The purpose of this study was to examine how intergenerational trauma and other generational factors impact Mexican immigrant families. While intergenerational trauma has been well-documented among Holocaust survivors, war veterans, and historically marginalized communities, limited research has examined how such patterns manifest in Latin American immigrant populations, particularly Mexican American families. To address this gap, a narrative approach was used to collect the stories and background of nine participants. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: childhood adversity, familismo (commitment to family), and resilience. While the data did not explicitly demonstrate trauma transmission, the findings revealed the lasting impact of early life adversity on family members. Familismo emerged as a significant cultural value, functioning as a protective factor and a source of internal conflict. Resilience, expressed in different forms across generational narratives, emphasized a collective capacity to adapt, reflect, and grow despite adversity. This study contributes to the understanding of Mexican immigrant family experiences and highlights the importance of culturally informed approaches to conceptualizing generational factors.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to examine how intergenerational trauma and other generational factors impact Mexican immigrant families. While intergenerational trauma has been well-documented among Holocaust survivors, war veterans, and historically marginalized communities, limited research has examined how such patterns manifest in Latin American immigrant populations, particularly Mexican American families. To address this gap, a narrative approach was used to collect the stories and background of nine participants. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: childhood adversity, familismo (commitment to family), and resilience. While the data did not explicitly demonstrate trauma transmission, the findings revealed the lasting impact of early life adversity on family members. Familismo emerged as a significant cultural value, functioning as a protective factor and a source of internal conflict. Resilience, expressed in different forms across generational narratives, emphasized a collective capacity to adapt, reflect, and grow despite adversity. This study contributes to the understanding of Mexican immigrant family experiences and highlights the importance of culturally informed approaches to conceptualizing generational factors.<strong></strong></p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Torres, Azalia"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology","degree_level":"Dissertation - NLU Access","degree_discipline":"Clinical Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Leah Horvath, PhD.","Bradley Olson, PhD.","Tiffeny Jimenez, PhD."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:38Z","subjects":["Intergenerational trauma","Familismo","Resilience","Childhood Adversity Experiences","Pre-migration Trauma","In-transit Trauma","Post-migration Trauma","Community Psychology","Counseling Psychology","Mental Disorders","Multicultural Psychology","Psychological Phenomena and Processes"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/918","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Leah Horvath, PhD.","Bradley Olson, PhD.","Tiffeny Jimenez, PhD."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Torres, Azalia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-08-07T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Clinical Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - NLU Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Intergenerational trauma","Familismo","Resilience","Childhood Adversity Experiences","Pre-migration Trauma","In-transit Trauma","Post-migration Trauma","Community Psychology","Counseling Psychology","Mental Disorders","Multicultural Psychology","Psychological Phenomena and Processes"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/918"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to examine how intergenerational trauma and other generational factors impact Mexican immigrant families. While intergenerational trauma has been well-documented among Holocaust survivors, war veterans, and historically marginalized communities, limited research has examined how such patterns manifest in Latin American immigrant populations, particularly Mexican American families. To address this gap, a narrative approach was used to collect the stories and background of nine participants. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: childhood adversity, familismo (commitment to family), and resilience. While the data did not explicitly demonstrate trauma transmission, the findings revealed the lasting impact of early life adversity on family members. Familismo emerged as a significant cultural value, functioning as a protective factor and a source of internal conflict. Resilience, expressed in different forms across generational narratives, emphasized a collective capacity to adapt, reflect, and grow despite adversity. This study contributes to the understanding of Mexican immigrant family experiences and highlights the importance of culturally informed approaches to conceptualizing generational factors.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Qualitative Exploration Of Trauma, Familismo, And Resilience In Three Mexican Immigrant Families."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Leah Horvath, PhD.","Bradley Olson, PhD.","Tiffeny Jimenez, PhD."],"dc:creator":["Torres, Azalia"],"dc:date.available":["2025-08-07T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to examine how intergenerational trauma and other generational factors impact Mexican immigrant families. While intergenerational trauma has been well-documented among Holocaust survivors, war veterans, and historically marginalized communities, limited research has examined how such patterns manifest in Latin American immigrant populations, particularly Mexican American families. To address this gap, a narrative approach was used to collect the stories and background of nine participants. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: childhood adversity, familismo (commitment to family), and resilience. While the data did not explicitly demonstrate trauma transmission, the findings revealed the lasting impact of early life adversity on family members. Familismo emerged as a significant cultural value, functioning as a protective factor and a source of internal conflict. Resilience, expressed in different forms across generational narratives, emphasized a collective capacity to adapt, reflect, and grow despite adversity. This study contributes to the understanding of Mexican immigrant family experiences and highlights the importance of culturally informed approaches to conceptualizing generational factors.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/918"],"dc:subject":["Intergenerational trauma","Familismo","Resilience","Childhood Adversity Experiences","Pre-migration Trauma","In-transit Trauma","Post-migration Trauma","Community Psychology","Counseling Psychology","Mental Disorders","Multicultural Psychology","Psychological Phenomena and Processes"],"dc:title":["A Qualitative Exploration Of Trauma, Familismo, And Resilience In Three Mexican Immigrant Families."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Clinical Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - NLU Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:38Z"}