1-183 - Raising Children in Limbo: Immigrant Socialization and Psychosocial Functioning Among Undocumented Latinx Families

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Stricter anti-immigration policies and this country’s current sociopolitical climate create a hostile environment for immigrants and their children. These parents must engage in challenging conversations with their children in preparation for possible difficult situations, such as discriminatory remarks, encounters with law enforcement, or deportation of family members. These conversations are an important aspect of ethnic-racial socialization (ERS), which has been associated with youths' psychosocial functioning (Hughes et al., 2006; Priest et al., 2014). The first study, examining Latinx immigrant parents’ ERS profiles, found that those in the high profile educated their children about immigration and nativity issues more often, whereas messages regarding promotion of mistrust were used less frequently. The second study examined how the context in which immigrant mothers parent their children affects their conversations at home regarding immigration and documentation status. Findings revealed that mothers’ undocumented status and consequent need to protect their children led to three communication strategies (which tended to vary based on their child’s age): speaking about immigration in broad terms, open communication, and avoidance. The third study explored the ERS processes of undocumented Latinx parents and the implications for youths' psychological adjustment. Findings suggested that undocumented parents endorsed more promotion of mistrust (POM) and cultural socialization (CS) than their documented counterparts, and that POM messages were associated with higher levels of adolescent depression. These studies illustrate the need for better understanding how undocumented parents rely on ethnic-racial socialization to help their children navigate the current ethnic-racial tensions and restrictive immigrant climate of our country.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Fernanda Lima Cross, University of Michigan

Discussant

• Carola Suárez-Orozco, The University of California, Los Angeles

Individual Presentations

• Ethnic–Racial Socialization Practices among Latino Immigrant Families: A Latent Profile Analysis - Presenting Author: Cecilia Ayón, University of California RIverside; Non-Presenting Author: Alisia (Giac-Thao) Tran, Arizona State University; Non-Presenting Author: Tanya Nieri, University of California, Riverside

• Tapando el Sol con un Dedo: An Exploratory Study of Maternal Communication Concerning Immigration Status - Presenting Author: Sarah Rendon Garcia, Harvard University; Non-Presenting Author: Hiro Yoshikawa, New York University

• Illuminating Ethnic-Racial Socialization among Undocumented Latinx Parents: Implications for Adolescent Psychosocial Functioning - Presenting Author: Fernanda Lima Cross, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Abunya Medina, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Jessica Paola Montoro, University of Michigan- Developmental Psychology Area; Non-Presenting Author: Michael Medina, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Bernardette Pinetta, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Stephanie Miller, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Mercy Tran-Dubongco, University of Michigan; Non-Presenting Author: Deborah Rivas-Drake, University of Michigan