Relational maintenance among separated Latina/o/x/e immigrant families: exploring the lived experiences of parents and children

Abstract

Prior relational maintenance research primarily (a) considers only one family member’s perspective, (b) explores introspective communication, and (c) examines romantic relationships among highly resourced white samples in the United States. This study considered low-income, Latina/o/x/e immigrant families’ maintenance before, during, and after migration-related separation, using standpoint theory, social communication theory, and the long-distance relational maintenance model. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Latina/o/x/e parents and children who lived in separate countries (N = 20 dyads). Findings cast light on temporal (e.g., fathers often provided little to no notice to children of the upcoming separation, complicating the families’ ability to prospectively co-construct relational continuity) and cultural factors (e.g., endorsing traditional gender norms, relying on mothers to explain the separation to children after it had begun) in families’ maintenance processes. This study offers new insight into how families communicatively construct “ongoingness” in their bonds despite emotional, technological, and legal challenges posed by migration-related separation.