Daniela Domínguez | University of San Francisco (original) (raw)

Publications by Daniela Domínguez

The Counseling Psychologist , 2020

This study uses Lent, Brown, and Hackett’s (1994) Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a fram... more This study uses Lent, Brown, and Hackett’s (1994) Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a framework for understanding the career barriers and coping efficacy experienced by master’s counseling psychology international students. Grounded in SCCT, we described coping efficacy as international students’ perceived capability to navigate career barriers. Using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis (2006), we explored the career barriers and coping efficacy of 12 master’s counseling psychology international students. The first focus area, “international journey with multiple barriers,” includes five themes: interpersonal stress; language barriers; financial pressures; advising concerns; and visa and immigration-related stress. The second focus area, “agents of change in the midst of barriers,” includes five themes: self-regulating; stepping into discomfort; cognitive reappraising; becoming a change agent; and social support seeking. Findings demonstrate participants’ coping efficacy and perceptions of themselves as agents of change. This study deepens our understanding of career development among master’s counseling psychology international students.

Latinx Psychology Today, 2020

The existing Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, hav... more The existing Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, have criminalized asylum and dehumanized asylum seeking individuals. MPP requires asylum seekers who arrive at any U.S. port of entry across the entire southern border to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in U.S. immigration courts. Using testimonio research, this study presents the artistic accounts of 7 Central American asylum seeking children who are living in a “migrant camp” in Matamoros, Tamaulipas next to the Gateway International Bridge. Migrant camps are open-air tent encampments in which asylum seekers are living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions while they await their asylum interview. These hazardous conditions make them susceptible to respiratory diseases such as coronavirus (COVID-19). Sharing these experiences is critical to ensure that health professionals’ advocacy efforts reflect asylum seekers’ needs and life experiences. Given the violence inflicted by MPP and the risks associated with COVID-19, this manuscript demands the end of this policy to protect the psychological health of an already vulnerable community, asylum seeking children. Advocacy implications are also discussed.

Socially Just Trauma-Informed Responses to COVID-19 with Undocumented Communities, 2020

Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) has exposed the inequitable power structures that privilege dominant gr... more Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) has exposed the inequitable power structures that privilege dominant groups over marginalized communities in the United States. Due to their disadvantaged position in U.S. society, undocumented individuals are susceptible to COVID-19 infection and other adverse experiences. Given these stark disparities, health care professionals are forced to reckon with some of the macro-level forces that leave undocumented communities with physical and mental health vulnerabilites. Inspired by Martín-Baró’s liberation psychology (1994) and Goodman’s (2015) liberatory approach to trauma counseling, this commentary: (a) advocates for the use of a socially just trauma-informed care approach when clinically working with undocumented communities during, and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) and proposes that when undocumented communities present for mental health treatment, health care professionals must assess for trauma symptoms related to the complex and often prolonged impacts of the socially produced traumas that their clients have encountered before (e.g., pre-migration trauma, migration trauma) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., racial discrimination, xenophobia). Socially produced traumas are defined here as traumatic events that are rooted in oppressive environmental forces that inflict pain and suffering. Like other traumatic experiences, socially produced traumas can lead to psychological and physical health concerns, interpersonal and educational challenges, and increased morbidity and mortality.

Leveraging the Power of Mutual Aid, Coalitions, Leadership, and Advocacy during COVID-19, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the norms, patterns, and power structures in the United S... more The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the norms, patterns, and power structures in the United States that privilege certain groups of people over others. This manuscript describes COVID-19 as an unprecedented catalyst for social transformation that underscores the need for multi-level and cross-sectoral solutions to address systemic changes to improve health equity for all. The authors propose that the American Psychological Association and its membership can initiate systemic change, in part, by: (a) supporting mutual aid organizations that prioritize the needs of vulnerable communities; (b) leveraging the efforts and strides APA psychologists have already made within the association, in the profession, and in policymaking to attend to the health equity and the needs of marginalized communities; (c) building capacity for collaboration between a broad coalition of health associations, health experts, and policymakers to address the physio-psycho-socioeconomic needs of disadvantaged communities, and (d) increasing APA’s participation in the formulation and implementation of an advocacy agenda that prioritizes the physical and psychological health of the communities whose lives are most endangered by COVID-19.

