Psychosocial Wellbeing and Service Needs of Post-Deportation US Citizen-Children in México

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R21 · $219,695 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

Project Summary When undocumented immigrants are deported from the United States, they often take their US-born children with them. This relocation has familial, social, educational, emotional, and physical consequences for US citizen-children (USCC). USCC may go with their deported parents to a country like Mexico with its lower standard of living than the US, more limited educational opportunities, and substantially higher rates of violence. There are other social-psychological challenges (e.g., language; peer groups; knowledge of local history, geography, and culture; new interpersonal rules of conduct and social-behavioral repertory) and other demands of living in a new environment. There are an estimated 500,000 USCC in Mexico but we know very little about their circumstances. How are USCC in Mexico faring in their overall psychosocial wellbeing? A binational research team from The University of Texas at Austin, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, and Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City will collaborate on a mixed-method study of 240 USCC in Mexico on five domains of well-being. The aims are to 1. Develop procedures, test objective measures, and develop qualitative interviews that facilitate the collection of high quality data from USCC and parents residing in Mexico after deportation from the US. 2. Describe the well-being of USCC in Mexico along five domains essential to youth development [1.] Family; [2.] Neighborhood/Community; [3.] Education; [4.] Health/Mental Health; and [5.] Social Integration). 3. Identify the service needs and the extent to which the needs of USCC are being met in Mexico.

Key facts

NIH application ID
9937828
Project number
5R21HD098451-02
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
Principal Investigator
LUIS H ZAYAS
Activity code
R21
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2020
Award amount
$219,695
Award type
5
Project period
2019-06-01 → 2023-05-31