The impacts of policies of control and removal of people of color remain a matter ofhuman, social, economic, and political implications. This dissertation examines the narratives of
adult members of nuclear and extended families to understand the collateral consequences of
these punitive systems.
In the first chapter, in addition to establishing the impact of having a father incarcerated, I
describe the effects of having sons or brothers incarcerated. Additionally, I explain the impact of
incarceration of extended family members such as cousins, grandchildren, or nephews.
Chapter two describes the effects resulting from the deportation of fathers and husbands
and other nuclear family members as brothers. Furthermore, I describe the impact of deporting
other extended family members such as uncles, aunts, godparents, and brothers-in-law.
In the third chapter, I take the narratives of the adults interviewed to understand if the
experiences of having a family member deported or incarcerated are the same or different? Also,
this chapter explores whether nuclear and extended families have similar or different experiences
with these events.
The study of families in the Central Valley of California is significant since California
experiences a considerable presence of migrants and people with different immigration statuses.
Additionally, California has a high number of people incarcerated.
Adults' narratives show the critical role of the extended family supporting in cases of family
crises, and this study indicates that these repressive systems reach all family members. I found
that extended family members have also been deported and incarcerated; their removal from
these households meant a tremendous emotional and financial impact.
Nuclear families who suffer deportations and incarceration endure very similar impacts, a
family member is no longer part of the household, their emotional and financial contribution is
missing, and even after reunification, either because the deported person returns to the United
States or because the person is released from prison, families continue to suffer emotionally and
financially. In the case of the extended families, aunts and uncles deported have very close ties to
their relatives left behind, and grandmothers can experience significant feelings of isolation and
financial burdens when dealing with grandson incarceration.
The situation of nuclear and extended families experiencing deportations and
incarceration is problematic because they belong to low-income communities located in the
Central Valley of California, a region characterized by many socio-economic issues with few
resources for families dealing with deportations and incarcerations. Therefore, these families in
their generations are destined to exclusion and poverty.