Separated by Removal: Impact of Parental Deportation on U.S. Citizen Children’s Post-Secondary Educational Goals

This research examines the impact of parental deportation on children’s higher education aspirations. The study takes an inductive approach to analyzing interview data in order to answer the following question: in a mixed legal immigration status home, how does the removal of one or both parents impact a U.S. citizen child’s aspirations to pursue a post-secondary education? Additionally, the following sub-questions are addressed: 1) How does forced separation affect the socio-emotional development of the adolescent with regard to their post-secondary aspirations? 2) How is the social capital available to the adolescent influenced, if at all, by parental removal? In addressing these questions I employ two frameworks; Coleman’s (1988) framework of social capital, and Bronfenbrenner’s (1979; 2005) Ecological Systems Theory framework, as a way to interpret the reciprocal relationship between the adolescents and their environments, and to discuss how this relationship could affect their aspirations to pursue a post-secondary education. <p> Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with U.S. born adolescents of Latino immigrant parents (primarily Mexicans), their parents/guardians who remain in the U.S. with them, people who had close knowledge of each family’s situation, and local experts with experience in issues affecting families separated by deportation. In addition to the interviews, site observations in each of the participants’ homes and/or school environments were conducted. <p> The results of the study showed that parental deportation caused the families to suffer financial hardships, and emotional and psychological trauma. The forced separation negatively affected the adolescents’ perception of stability, safety, and trustworthiness in their various microsystems, which directly hindered their ability to acquire forms of social capital conducive to their educational aspirations. In addition to the physical changes of their immediate surroundings, the changed perception among the adolescents resulted in a behavioral change that affected the amount and types of interactions they have with family members and school peers. <p> Participants who continued to strive to attend college or who experienced an increase in post-secondary motivation did so in spite of their parent’s deportation. Some participants felt that they had a better chance of reuniting the family if they had a university degree that would lead to a high paying job. Their motivation to pursue a post-secondary degree came from sense of mission to repay their parents for the sacrifices their parents made in order to live in the U.S. <p> This research demonstrates the negative implications of misguided federal immigration policies along with school inattentiveness to the unique needs of mixed status households. Both have impacted the educational aspirations of the growing population of children separated from their parent(s) via deportation.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Cross-Cultural, International Education

Grantor dc:publisher

Bowling Green State University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Macías, Luis Fernando

Contributors dc:contributor

• Collet, Bruce

• Education
• Education Policy
• Educational Psychology
• Ethnic Studies
• Families and Family Life
• Higher Education
• Latin American Studies
• Mental Health
• Public Policy
• Teaching
• Immigration
• Latino/a Education
• Deportation
• Removal
• Educational goals
• parental deportation
• Bronfenbrenner
• Social Capital

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1363007308

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:bgsu1363007308