“There is Absolutely No Discrimination Based on that Allowed”: Marriage, Migration, and Equality Rhetoric as a Justification for Harm

This article contrasts talk surrounding queer marriage and migration with the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people who have petitioned for status in the United States based on their relationships. I find that people use the concept of equality or being “the same” to dismiss testimonies of harm, and to hold individuals instead of systems and laws responsible for harms when they are acknowledged. I place this rhetoric in the context of US family immigration as a colonial and racial project. Through a mixed methods analysis, the article draws a link between the interactions queer and trans people are having online, their personal and couple narratives, and the colonial history and harm endemic to this often idealized immigration pathway.

Mixed-status Families in Northern Arizona: An Inductive Analysis of Legal Clinic Participation and the Gendered Dynamics of Emotional Care Work

Fear of deportation and consequent separation of “mixed-status families” (those with citizen and non-citizen members) is a central issue facing immigrants today. Yet, there is a gap in sociological explorations of legal clinics designed to assist these families. Here, we examine parents of mixed-status families in danger of deportation who visited one such clinic: what factors drove them to seek legal help? While we explore theoretical implications related to legal violence, we also highlight ways to better reach these families and provide free legal services, particularly to women who seem to be primarily tasked with this work. Research was conducted through Northern Arizona Immigration Legal Services (NAILS). Using in-depth interviews with nine undocumented Mexican-born parents, mostly mothers, our findings reveal patterns that could aid NAILS and other legal support services in providing assistance to these families. Issues such as traditional gendered labor division within the family and the role of social workers were the most relevant themes in seeking legal help. These findings not only contribute to the growing sociological research on immigration and gender dynamics but can also help NAILS and other similar community organizations connect with immigrants in more efficient ways, particularly as it relates to the emotional care work of mothers in mixed-status families.

The Limits of Shared Panethnic Status: Considering Culture, Age, and Language in Qualitative Research

The increase of qualitative research in gerontology invites discussion of the effects of researcher positionality on data collection and analysis. Analyses of the interviewing experiences of three researchers who conducted a qualitative study of aging Asian Americans illustrate the complexities of negotiating “insider” status. Despite the interviewers’ shared panethnic status (Asian) with the participants, they experienced different levels of insider status, which were based, in part, on cultural competence related to cultural norms and practices, age hierarchies, and language. This suggests that qualitative researchers should engage in reflexive practices that consider researcher positionality in relation to research participants. Researchers need to pay attention to the possible implications of cultural competence on negotiating insider status and when gathering and analyzing data, similar to considerations of culturally relevant approaches in practical settings.