Living with Uncertainty: Perceptions of Well‐being Among Latinx Young Adults in Immigrant Family Systems

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine how the citizenship and immigrant statuses of Latinx young adults and their families affect their experience.BackgroundScholarship suggests that U.S. policies negatively impact the financial, academic, relational, and emotional well‐being of unauthorized immigrants and their entire family.MethodEighteen Latinx young adults (18–29 years of age) living in immigrant families described their experience through a semi‐structured interview process. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis at the semantic level.ResultsAn overarching level of uncertainty in relation to immigration status negatively impacted participants' emotional well‐being. These uncertainties were most related to changes in immigration status, the unpredictability of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, and the potential for the detention or deportation of unauthorized immigrant family members.ConclusionImmigrant status is often accompanied by a level of unpredictability that negatively impacts emotional well‐being.ImplicationsTo minimize this uncertainty, immigration reform should include a pathway toward U.S. citizenship. Future research related to immigrant families should consider the immigration status of nuclear family members when exploring outcomes for well‐being.