Chicana/x Carework: Who bears the brunt of the carceral geography in the Southwest U.S. Borderlands?

• In Event: Race, Culture, and the Colonial Dimensions of Familial Punishment

Abstract

Mainstream approaches to the collateral consequences of "mass incarceration" often focus on the impact of incarceration through a neoliberal capitalist lens. For example, many criminological studies examine measurable data, such as job losses or the financial burden of incarceration on local taxpayers. In contrast, my case study examines the impact of incarceration on Chicana/x families in the El Paso, TX // Ciudad Juárez, Mexico border region, focusing on less measurable consequences. Specifically, I explore how the incarceration of a loved one affects nuclear and extended family members (e.g., hermanas, madres, tias, primas, abuelas). Using oral history/testimonios and counter-archiving, I center the experiences of systems-impacted Chicana/xs to challenge colonial archives that have historically racialized, dehumanized, and erased the experiences and knowledge of Mexican-origin peoples. Grounded in Chicana feminist theoretical and epistemological frameworks, I assess the emotional, spiritual, physical, and psychological burdens placed on primarily women within these families. My case study reveals how Chicana/xs bear the brunt of carceral geography in the Southwest U.S. borderlands, not only by biologically and culturally reproducing the Chicana/o/x community but also by serving as an informal reentry system for formerly incarcerated loved ones.

Author

• Marlene Mercado, California State University, San Marcos