Mothering at the Intersection of Immigrant Illegality

• In Event: 129 - Section on Latino/a Sociology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 03. Latino Family Dynamics

Abstract

Mothering does not occur in a social vacuum. While mothering as a social practice generally involves the nurturing, protection, and socialization of children (Ruddick, 1989) these are not practiced and experienced similarly by all women. The ways in which undocumented Mexican mothers respond to their children reflect how they are variously affected by systems of race, gender, class and citizenship inequality.
In this paper I propose to examine Mexican women’s mothering practice, specifically in the context of immigrant illegality.
While all the undocumented mothers I interviewed are at risk of being deported, their perception of risk and fear is not homogenous. My paper will explore the ways in which these mothers variously define risk, and the strategies they devise and use to create spaces of safety for themselves and their children.

Author

• Betsabeth Monica Lugo, University of Texas-Austin