Cruzando Fronteras: Liberation Psychology in a Counseling Psychology Immersion Course, 2020

Using testimonio research, this study explores the immersion experiences of 15 counseling psychol... more Using testimonio research, this study explores the immersion experiences of 15 counseling psychology students enrolled in an immersion program in Huejotal, Huaquechula. Based on core concepts of Liberation Psychology, this immersion program sought to increase students’ critical consciousness through conscientization, deideologization, denaturalization, and problematization. A thematic analysis of written testimonios includes coding, checks for internal validity, and the generation of important themes across student participants. Results revealed six themes: reclaiming identity; journeying with “nuestros ancestros and familias [our ancestors and families]”; “los niños [the children] as teachers”; cultural wealth; “comunidad como familia [community as family]”; and “cruzando fronteras [crossing borders]” as a call to social action. Results confirmed past research findings that liberation-based immersion courses could be empowering pedagogical experiences for counseling psychology students. This study expands the body of knowledge on counseling psychology immersion programs and has implications for future Liberation-Psychology-based immersion courses with LatinX communities.

Psychological Services, 2015

Positive psychologists have contributed to our understandings of how positive emotions and flexib... more Positive psychologists have contributed to our understandings of how positive emotions and flexible cognition enhance resiliency. However, positive psychologists' research has been slow to address the relational resources and interactions that help nonheterosexual families overcome adversity. Addressing overlooked lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) and systemic factors in positive psychology, this article draws on family resilience literature and LGBTQ literature to theorize a systemic positive psychology framework for working with nonheterosexual families. We developed the LGBTQ relationally based positive psychology framework that integrates positive psychology's strengths-based perspective with the systemic orientation of Walsh's (1996) family resilience framework along with the cultural considerations proposed by LGBTQ family literature. We theorize that the LGBTQ relationally based positive psychology framework takes into consideration the sociopolitical adversities impacting nonheterosexual families and sensitizes positive psychologists, including those working in organized care settings, to the systemic interactions of same-sex loving relationships.

Although immigration laws are based on the principle of family unification, under previous federa... more Although immigration laws are based on the principle of family unification, under previous federal law lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans were not able to sponsor their same-sex foreign national partners for residency in the United States. Consequently, an estimated 36,000 couples faced the threat of family separation because America's immigration policies narrowed the definition of "family" to exclude same-sex couples and their children. Despite the fact that family researchers indicate that long periods of separation have harmful effects on the family, immigration law denied non-heterosexual binational families the basic right of family unity afforded many of their heterosexual counterparts. Non-heterosexual binational couples were forced to learn how to function in a social system while dealing with heterosexism, overt discrimination, violence and the psychological symptoms that result from helplessness. My dissertation explored the ways in which non-heterosexual binational families struggled to keep their families together as a result of the discriminatory ways in which DOMA defined marriage. The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge of how binational non-heterosexual couples and families thrived in a heterosexist society that legitimizes discriminatory immigration policies and sexual prejudice. Of particular interest were the personal and relational strengths and resources that positively affected their achievement. Utilizing a narrative analysis qualitative research approach, I partnered with four non-heterosexual binational couples to understand their shared realities and collective stories. The socio-cultural settings in which these couples remarkably dealt with adversity were learned using a semi-structured interview process. I transcribed their stories and analyzed the information using a categorical aggregation approach. This literature contribution is significant in that it studies an invisible population and adds to the way that mental health providers understand family dynamics specific to same-sex binational families. 1 "/>All data and information in this dissertation was collected before the repeal of DOMA. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was ruled unconstitutional in a 5-4 ruling, and Proposition 8 was dismissed due to a lack of standing in a 5-4 ruling in the Supreme Court. This means that couples in 13 states will now have their marriages recognized by the federal government. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional means that American citizens and lawful permanent residents can submit green card applications for their same-sex spouse. The proposal for this dissertation was defended before the repeal of DOMA. Thus, data and results in this dissertation are related to how couples felt when DOMA was the law of the land.

