Mexican Immigration to the United States
and its Disruption of the Family Unit
By Courtney Hoyland
Spring 2013
Advisor: Dr. Donaldo Urioste
Agenda
 Significance of the Study
 Research Questions
 Literature Review
 Changes and Challenges Families Face
 Counteracting the Problems and Reinforcing
the Benefits of Immigration
 Cultural Artifacts
 Analysis of the Poem “Elena” by Pat Mora
 Works Cited
Significance of the Study
My interest in immigration and its affect on families
stems from my Service Learning experience while
here at CSUMB. I worked with Santa Cruz County
Immigration Project completing immigration
applications where I realized I was very passionate
about the changes we are witnessing today. My
experiences with SCCIP were the main influence
for this study and what inspired me to attend law
school this fall with the hopes of continuing to
work with families and the immigrant community.
Research Questions
 What significant changes do Mexican families
experience after immigrating to the United States?
 What challenges do families face as immigrants
attempting to assimilate or acculturate in U.S.
society?
 What can families do to minimize the damage caused
and reinforce the benefits gained from immigration?
Literature Review: Changes and Challenges
Family Separations
Mexican immigration often happens in stages, with the
immediate family spending several years apart.
 Cost and time for legal paperwork (A)
 Dangers of immigrating without documentation (B)
 Desire to create a stable home prior to children’s arrivals (B)
 Relationships among family members are weakened (B)
 Changes in roles of parents and guardians; loss of respect
and authority (A)
 Struggle to regain family balance after reuniting (B)
A: (Landale, Thomas, and Van Hook 61) , B: (Bacallao and Smokowski, “The Costs of Getting Ahead”)
Literature Review: Changes and Challenges
Changes in the Family Structure
 Significant time apart from extended family; higher
stress as family misses important events in Mexico
(weddings, births, etc)
 Both parents work to support family, compared to
mother raising the children previously
 Children face lower self esteem, increased loneliness,
risk taking behavior, and decreased early language
skills with reduced family interaction
(A)
(A)
(B)
A: (Bacallao and Smokowski, “The Costs of Getting Ahead”), B: (Androff et al. 84;Yoshikawa 55)
Literature Review: Changes and Challenges
Varying Levels of Acculturation
 Children adapt to culture faster than parents because
of schooling and desire to fit in
(A)
 Parents feel less need to adapt and rely on children as
cultural mediators
(A)
 Conflicts arise as parents hold on to native culture
and children become “Americanized.” Parents
become more strict and children may rebel or feel
resentful
(B)
A: (Bacallao and Smokowski, “The Costs of Getting Ahead”), B: (C. Suárez-Orozco & M. Suárez-Orozco 5; Bacallao and
Smokowski, “The Costs of Getting Ahead”)
Literature Review: Changes and Challenges
Educational Challenges
 Lower grades, lower levels on
standardized testing and higher
dropout rate due to enrollment in
schools with less resources (A)
 Parental misunderstanding of U.S.
school system leaves students without
adequate support from home (B)
 Advancement from ESL classes based
on conversation skills, still need
academic skills for advanced courses (C)
A:(C. Suárez-Orozco & M. Suárez-Orozco 5), B: (Bacallao and Smokowski, “Entre Dos Mundos”), C: (Walqui)
Literature Review: Changes and Challenges
Language Difficulties
 Parents feel less pressure to learn English if working with
Spanish speakers, but may be restricted in occupations (A)
 Children must learn English quickly along with
appropriateness of language choice in certain
environments (B)
 Language abilities may make it difficult to make new
friends who do not speak Spanish, or make children feel
they are betraying their heritage if they speak with a
native sounding English accent (C)
A: (Bacallao and Smokowski, “The Costs of Getting Ahead”), B: (Bacallao and Smokowski, “Entre Dos Mundos”), C:
(Bacallao and Smokowski, “Entre Dos Mundos”; Walqui)
Literature Review: Counteracting the Problems and
Reinforcing the Benefits of Immigration
Family Separations
 Prepare family emotionally for the process (A)
 Family should understand the reasons and
expected outcomes of separations
 Maintain continuous contact with children and
give accurate updates when possible
 Allow time for the family to readjust after
reuniting and grieve loved ones left behind in
Mexico
(A)
(B)
(B)
A: (C. Suárez-Orozco & M. Suárez-Orozco 67), B: (C. Suárez-Orozco & M.
Suárez-Orozco 69)
Literature Review: Counteracting the Problems and
Reinforcing the Benefits of Immigration
Changes in the Family Structure
 Biculturalism, active participation, and creation of new
family traditions can reinforce the family bond (A)
 Bicultural families show lower levels of conflict, more
compromise, and support among members (B)
 Parents should develop own connections and
understanding of the new culture to maintain their role
and authority in the family while improving their own
emotional health and ability to care for their children (B)
A: (Smokowski, Rose, and Bacallao 304). , B:(Coatsworth, Pantin, and Szapocznik 115-117)
Literature Review: Counteracting the Problems and
Reinforcing the Benefits of Immigration
Varying Levels of Acculturation
 Family members need to find a healthy balance
between both cultures. Abandoning native culture
or refusing the new culture carry too high a cost
(A)
 Navigating comfortably between both cultures is
linked to family cohesion, adaptability, lower
levels of stress and depression, stronger familism,
and is considered the optimal goal of culture
acquisition (B)
A: (C. Suárez-Orozco & M. Suárez-Orozco 104-106), B: (Bacallao and Smokowski,
“Entre Dos Mundos”)
Literature Review: Counteracting the Problems and
Reinforcing the Benefits of Immigration
Educational Challenges
 Clear communication of expectations and
active parent participation helps build
strong academic skills
 Teachers need to be aware of needs unique
to immigrant students
 Reading and writing skills should be
thoroughly assessed and emphasized before
ESL advancement
(A)
(B)
(C)
A: (Coatsworth, Pantin, and Szapocznik 122-123), B: (Walqui), C: (California Pathways)
Literature Review: Counteracting the Problems and
Reinforcing the Benefits of Immigration
Language Difficulties
 Encourage children to maintain both languages and give
validation of their native language along with English (A)
 Bilingual Parents can make greater occupational gains
and put the family in a better economic situation (B)
 Children in bilingual homes perform better in school,
are half as likely to drop out, have less emotional
problems and develop a wider network of friends (B)
A: (Walqui), B: (Bacallao and Smokowski, “Entre Dos Mundos”)
Cultural Artifacts
Analysis of the Poem “Elena” by Pat Mora
Works Cited

