Undocumented Mothers and Work–Family Conflict in Restrictive Policy Contexts

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThis research examines how undocumented Latina mothers negotiate work–family conflict amid restrictive immigration policies.BackgroundWomen in the United States continue to contend with tension between work and family and poor women face particular constraints. Latina immigrants have increasingly settled and formed families in the United States and joined the labor market in low‐wage occupations. Unlike U.S.‐born women, these women must contend with restrictive immigration policies, suggesting new areas for understanding the intersectional inequalities that shape work–family conflict.MethodFindings are based on in‐depth interviews conducted with 45 Latina immigrant mothers in North Carolina who had paid labor market experience. Interview topics included family, work, and migration across women's life histories.ResultsPlace‐specific policy contexts, working conditions, patriarchal expectations, and lacking access to care networks challenge Latina immigrants' ability to fulfill the dual motherhood roles they occupy as both family providers and caregivers and nurturers for their children.ConclusionThe social expectations of motherhood add a dimension of precarity to women's vulnerable status as undocumented workers and demonstrate the gendered impact of immigration policies.ImplicationsRestrictive policies make it increasingly difficult for undocumented women to obtain or move between jobs in the low‐wage labor market. Findings highlight the importance of considering immigration status in studies of work–family conflict, particularly as policies targeting immigrants intensify.