Currently there are 4.5 million U.S.-born children with at least one undocumented parent who are at risk of being deported (Passel and Cohn, 2011). The sudden loss caused by parental deportation destabilizes families and causes emotional distress, conduct issues, and academic decline in children (Dreby, 2012). Given the negative impact that deportation has on children and the recent increase of immigration efforts under the current administration (Cervantes, Ullrich, and Matthews, 2018), this study aimed to explore the long-term impacts of deportation on Latino children. This study used an interpretive phenomenological approach and retrospective interviews to gain understanding of how adults who experienced parental deportation as children made meaning of their experiences over time. Ten Latino adults who had a parent deported when they were between the ages of 7 and 17 were interviewed in depth about their parent's deportation, the long-term impact on their families and childhood, and how they made sense of those experiences as adults. Findings suggest that adults who have had a parent deported during childhood experienced long-term loss throughout their childhood, noticed their parent's absence more as they got older, and felt a lack of guidance while growing up. While some participants reported depression, anxiety or misconduct in childhood, positive beliefs about the experience emerged from the data that demonstrated resiliency. Implications for clinical practice and intervention are discussed. Researchers also make recommendations for future research. / Master of Science / Currently there are 4.5 million U.S.-born children with at least one undocumented parent who are at risk of being deported back to their country of origin (Passel & Cohn, 2011). The sudden loss caused by parental deportation destabilizes families and causes emotional distress, conduct issues, and academic decline in children (Dreby, 2012). Given the negative impact that deportation has on children and the recent increase of immigration efforts under the current administration (Cervantes, Ullrich, & Matthews, 2018), this study aimed to explore the long-term impacts of deportation on Latino children. Ten Latino adults who had a parent deported when they were between the ages of 7 and 17 were interviewed in depth about their parent’s deportation, the long-term impact on their families and childhood, and how they made sense of those experiences as adults. Adults in the study experienced long-term loss throughout their childhood, noticed their parent’s absence more as they got older, and felt a lack of guidance while growing up. Participants who were misinformed about what happened to their parents reported having more difficulty coping with the situation. While some participants reported depression, anxiety or misconduct in childhood, many developed beliefs about the experience that helped them find meaning and move forward after the loss. The findings of this study contribute to current literature by focusing on the long-term impact of parental deportation and the impact of family dynamics on children’s perceptions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/83601 |
| Date | 20 June 2018 |
| Creators | Taschman, Katrina Margarita |
| Contributors | Adult Learning and Human Resource Development, Muruthi, Bertranna Alero, Falconier, Mariana K., Jackson, Jeffrey Brown |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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