Immigration and Motherhood
What does it mean to be a mother? Realistically, there cannot be a sole, specific definition for motherhood as this definition varies from woman to woman. With that being said, one could generally define a mother as someone who births, nurtures, and cares for their child. What happens to this definition when mothers cross borders without their child? Does the absence of their child during and after migration make them any less of a mother? Immigration has reshaped motherhood. However, it is important to note that this reshaping yielded thoroughly different results for migrant mothers and for American society.
After the events of 9/11, terrorism began to be associated with ‘perceived’ illegality in the United States (Lugo-Lugo and Bloodsworth-Lugo, 2014). This is to say, the bodies of migrant women were transformed into weapons of terrorism. The weaponization of bodies has stripped migrant women from their motherhood altogether as it deems them as nothing more than mere objects who pose a threat to the American public. The United States has used immigration as a tool to dismantle the concept of motherhood by completely dehumanizing migrant mothers. Nonetheless, for migrant women, immigration and mothering across the border only highlights their strength and courage. Melanie Nicholson states, “Latin American immigrant women are operating within a conceptual framework of motherhood that differs from the ideal of exclusive motherhood considered normative from a white, middle-class perspective” (14). By migrating without their children they have not been deprived from motherhood, they have just become transnational mothers.
Transnational Motherhood
The concept of transnational motherhood stems from immigration as it refers to the way migrant women keep in touch with their motherhood even after they decide to migrate without their children. In this sense, motherhood is not stripped from migrant women, but reconstructed in such a way that they still can be mothers from afar. Maria Rosa Sternberg and Charlotte Barry held a study of Mexican migrant mothers in which they define transnational mothers as “those women who migrate from poor to developed nations to escape extreme poverty, political persecution, or other oppressive socio-political constructs. In doing so, they consciously leave their country, culture, family, and children. Latinas who become transnational mothers often find themselves in life-threatening situations, crossing dangerous borders as they migrate illegally to the United States” (2). It says a lot that migrant mothers would rather put themselves through life-threatening situations than stay in their home country. For transnational mothers, the end goal of crossing the border and preparing themselves to face the possible consequences of doing so is building a better future for their children. To further prove this point Sternberg and Barry proclaim, “Despite knowing that the trip north would be harsh and dangerous, all of the women still believed that illegally immigrating to the United States was the only way to provide their children with the opportunity for a better life, one free of poverty and violence” (4). Although miles apart, transnational mothers are still a very active presence in their children’s lives. Technology allows for constant communication between mothers and their children which facilitates mothers still being a role model for their children (Nicholson, 2006). Even though leaving their children behind and living alone can prove to be mentally and emotionally challenging for mothers, migrating is a way for them to withdraw themselves from dangerous situations in their home country all while having the ability to provide for their children.
The Decision to Migrate
There are an abundant amount of reasons as to why women choose to migrate. However, in the 2011 study introduced above, Sternberg and Charlotte reveal that “Seven essential themes emerged as the participants narrated their heart-rending stories. These themes include: living in extreme poverty, having hope, choosing to walk from poverty, suffering through the trip to and across the US-Mexican border, mothering from afar, valuing family, and changing personally” (3). Poverty is one of the most influential factors for mothers when they consider migrating. By migrating and getting a job in the United States not only can they save up money for their children to have a proper education, but they can achieve bigger financial goals. Melanie Nicholson proclaims, “By working for a period in the United States, mothers are literally providing food for their children but are also constructing visions of their children’s futures that would have been impossible without migration” (21). Migration opens the door for new opportunities for mothers and their children. Unfortunately, the media has created a negative portrayal of migrants which is solely based on stereotypes (Lugo-Lugo and Bloodsworth-Lugo, 2014). This is to say that in American society, when transnational mothers migrate they pose a threat to the public when in reality mothers migrate in a hopeful attempt of finding a better life for themselves and their families.
