The Impact of Racist Nativist Policies and Practices on Latinos in Immigrant Families: A Qualitative Study

Background and Purpose:

     Latinos have become the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2013). Over one third of the members of the Latino population in the U.S. are immigrants (Stepler & Brown, 2016). Approximately half of Latino children live in immigrant families (born to at least one immigrant parent) (Fry & Passel, 2009). Over five million children—most of whom are Latino U.S. citizens—live in mixed-citizenship status immigrant families (Passel & Taylor, 2010).

     Immigration practices and policies have historically been, and continue to be, laced with racist and nativist agendas (Chavez, 2008; Hanna & Ortega, 2016; Huag, n.d.; Ortega, Hanna, & Haffejee, 2014; Pérez-Huber, 2008). However, little research has been done to study the impact of such policies on the emotional well-being of immigrants and their family members. This paper helps to fill the void in the literature by exploring the experience of Latinos in immigrant families within the context of the historical and contemporary racist nativist policies and practices of the United States.

Methods:

     Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with Latino adults (ages 18-53), half of whom are native-born U.S. citizens—50% were native-born and 50% are immigrants, with the latter 50% comprised of both authorized immigrants and naturalized citizens. The members of the sample are predominantly female (75% female; 25% male); are bilingual in English and Spanish (100% bilingual); were born into immigrant families (95% with at least one foreign born parent; 40% in mixed-citizenship status immigrant families); and have accessed higher education in the U.S. (70% currently enrolled). Participants were recruited through an online survey that was part of a larger mixed-methods research study.

     Interviews elicited participants’ narratives regarding their experiences in a U.S. citizen, authorized immigrant, or mixed-citizenship status family. Interview transcripts were uploaded to ATLAS.ti for the purposes of data management. A grounded theory approach was utilized to analyze the data. Two cycles of coding were completed using a constant comparative method for the purposes of theoretical elaboration (Patton, 2002; Saldaña, 2009).

Results:

     Data analysis revealed that Latinos are differently impacted based on the U.S. citizenship and immigrant status of nuclear family members as they navigate various forms of structural oppression across systems. This includes barriers to higher education, healthcare, employment, and travel. Participants also described living under a constant fear of exposure and the threat of the detention or deportation of an unauthorized family member. Uncertainties about the future related to the immigration status of oneself or a family member created increased levels of anxiety and depression for participants.

Conclusions and Implications:

     The results indicate that Latinos in mixed-citizenship status families are uniquely impacted by racist nativist policies and practices. These unique experiences take an emotional toll on all members of mixed-citizenship status families, including authorized immigrant and U.S. citizen family members. Findings demonstrate the need for increased levels of culturally responsive social work practice, including social justice advocacy and political involvement, to address the oppressive policies and practices that negatively impact Latinos.