¿Que Son Papeles?: Parents’ Perceptions on the Immigration Socialization Process within a Restrictive Immigration Policy Era

Background: Amid heightened national anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies, immigrant families are increasingly compelled to engage in immigration socialization – parent-child interactions about nativity, migration histories, immigration status, and policy threats.

Objective: Building on prior immigration socialization scholarship, this study develops a more nuanced understanding of (a) the range of immigration-related topics discussed between parents and children, (b) the context in which these conversations emerge, and (c) the family processes through which these interactions unfold.

Method: In-depth qualitative interviews were completed with Latinx immigrant mothers (N=31). Mothers where either undocumented (n=25) or their partner was undocumented (n=6) and had at least one child aged 7-12. Interviews lasted 45–120 minutes, were conducted in a location identified as safe by the participant and were transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory. A constant comparative approach was used while completing initial, focused, and axial coding.

Findings: Mothers’ accounts indicate that immigration socialization is ecologically embedded. Children encounter immigration related issues across multiple contexts, including families and school settings (micro-level), community spaces (meso-level), and broader sociopolitical forces such as media, immigration enforcement, and political rhetoric (macro-level). We conceptualize these moments of exposure as critical incidents or discrete yet consequential events that heighten children’s awareness of immigration-related vulnerability. For instance, within the family, children may become aware of threats related to a parent’s pending status adjustment or vulnerability to deportation. In schools or community settings, they learn about local immigration raids or family separations. Through media exposure, they may encounter stories of children separated at the border or the 45th president’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.

These incidents often prompted children to seek clarification from parents, thereby catalyzing direct conversations about immigration. At the same time, the broader sociopolitical environment shapes parents’ decisions about how, when, and whether to address these issues. Many parents expressed a preference to not discuss immigration policy issues and threats with their children – esto es tema de adultos [this is a topic for adults] – yet engaged in them to remain responsive to their children’s questions and lived realities. In navigating these interactions, mothers moved along a continuum between protection and preparation. While some sought to shield children from the stressors of hostile immigration policy, rhetoric, and enforcement, others emphasized preparing them for potential crises, including detention, deportation, and family separation. Immigration socialization emerged as largely child-driven and recursive process, unfolding through repeated cycles of exposure, inquiry (tienen muchas preguntas, they have many questions), and explanation. Through these exchanges, mothers conveyed information, offered coping strategies, and attempted to reassure children, despite profound uncertainty.

Conclusion and Implications: The findings underscore the complex interplay between immigration policies, socialization processes, and immigrant family emotional well-being. Findings suggest the need for developmentally appropriate, family-centered supports that help parents navigate immigration-related conversations with children. Schools, community organizations, and practitioners should be equipped to recognize and respond to children’s immigration-related concerns, particularly as they arise from critical incidents across ecological contexts. Policies that reduce uncertainty and threat exposure may play a crucial role in supporting family well-being.