SAGE Encyclopedia, 2016

Historically, the topics of same-sex marriage and immigration reform have been debated as separat... more Historically, the topics of same-sex marriage and immigration reform have been debated as separate political issues. Both issues, however, have impacted the lives of LGBTQ immigrants and their American partners. Presently in the United States, families that include same-sex binational couples are part of the increasingly diverse family landscape. Binational couples are defined here as same-sex partnerships in which one spouse or partner is an American citizen or resident and the other is a foreign national. For years, the ideological underpinnings inherent in immigration laws separated committed couples, forced couples into exile, and resulted in the deportation of partners/spouses of Americans under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). This entry describes the sociocultural context in which binational couples are situated and the challenges they face today. In the following sections, the entry presents the demographics of binational families, the ways in which DOMA directly impacted immigration law and the lives of binational families, the positive ramifications DOMA’s repeal has had on binational families, and the challenges and obstacles binational families continue to face even after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state bans on same-sex marriage.

Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 2012

An unprecedented number of American citizens are facing the challenge of being in a non-heterosex... more An unprecedented number of American citizens are facing the challenge of being in a non-heterosexual binational relationship. Although immigration laws are based on the principle of family unification, under current federal law lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans cannot sponsor their same-sex foreign national partners for residency in the United States. Consequently, an estimated 36,000 couples face the threat of family separation because the narrow definition of “family” used by U.S. immigration services excludes same-sex binational couples and their children. Despite the fact that family research indicates that long periods of separation have harmful effects on the family, immigration law continues to deny binational families the basic right of family unity afforded many of their heterosexual counterparts. Bi-national couples must learn how to function in a social system while dealing with heterosexism, overt discrimination, violence, and the psychological symptoms that result from helplessness. This article will explore the ways in which nonheterosexual binational families must struggle to keep their families together as a result of the discriminatory ways in which laws are constructed in this country. We propose that discriminatory immigration policies have neglected contemporary family research that describes the family as a diverse array of intimate systems that provide mutual care.

Using our professional experiences with natural disaster relief, as well as existing theory, the ... more Using our professional experiences with natural disaster relief, as well as existing theory, the authors introduce an equity-oriented framework – Social Justice Disaster Relief, Counseling, and Advocacy. We then present the case of the 2017 Northern California wildfires using responses from 259 individuals who were living in the region of the Northern California wildfires – the most destructive fires in California state history. We collected qualitative and demographic data on each participant 3 months after the fires ended. Qualitative data included detailed written reflections to a prompt from each participant in response to an online questionnaire. A thematic analysis using open, axial, and selective coding was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the context, circumstances, and outcomes of recurring themes, concepts, categories, and their relationship to core themes. Results reveal six themes including: loss and displacement; physical and psychological impact; exploitation; social inequities against vulnerable communities; community strengths and support; and the need for support and services. The themes highlight essential directions for Counseling Psychologists working with survivors of a natural disaster. We offer recommendations for training, theory, counseling, and research, as a means for supporting and advocating for clients psychologically, socially, and emotionally in the context of a natural disaster.

This qualitative study explores the academic and clinical experiences of counseling psychology tr... more This qualitative study explores the academic and clinical experiences of counseling psychology trainees called to serve mixed-immigration-status families, and their perceptions of their preparation to work with these families as school-based family counselors. The sample in this study included five school-based counseling trainees who administered counseling to mixed- immigration-status families during their first year of clinical training. To understand the clinical experiences of participants, audio-recordings and transcripts of interview sessions were analyzed using narrative inquiry. Results reveal six themes including: trainees’ perception of the detrimental impact of strict immigration enforcement practices on the therapeutic process; their strong personal reactions to the outcome of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election; their difficulties juggling academic and clinical responsibilities; feeling unprepared to work with mixed-immigration-status families; their need and advocacy for training programs to incorporate a course on immigration concerns; and their need for catharsis and self-care in academic and clinical settings. The themes highlight essential directions for training programs working with school-based family counselors. This manuscript offers recommendations for training as a means for supporting and advocating for school-based family counselors.

