendez. 2023. Supporting Undocumented Students: A report from the Dream Success Center. California State University, 做厙弝け.
  • Heidbrink, L., M. Cruz, and G. Hernandez. 2023. . Organizing Rooted in Abolition, Liberation, and Empowerment.
  • Heidbrink, L., S. Chuc Norato, and M. Garcia Maldonado. 2022. /. Pressing Issues in Latin America.
  • Heidbrink, L. and Frank-Vitale, A. 2021. . International Organization for Migration: Migration Policy Practice 11(2): 21-25.
  • Heidbrink, L. and Frank-Vitale, A. 2021. . Contra Corriente.
  • Heidbrink, L. and M. Statz. 2021. . Critical Childhoods and Youth Studies
  • Frank Vitale, A. and Heidbrink, L. 2021, May 24.. In These Times.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2021. . Penn Press.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2021. . Press Telegram.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2020, September. Organization of American States, 68-77.
  • Heidbrink, L. and A.Grewe. 2020. . Youth Circulations.
  • Anthropologist Action Network for Immigrants and Refugees. 2020. . Society for Applied Anthropology.
  • Heidbrink, L., W. Duncan, and K. Yarris.2019. . Sponsored by the American Anthropological Association and the Society for Applied Anthropology.
  • Heidbrink, L. and M. Statz. 2019.. Youth Circulations.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2018. . Youth Circulations.
  • Statz, M. and L. Heidbrink. 2018. . Anthropology News. DOI: 10.1111/AN.760.
  • Duncan, W.; Heidbrink, L. and K. Yarris. 2018. ; Hot Spots. Cultural Anthropology.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2018. ; Hot Spots. Cultural Anthropology.
  • Heidbrink, L., G. Batz, & C. Sanchez. 2017. Almolonga: Informe Comunitario/Almolonga: A Community Report. Funded by National Science Foundation.
  • Heidbrink, L. 2017. . Youth Circulations.
  • Art exhibition, Migration and Belonging: Narratives from a Highland Town/Migraci籀n y Pertenencia: Narrativas de un pueblo del altiplano.
    • Almolonga, Guatemala, 2019
    • Universidad Nacional Aut籀noma de Mexico, 2018
    • Loyola University, Chicago, IL, 2018
    • Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library, 做厙弝け, CA, 2017.
    • Conference on Emotional Geographies, American Association of Geographers, 做厙弝け, CA 2017.
    • University of California, Los Angeles, 2017.
  • Yarris, K.; L. Heidbrink; and W. Duncan. 2016. . Anthropology News. 
  • Heidbrink, L. and M. Statz. 2014, September. . Anthropology of Childhood and Youth Interest Group.
  • Casta簽eda, H.; L. Heidbrink; and K. Yarris. 2014. September. . Access Denied.