The Aftermath of Deportation: Effects on the Family

Authors

  • Nelly Gonzalez University of California, Santa Barbara
  • Melissa Morgan University of California, Santa Barbara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30849/rip/ijp.v46i3.307

Abstract

The primary aim of this qualitative study was to understand how Latino/a families in the United States are affected when a family member is deported. The U.S. Census Bureau (2008) reports that 4% of the population is undocumented immigrants and that 47% of households with an undocumented immigrant are family households (e.g. have a spouse or child). Given this large number of families liable for experiencing deportation, the need to conduct a study exploring this phenomenon seemed important. Five individuals who identified as Latino/a and who had a family member deported were interviewed and data was analyzed following a phenomenological approach. Five main themes emerged: lifestyle changes and adjustments, social support, impact on family unit, impact on individual family members, and solutions to family separation. These results are discussed as well as possible implications.

Author Biographies

Nelly Gonzalez, University of California, Santa Barbara

Doctoral Student in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology Program. University of California, Santa Barbara

Melissa Morgan, University of California, Santa Barbara

Assistant Professor, Ph.D. in Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology

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Published

2013-04-04

How to Cite

Gonzalez, N., & Morgan, M. (2013). The Aftermath of Deportation: Effects on the Family. Revista Interamericana De Psicología/Interamerican Journal of Psychology, 46(3). https://doi.org/10.30849/rip/ijp.v46i3.307

Issue

Vol. 46 No. 3 (2012): Interamerican Journal of Psychology

Section

Students Research

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