An unprecedented number of American citizens faced the challenge of being in a non-heterosexual b... more An unprecedented number of American citizens faced the challenge of being in a non-heterosexual binational relationship when the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was the law of the land. Although immigration laws are based on the principle of family unification, under previous federal law lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans were not able to sponsor their same-sex foreign national partners for residency in the United States. Consequently, an estimated 36,000 couples faced the threat of family separation because America's immigration policies narrowed the definition of "family" to exclude same-sex couples and their children. Despite the fact that family researchers indicate that long periods of separation have harmful effects on the family, immigration law denied non-heterosexual binational families the basic right of family unity afforded many of their heterosexual counterparts. Non-heterosexual binational couples were forced to learn how to function in a social system while dealing with heterosexism, overt discrimination, violence and the psychological symptoms that result from helplessness. My dissertation explored the ways in which non-heterosexual binational families struggled to keep their families together as a result of the discriminatory ways in which DOMA defined marriage.

The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge of how binational non-heterosexual couples and families thrived in a heterosexist society that legitimizes discriminatory immigration policies and sexual prejudice. Of particular interest were the personal and relational strengths and resources that positively affected their achievement. Utilizing a narrative analysis qualitative research approach, I partnered with four non-heterosexual binational couples to understand their shared realities and collective stories. The socio-cultural settings in which these couples remarkably dealt with adversity were learned using a semi-structured interview process. I transcribed their stories and analyzed the information using a categorical aggregation approach.

This literature contribution is significant in that it studies an invisible population and adds to the way that mental health providers understand family dynamics specific to same-sex binational families. 1 "/>All data and information in this dissertation was collected before the repeal of DOMA. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was ruled unconstitutional in a 5-4 ruling, and Proposition 8 was dismissed due to a lack of standing in a 5-4 ruling in the Supreme Court. This means that couples in 13 states will now have their marriages recognized by the federal government. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional means that American citizens and lawful permanent residents can submit green card applications for their same-sex spouse. The proposal for this dissertation was defended before the repeal of DOMA. Thus, data and results in this dissertation are related to how couples felt when DOMA was the law of the land.

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 1550428x 2012 729954, Nov 5, 2012

Although immigration laws are based on the principle of family unification, under current federal... more Although immigration laws are based on the principle of family unification, under current federal law lesbian, gay, and bisexual Americans cannot sponsor their same-sex foreign national partners for residency in the United States. Consequently, an estimated 36,000 couples face the threat of family separation because the narrow definition of “family” used by U.S. immigration services excludes same-sex binational couples and their children. Despite the fact that family research indicates that long periods of separation have harmful effects on the family, immigration law continues to deny binational families the basic right of family unity afforded many of their heterosexual counterparts. Bi-national couples must learn how to function in a social system while dealing with heterosexism, overt discrimination, violence, and the psychological symptoms that result from helplessness. This article will explore the ways in which nonheterosexual binational families must struggle to keep their families together as a result of the discriminatory ways in which laws are constructed in this country. We propose that discriminatory immigration policies have neglected contemporary family research that describes the family as a diverse array of intimate systems that provide mutual care.

Psychological Services, 2015

ositive psychologists have contributed to our understandings of how positive emotions and flexibl... more ositive psychologists have contributed to our understandings of how positive emotions and flexible cognition enhance resiliency. However, positive psychologists' research has been slow to address the relational resources and interactions that help nonheterosexual families overcome adversity. Addressing overlooked lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) and systemic factors in positive psychology, this article draws on family resilience literature and LGBTQ literature to theorize a systemic positive psychology framework for working with nonheterosexual families. We developed the LGBTQ relationally based positive psychology framework that integrates positive psychology's strengths-based perspective with the systemic orientation of Walsh's (1996) family resilience framework along with the cultural considerations proposed by LGBTQ family literature. We theorize that the LGBTQ relationally based positive psychology framework takes into consideration the sociopolitical adversities impacting nonheterosexual families and sensitizes positive psychologists, including those working in organized care settings, to the systemic interactions of same-sex loving relationships.

Papers by Daniela Domínguez

$Research paper thumbnail of DOMA\u27s Demise: A Victory for Non-heterosexual Binational Families$

An unprecedented number of American citizens faced the challenge o f being in a nonheterosexual b... more An unprecedented number of American citizens faced the challenge o f being in a nonheterosexual binational relationship when the Defense o f Marriage Act (DOMA) was the law of the land. Although immigration laws are based on the principle o f family unification, under previous federal law lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans were not able to sponsor their samesex foreign national partners for residency in the United States. Consequently, an estimated 36,000 couples faced the threat of family separation because Am erica’s immigration policies narrowed the definition of “family” to exclude same-sex couples and their children. Despite the fact that family researchers indicate that long periods of separation have harmful effects on the family, immigration law denied non-heterosexual binational families the basic right of family unity afforded many of their heterosexual counterparts. Non-heterosexual binational couples were forced to learn how to function in a social system while dealing ...

