Psychology

“Es por ellos que estoy aquí”: Exploring Cultural Stress Coping in Latina Immigrant Mothers

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Latinx immigrant families in the United States face significant challenges and health disparities, encountering various stressors throughout the immigration process. These stressors, collectively termed “cultural stress,” profoundly affect the psychosocial, mental, and physical health of Latinx families. Latina immigrant mothers, in particular, bear a disproportionate burden of these effects, navigating challenges at the intersection of immigration, cultural values, gender roles, and motherhood. Nevertheless, the complex experience of cultural stress among Latina women, especially mothers, remains underexplored, leading to inconsistent findings in the existing literature. Drawing on cultural stress theory, this qualitative interview study utilized reflexive thematic analysis to explore how 15 Latina immigrant mothers cope with cultural stress and how their roles as mothers and cultural values shape these coping strategies. In the semistructured interviews, we asked participants about their experiences coping with cultural stress, their reflections on the influence of their relationship with their children in this process, and their views about factors that impact their bonds with their children. We noted three prominent themes: (a) Coping with the Negative Context of Reception: “Por mis hijos” Mindset, (b) Coping with Discrimination: Trying to Protect, and (c) Coping with Acculturation: Fostering Connection. Our findings discuss the nuanced interplay between interdependent motivations, motherhood, socioeconomic status, race, and cultural values in shaping cultural stress coping strategies. We discuss implications for theory, practice, social justice, and policy, aiming to enhance our ability to support Latinx immigrant families in the United States. © 2025 American Psychological Association

Publication Title

Journal of Latinx Psychology

Publication Date

2025

ISSN

2578-8086

DOI

10.1037/lat0000297

Keywords

coping, cultural stress, expressions of vulnerability, immigration, Latina mothers

Cross Post Location

Student Publications

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