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

Abstract

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.

Documentation status socialization among Latinx immigrant parents

“…The model posits that the adaptive cultural processes of communities of color help to diminish the harm caused by pervasive systems of oppression such as racism, prejudice, and discrimination, that mediate the effects of social position factors on the development of children and youth of color. Furthermore, when considering Latinxs in rural or new immigrant destinations, their foreign, migrant, and undocumented statuses are salient social position factors through which mixed status communities can experience systems of oppression (Cross et al, 2020;Stein et al, 2016). The current study argues that documentation status socialization is an adaptive cultural process utilized by Latinx individuals, especially those whose undocumented status and social position places them at the forefront of immigration related persecution.…”

“…The findings regarding preparation for bias have been less clear, with studies not finding any associations between preparation for bias and youth adjustment, both negative and positive associations between preparation for bias and ethnic-racial identity and educational and health outcomes, as well as positive associations with depressive symptoms in youth (Huguley et al, 2019;Umaña-Taylor & Hill, 2020). Promotion of mistrust messages are less frequently used by parents of color and have been associated with more negative outcomes, such as increased depression in youth, lower academic outcomes, lower self-esteem and less prosocial behaviors (Cross et al, 2020;Huguley et al, 2019;Umaña-Taylor & Hill, 2020). Finally, egalitarianism is also one of the least common dimensions of ERS practices and few studies have examined the effects of egalitarianism on youth outcomes.…”

“…In an effort toward incorporating the broad experiences of Latinx immigrant families in the ERS literature, we consider documentation status socialization as an important ERS dimension (Cross, in press). We define documentation status socialization as the messages that Latinx parents convey to their youth about the precarious nature of being undocumented or belonging to a mixed documentation status family or community.…”

“…Such an understanding would enable scholars and practitioners alike to advocate for and provide resources that are tailored to the needs of (and will better serve) mixed-status communities (Ayón et al, 2019). For instance, Cross et al (2020) found that the ways that parents helped their children cope with racism and discrimination and the tools used to pass on heritage traditions and values differed based on the parent's documentation status; such that undocumented parents were more likely to tell kids to ignore experiences of discrimination, while documented parents were more likely to encourage youth to defend themselves. Also, the documented parents were able to take their youth on trips to their home country as part of their cultural socialization, whereas undocumented parents had to rely more on anecdotal experiences and teaching their kids about their cultural traditions.…”

“…Similarly, when it comes to preparation for bias messages, undocumented parents may find themselves discouraging their children from reacting to discriminatory experiences. In particular, studies find that undocumented parents are fearful of telling their child to stand up for themselves for fear that it will place them at greater risk of being exposed as being undocumented (Ayón, 2016;Cross et al, 2020). Furthermore, promotion of mistrust messages requires a more nuanced examination given the passing of more restrictive legislation.…”