The Counseling Psychologist , 2020

Latinx Psychology Today, 2020

Socially Just Trauma-Informed Responses to COVID-19 with Undocumented Communities, 2020

Leveraging the Power of Mutual Aid, Coalitions, Leadership, and Advocacy during COVID-19, 2020

Cruzando Fronteras: Liberation Psychology in a Counseling Psychology Immersion Course, 2020

Psychological Services, 2015

SAGE Encyclopedia, 2016

Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 2012

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 1550428x 2012 729954, Nov 5, 2012

Psychological Services, 2015

$Research paper thumbnail of DOMA\u27s Demise: A Victory for Non-heterosexual Binational Families$

Healthcare in Low-resource Settings, 2021

Lockdown measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), may adversely impa... more Lockdown measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), may adversely impact on diabetes supplies and metabolic control, especially in type 1 diabetes in low-resource countries. To address this, we conceptualized a service delivery model that incorporated a digitized tool. The digitized tool (UT1D-HIMAS) maintained electronic health records, monitored clinic supplies, patient clinic visits and admissions, and sent automated SMS messages. Delivery of supplies was by motor vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles or patients/caregivers walking to clinics. Metabolic control was assessed by glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Monitoring of clinic supplies including emergency restocking, patient clinic visits and admissions, and sending automated SMS by UT1D-HIMAS were successfully achieved. A fall in clinic visits, reaching a nadir (67.9%) in May 2020 was observed. HbA1c (mean ± SD mmol/mol) significantly (p= 0.040) worsened from 79.1 ± 26.8 to 94.9 ± 39.2 and (p=0.002) from 67....

LGBTQ Divorce and Relationship Dissolution, 2018

This chapter addresses challenges that can surface for some same-sex binational couples in the Un... more This chapter addresses challenges that can surface for some same-sex binational couples in the United States. Vulnerable to both immigration enforcement and social institutions seeking to deny the validity of their relationship, same-sex binational couples may be at increased risk for emotional hardship, relationship instability, conflict, and dissolution. The ramifications of divorce in binational relationships may include jeopardizing the residency status or lengthening the naturalization timeline; separation from children if removed from the United States; and potential removal to a country where one or both members in the partnership may be exposed to sexual prejudice. The chapter discusses the unique challenges that increase the risk of binational same-sex relationships ending in dissolution or divorce, highlighting the limited research on LGBTQ dissolution or divorce and the need for further research on clinical and legal interventions that could enhance the well-being of same...

An unprecedented number of American citizens faced the challenge of being in a non heterosexual ... more An unprecedented number of American citizens faced the challenge of being in a non heterosexual binational relationship when the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was the law of the land. Although immigration laws are based on the principle o f family unification, under previous federal law lesbian, gay and bisexual Americans were not able to sponsor their samesex foreign national partners for residency in the United States. Consequently, an estimated 36,000 couples faced the threat of family separation because America’s immigration policies narrowed the definition of “family” to exclude same-sex couples and their children. Despite the fact that family researchers indicate that long periods of separation have harmful effects on the family, immigration law denied non-heterosexual binational families the basic right of family unity afforded many of their heterosexual counterparts. Non-heterosexual binational couples were forced to learn how to function in a social system while dealing w...

LEARNing Landscapes, 2021

In this case study, we explore ways to prepare preservice teachers to translate theory into pract... more In this case study, we explore ways to prepare preservice teachers to translate theory into practice and make science curriculum accessible through familial curriculum. Using her “Family Science Lesson Planning” assignment sequence, Sumer taught preservice teachers the theory of transformative curriculum making (Seiki, 2016), and guided them to recognize, articulate, and translate their own familial curriculum into science lessons. As a result, the three participant preservice teachers’ own histories and familial knowledge were repositioned and valued alongside science. Our findings show how to use science curriculum and instruction to border cross between home and school, thereby making science more accessible.

