La guerra en el valle: state sanctioned violence and Latina's experiences living in a mixed status family in California's Central Valley

This study explores the lived experiences of Latina women who were raised in a mixed immigration status family in Merced County. This study analyzes state sanctioned violence and the social emotional affects for mixed status families who lived in California's Central Valley. This study also explores whether families plan for possible deportation and how families build resilience through their relationships with family members, friends and community. Eight self identified Latina women who were raised in a mixed status family were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide for this qualitative exploratory study. The findings indicate that participants have experienced: trauma while crossing the Mexico/United States border as children, complex experiences while growing up in a mixed status family, social emotional impacts due to possible family separation and/or deportation, various levels of family planning for deportation, and resiliency factors that protected them from adverse effects. Additionally, findings indicated that strong family connections, detailed planning, and awareness of the issue can help increase resiliency.