Androff, D. , Ayón, C. , Becerra, D. , Gurrola, M. , Salas, L. , Krysik, J., . . . Segal, E. (2011). U.s.
immigration policy and immigrant children's well-being: The impact of policy shifts. Journal of
Sociology & Social Welfare, 38(1), 77-98. Web. 12 Jan 2013.

Bacallao, Martica L., and Paul R. Smokowski. “The Costs of Getting Ahead: Mexican Family System
Changes After Immigration.” Family Relations 56, no. 1, January 1, 2007: 52–66. Web. 12 Jan.
2013

Bacallao, Martica, and Paul Smokowski. “Entre Dos Mundos/Between Two Worlds: Bicultural
Development in Context.” The Journal of Primary Prevention 30, no. 3, 2009: 421–451. Web. 12
Jan. 2013

California Pathways. The Second Language Student in Colleges, High Schools and Universities. N.p., 2000.
iLearn. 20 Feb. 2013.

Coatsworth, J, Hilda Pantin, and Jose Szapocznik. "Familias Unidas: A Family-Centered Ecodevelopmental
Intervention to Reduce Risk for Problem Behavior Among Hispanic Adolescents." Clinical Child
and Family Psychology Review, 5.2 (2002): 113-132. Web. 12 Jan. 2013.

Landale, Nancy, Kevin J. Thomas, and Jennifer Van Hook. "The Living Arrangements of Children of
Immigrants." Future of Children, 21.1, 2011: 43-70. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.

Suárez-Orozco, Carola, and Marcelo M Suárez-Orozco. Children of Immigration. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press, 2001. Print.

Walqui, Aida. "Who Are Our Students?" Academic Success for English Language Learners: Strategies for K-12
Mainstream Teachers. By Patricia A. Richard-Amato and Marguerite Ann. Snow. White Plains, NY:
Longman, 2005. iLearn. 10 March. 2013.

Yoshikawa, Hirokazu. Immigrants Raising Citizens: Undocumented Parents and TheirYoung Children. New York:
Russell Sage Foundation, 2011. Print.
Thank you to my family, friends, and professors
that have supported my education and helped
make this possible!