Journal of Latinx Psychology

Using testimonio research, this study explores the immersion experiences of 15 counseling psychol... more Using testimonio research, this study explores the immersion experiences of 15 counseling psychology students enrolled in an immersion program in Huejotal, Huaquechula. Based on core concepts of Liberation Psychology, this immersion program sought to increase students' critical consciousness through conscientization, deideologization, denaturalization, and problematization. A thematic analysis of written testimonios includes coding, checks for internal validity, and the generation of important themes across student participants. Results revealed six themes: reclaiming identity; journeying with "nuestros ancestros and familias [our ancestors and families]"; "los niños [the children] as teachers"; cultural wealth; "comunidad como familia [community as family]"; and "cruzando fronteras [crossing borders]" as a call to social action. Results confirmed past research findings that liberation-based immersion courses could be empowering pedagogical experiences for counseling psychology students. This study expands the body of knowledge on counseling psychology immersion programs and has implications for future Liberation-Psychology-based immersion courses with LatinX communities. Public Significance Statement. This study underscores the important role that Liberation-Psychology-based immersion courses may play in counseling psychology students' personal and professional development. Findings have implications for future Liberation-Psychology-based immersion courses with LatinX communities.

Counselling Psychology Quarterly

Using our professional experiences with natural disaster relief, as well as existing theory, the ... more Using our professional experiences with natural disaster relief, as well as existing theory, the authors introduce an equity-oriented framework-Social Justice Disaster Relief, Counseling, and Advocacy. We then present the case of the 2017 Northern California wildfires using responses from 259 individuals who were living in the region of the Northern California wildfires-the most destructive fires in California state history. We collected qualitative and demographic data on each participant three months after the fires ended. Qualitative data included detailed written reflections to a prompt from each participant in response to an online questionnaire. A thematic analysis using open, axial, and selective coding was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the context, circumstances, and outcomes of recurring themes, concepts, categories and their relationship to core themes. Results reveal six themes including: loss and displacement; physical and psychological impact; exploitation; social inequities against vulnerable communities; community strengths and support; and the need for support and services. The themes highlight essential directions for Counseling Psychologists working with survivors in response to a natural disaster. We offer recommendations for training, theory, counseling, and research, as a means for supporting and advocating for clients psychologically, socially, and emotionally in the context of a natural disaster.

U.S. society has witnessed and experienced the impact and suffering caused by the racial pandemic... more U.S. society has witnessed and experienced the impact and suffering caused by the racial pandemic within the COVID-19 viral pandemic. In response to anti-Blackness, a multigenerational and multiracial movement of people is rising and demanding justice for Black lives. Using testimonio research and Liberation Psychology as a theoretical framework, the authors describe their current understanding of what it means to practice a more responsible resistance to racist power structures as non-Black Latinas in the field of psychology. Braun and Clarke's (2016) thematic analysis (TA) was used to search for patterns of meaning within the authors' testimonios. Results revealed four themes: (a) to "hold the line" means to struggle for Black liberation, (b) confront anti-Blackness and colonial mentality in the self and community, (c) challenge anti-Blackness within the field of psychology, and (d) collective struggle. The third theme was divided into two subthemes: (a) tear dow...

BEYOND BORDERS: Reflections on the Resistance & Resilience Among Immigrant Youth and Families, 2019

In this manuscript, I argue that while aggressive immigration enforcement practices have denigrat... more In this manuscript, I argue that while aggressive immigration enforcement practices have denigrated, dehumanized, and inflicted pain on migrant families for decades, President Trump’s “zero-tolerance policy” has promoted exclusionist attitudes that have aggravated anti-immigrant sentiments and perpetuated the abuse of power by immigration officers against vulnerable migrant communities. I emphasize that the criminalization of families seeking international protection, as well as the forced separation of children from their parents, are inhumane, heartless, and have serious psychological consequences on migrants. I also stress that in reaction to this humanitarian crisis, Jesuit institutions and other faith-based organizations must continue to speak out, announce their support for human rights, protest the violence against migrant communities at the US/Mexico border, and firmly confront oppressive forces within US immigration detention facilities. Additionally, I present the case of our artistic team, a group of students and faculty members of a Jesuit university, who offered support to migrant families through meaningful artistic banners that communicate love, grace, compassion, generosity, and the social doctrine of the Catholic Church.