The impact of deportation-related family separations on the well-being of Latinx children and youth: A review of the literature

Lovato, Kristina; López, Corina Benavides; Karimli, Leyla; Abrams, Laura S.

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.10.011

Cited by 53 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…However, parents must have the final word in deciding when and how documentation status issues are to be discussed with their children (Balderas et al, 2016). Practitioners must also conduct their work with these families through a trauma-informed lens, being aware of the many ways in which migration-related trauma can be expressed as well as watching for other symptoms of loss, family separation and isolation trauma (Lovato et al, 2018).…”

Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Documentation Status Socialization as an Ethnic-racial Socialization Dimension: Incorporating the Experience of Mixed-status Latinx Families

Cross

2022

SSJ

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Ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) serves as a protective factor in the development of minority children. However, few studies have focused on mixed-status Latinx families to include the broad expression of their ethnic-racial socialization practices centering on their immigration experiences as they teach their children the risks and restrictions of having undocumented status. These parents adapt their ERS in accordance with their experiences of stress, fear, and discrimination, all of which shape the type and frequency of their socialization messages. Through documentation status socialization, Latinx parents forewarn their children of the inequities associated with their ethnic-racial group and undocumented status, including possible family separation. They also teach children about nativity differences and the attendant privilege of having documented status. This manuscript highlights insights to be gained by considering documentation status socialization as an ERS dimension within Latinx families. Learning about the specific ERS practices of such an understudied group is a social justice issue with important implications for understanding how these families might adapt and respond to their social context, especially amidst a political environment that engenders fear and isolation throughout their community. Including documentation status socialization in the ERS literature is a crucial step towards developing a deeper understanding of how the structural and social forces operating within the lives of undocumented immigrants impact normative family processes that ultimately exert an influence on their children’s development. A discussion on implications for practitioners and service providers working with this population is also included.

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Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Documentation Status Socialization as an Ethnic-racial Socialization Dimension: Incorporating the Experience of Mixed-status Latinx Families

Cross

2022

SSJ

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“…While immigration policies influence health by constraining access to resources and political action, their health impacts are exacerbated by disproportionate immigration enforcement that deliberately target racialized groups (Fleming et al, 2019). Detention and deportation affect mental health (Von Werthern et al, 2018), including for children separated from families (Lovato et al, 2018) and for those who know someone who has been deported (Nichols et al, 2018). Furthermore, the threat of detention and deportation deters engagement in health and social services, delays seeking care, and negatively affects physical and mental health for immigrants (Cabral & Cuevas, 2020; Fleming et al, 2019; Saadi et al, 2020).…”

Section: Disproportionate Immigration Enforcement and Criminalizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural Racism and Immigrant Health in the United States

et al. 2021

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Immigration has been historically and contemporarily racialized in the United States. Although each immigrant group has unique histories, current patterns, and specific experiences, racialized immigrant groups such as Latino, Asian, and Arab immigrants all experience health inequities that are not solely due to nativity or years of residence but also influenced by conditional citizenship and subjective sense of belonging or othering. Critical race theory and intersectionality provide a critical lens to consider how structural racism might uniquely impact the health of racialized immigrants, and to understand and intervene on the interlocking systems that shape these shared experiences and health consequences. We build on and synthesize the work of prior scholars to advance how society codifies structural disadvantages for racialized immigrants into governmental and institutional policies and how that affects health via three key pathways that emerged from our review of the literature: (1) formal racialization via immigration policy and citizenship status that curtails access to material and health resources and political and civic participation; (2) informal racialization via disproportionate immigration enforcement and criminalization including ongoing threats of detention and deportation; and (3) intersections with economic exploitation and disinvestment such as labor exploitation and neighborhood disinvestment. We hope this serves as a call to action to change the dominant narratives around immigrant health, provides conceptual and methodological recommendations to advance research, and illuminates the essential role of the public health sector to advocate for changes in other sectors including immigration policy, political rights, law enforcement, labor protections, and neighborhood investment, among others.

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“…Due to limited resources in new growth communities, social workers should leverage their networks to support families undergoing difficult transitions with special attention to altered family structures, financial insecurity, and parenting practices. It has been found that both direct experience with family separation and near or potential experience produces anxiety, with the former associated with depression and trauma (Lovato et al, 2018). Social workers must adopt a trauma-informed approach with mixed-status families, and be aware of the symptoms associated with loss, separation, and isolation (Lovato et al, 2018).…”

Section: Implications For Social Work Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Latinx immigrants raising children in the land of the free: Parenting in the context of persecution and fear

Cross

Rivas‐Drake

Aramburu

2021

Qualitative Social Work

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Anti-immigrant rhetoric generated by the sociopolitical climate under the current U.S. presidential administration has exacerbated the fear of deportation and family separation within the unauthorized Latinx community. Consequently, millions of families, including U.S. citizen children living in mixed-status households, are experiencing stressful environments as they adapt and respond to their social context. This study explored how harsh immigration discourse impacts mixed-status families living in a new-immigrant destination. Twenty-two unauthorized mothers participated in semi-structured interviews regarding their experiences as immigrants raising children in the U.S. Two main themes arose from this analysis: (1) ever-present fear and stress and (2) obeying the law and avoiding others. Parents explained how they had been living in fear since the elections took place, and the different scenarios they had to prepare for in case of deportation. Moreover, some parents choose to minimize conversations around incidents happening in their community to avoid additional stress for children, whereas others addressed children’s concerns to reassure them and placate their apprehension. Participants also reported avoiding unnecessary trips outside of the home to prevent interactions with others, especially law enforcement. These results provide important insights regarding the experiences of unauthorized Latinx immigrant parents in the context of sociopolitical adversity. Due to the limited resources often available in new immigrant destinations, social workers must leverage their networks to support families undergoing difficult transitions with special attention to altered family structures and parenting practices. As unauthorized parents attempt to withstand the double burden of basic survival and effective parenting, it is imperative that practitioners provide tools for parents to effectively engage with their children to sustain healthy environments.

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The impact of deportation-related family separations on the well-being of Latinx children and youth: A review of the literature

Cited by 53 publications

References 13 publications

Documentation Status Socialization as an Ethnic-racial Socialization Dimension: Incorporating the Experience of Mixed-status Latinx Families

Documentation Status Socialization as an Ethnic-racial Socialization Dimension: Incorporating the Experience of Mixed-status Latinx Families

Structural Racism and Immigrant Health in the United States

Latinx immigrants raising children in the land of the free: Parenting in the context of persecution and fear

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