Coping and Resilence Among Latino Mothers and Children Impacted By Family Separation at the Southern U.S.-Mexico Border

Background and Purpose: Extensive research has documented the negative effects associated with family separation at the southern U.S.-Mexico border, however, there is research to suggest that Latino mothers and children are able to mitigate these adverse experiences. Yet little is known about how Latino mothers and children cope with their separation, and even less is known about the internal and external factors that contribute to their resilience. The current study addresses this gap in knowledge by exploring the circumstances and psychosocial factors that are associated with family separation at the southern U.S.-Mexico border and by describing the socio-cultural factors contributing to the resilience of Latino mothers and children impacted by family separation.

Methods: In this qualitative study, we analyzed data from in-depth, individual interviews with (N= 22) key-informants from San Diego, CA and Tijuana, Mexico who are knowledgeable about family separation. Participants were recruited through purposeful and snowball sampling, between March 2019 and July 2019. Interviews were conducted in either English or Spanish by research team members who are bilingual and bicultural, using a semi-structured questionnaire. All interviews were audio recorded, translated, and transcribed by a professional transcription service. A latent thematic analysis approach was used by two independent coders, using NVivo qualitative software to identify themes and develop codes.

Results: The key-informants interviewed for this study include community organizers (N= 6, 27.3%), attorneys (N= 5, 22.7%), legal assistants (N= 4, 18.2%), social workers (N= 3, 13.6%), psychologists (N= 2, 0.1%), a labor union worker (N=1, .05%), and physician (N=1, .05%). The participants’ years of work experience with Latino families ranged from one to 33 years, with an average of 11.45 years. Key informants reported that Latina mothers commonly coped through the use of religious coping, distraction through purposeful activities, seeking support outside of the family, and seeking to remain connected with family. Similar results were found for children, with the exception of using religion to cope. Individual characteristics of resilience identified among Latina mothers and Latino children include their sense of determination, the Latino cultural value of familism, having strength, hopefulness and a positive disposition. External factors of resilience among Latina mothers involve having access to resources and having family and social support. Similar factors were associated with resilience in Latino children, apart from having access to resources. There was also a strong emphasis on mentorship and school support, as external factors that support resilience in children.

Conclusions and Implications: The results of this study support existing literature that discusses the negative effects of family separation on Latinos. However, different from existing research these findings contribute to new knowledge about how Latino mothers and children cope with their family separation, and highlights the factors that support resiliency among this population in the face of separation and adversity. These findings have important implications for policy, community practice, and interventions that focus on supporting the well-being and resilience of Latino mothers and children impacted by family separation at the southern U.S.-Mexico border.