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Living with Uncertainty: Perceptions of Well‐being Among Latinx Young Adults in Immigrant Family Systems
Author(s) -
Daftary AshleyMarie Hanna
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
family relations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1741-3729
pISSN - 0197-6664
DOI - 10.1111/fare.12407
Subject(s) - immigration , deportation , citizenship , scholarship , immigration reform , thematic analysis , immigration policy , psychology , emotional well being , social psychology , demographic economics , developmental psychology , sociology , qualitative research , political science , economics , social science , politics , law
Objective To examine how the citizenship and immigrant statuses of Latinx young adults and their families affect their experience. Background Scholarship suggests that U.S. policies negatively impact the financial, academic, relational, and emotional well‐being of unauthorized immigrants and their entire family. Method Eighteen Latinx young adults (18–29 years of age) living in immigrant families described their experience through a semi‐structured interview process. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis at the semantic level. Results An overarching level of uncertainty in relation to immigration status negatively impacted participants' emotional well‐being. These uncertainties were most related to changes in immigration status, the unpredictability of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, and the potential for the detention or deportation of unauthorized immigrant family members. Conclusion Immigrant status is often accompanied by a level of unpredictability that negatively impacts emotional well‐being. Implications To minimize this uncertainty, immigration reform should include a pathway toward U.S. citizenship. Future research related to immigrant families should consider the immigration status of nuclear family members when exploring outcomes for well‐being.