‘Se llevaron el padre de mis hijos’: Latina mothers coping with the deportation of their partner

Abstract

In recent years, Latinos in the U.S. have been significantly impacted by increasing deportation rates. This study aimed to explore the experiences of Latina women whose partners were deported and how women managed these events guided by the Double ABCX Model of Family Stress. Qualitative semi‐structured interviews were administered to a community sample of 8 Latina women from the greater D.C. metropolitan area whose partners had been deported between 1 and 10 years ago. All women had at least one child under the age of 18 years living in the home at the time of the deportation. Data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Findings suggest that despite facing numerous stressors, women rely on various resources to overcome consequences resulting from their partner's deportation including religious resources, family and friends, and social service agencies. Implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future research are discussed. Practitioner points Women in the current study took steps to seek formal sources of support despite the fact that many had unauthorized legal status Clinicians or service providers can partner with local churches in the immigrant community to provide support and resources for this population Clinicians can help parents with age appropriate ways of telling children that a family member has been deported 对实务工作者的启示 “他们带走了孩子他爸”：伴侣被驱逐出境之后的拉丁裔母亲 本研究中的妇女采取措施寻求官方的支持来源，尽管许多人并不具有合法身份 临床医生或服务提供者可以与移民社区的当地教会合作，为这一群体提供支持和资源 临床医生可以帮助父母采用适合孩子年龄段的方式告诉孩子家人被驱逐出境 Puntos de implicación práctica Las mujeres en el estudio tomaron medidas para buscar fuentes formales de apoyo a pesar del hecho de que muchas tenían un estatus legal no autorizado Los clínicos o proveedores de servicios podrían asociarse con las iglesias locales en la comunidad de inmigrantes para brindar apoyo y recursos a esta población Los clínicos pueden ayudar a los padres, con formas apropiadas para la edad, en la labor de decirle a los niños que un miembro de su familia ha sido deportado

‘Sentí que Alguien Murió’ (‘I felt someone died’): Ambiguous loss in the face of parental deportation

“…This confusion quickly becomes ambiguity as children try to ascertain the situation around the loss of their parent(s). Several studies on deportation show that during this phase, parents provided filtered or incomplete information to their children in an effort to protect them (Dreby, 2012b; Escobar et al, 2018; Lykes et al, 2013; Philbin & Ayon, 2016). Ambiguous loss is relational (Boss, 2007), and as reported by participants, the level of their confusion during this time was precipitated by the reaction of the remaining parent or caretaker.…”

The power of our story: Strength of Latinx immigrant parents despite legal violence

“…While battling legal fees and attorneys, immigrant women were many times forced into the labor market (some for the first time) to attempt to provide food and shelter for themselves and their children . In 2018, a qualitative study of Latina mothers navigating the deportation of their intimate partners included the following excerpt (Escobar et al, 2018),…”

“…The interview guide was developed after reviewing existing literature regarding the impact of immigration policies on Latinx families (Ayón, 2018;Delva et al, 2013;Doering-White et al, 2014;Escobar et al, 2018;Mapp & Hornung, 2016;Valdez et al, 2013). The interviews incorporated a semi-structured format with open-ended questions about the following:…”

“…Restrictive immigration policies also impact family structures, routines, processes, and kinship (Escobar et al, 2018) and this also has an effect on members of the family who are U.S. citizens.…”