Crossing the Border
According to the United Nations, approximately 2,500 people have died attempting to cross the border since 2014 (United Nations, 2020). In 2019 alone, there were 497 recorded deaths on the US-Mexico Border (United Nations, 2020). This is a shockingly high number, however, it is very likely that this number is incorrect and in reality could be much higher due to the possibility of missing reported fatalities. Even though the United States is the most desirable destination in terms of migration, crossing the US-Mexican border is one of the riskiest and deadliest trips one could undergo (United Nations, 2020). While crossing the border, transnational mothers in Sternberg’s and Barry’s study reported “enduring thirst and hunger, walking the desert day and night, climbing the seemingly never-ending mountains, tolerating the merciless treatment of the coyotes, weathering the inhospitable environment, and fearing apprehension were memories indelibly imprinted in their minds” (3). It is of no surprise that the trip across the border is extremely tough. The Trump administration has made the trip even tougher by enacting various brutal immigration policies. In 2018, the Trump administration set up a “zero tolerance” policy which was meant to further discourage illegal entry to the United States (Padilla-Rodriguez, 2020). However, in enacting such policy the 45th President of the United States has divided hundreds of families at the border. As a matter of fact, there are currently about 545 children who have yet to be reunited with their parents (Padilla-Rodriguez, 2020). Jeremy Raff, a journalist for The Atlantic, states those caught crossing the border are transported to “the station known among immigrants as the perrera, or ‘dog pound’, because of the chain-link cages used to hold them,” (Raff, 2018). This is another example of how the United States has dehumanized migrants and one of the main reasons as to why mothers refuse to migrate without their children. Children separated from their families at the border can suffer from severe trauma. Mothers cannot contact their children despite their frequent demands for justice. In his article, Raff discusses the story of Anita, a migrant mother who got her six-year-old son, Jenri, taken away from her at the border. At detention centers, “kids are reportedly barred from touching even their own siblings, depriving them of an essential way to soothe themselves in crisis” (Raff, 2018). No mother wants to have their children taken away without knowing if they will ever see their children again. Especially, if their children will be neglected and thrown into isolation in detention centers. Although transnational mothers sometimes experience extreme isolation in the United States because it is a completely different culture than the one they are used to (Nicholson, 2006), some mothers would prefer dealing with such isolation than putting their children in danger.
Depicting Transnational Motherhood Through Art
This drawing is a collaboration with my dear mother. At a point in time, my mother herself was a transnational mother. She migrated into the United States alone in hopes of paving the way to a better and brighter future for me. I have so much respect for her and her decision to migrate alone that this drawing is my way of saying thank you to her. I took her experiences as well as some aspects discussed above and incorporated them into my drawing. I purposely decided to leave the woman’s face blank so all transnational mothers could somewhat connect to this piece. Here we see a woman wearing what resembles an oversized jacket. The jacket is meant to appear big to highlight the heavy burdens that migrant mothers carry on their shoulders. The middle of the jacket, where the zipper would be, does not touch to symbolize the US-Mexican border. The only place the jacket touches is at the very top. Here we have a small human figure crossing from one side to the other. The human figure is also the woman’s necklace to showcase that mothers go on this journey all alone. Inside of this jacket we have different factors that influence migration. On the one hand, the left side of the jacket is meant to symbolize their home country. Specifically, their family and the poverty that they face which is what drives mothers to migrate. On the other hand, the right side of the jacket is meant to symbolize the United States. Here we have opportunities for education, employment, and the American Dream as a whole. The jacket itself is painted different shades of blue to resemble a universe and showcase that all of the things inside of the jacket are part of the mother’s world and thus affect her in some way or another. The woman in my drawing has a crown to highlight the strength that migrant mothers have in starting from zero in an unknown country just so their children can have the future they always dreamed of.
To finish off I would like to leave you all with a quote that heavily influenced my overall blog post and specifically my drawing,
“These three factors—the arduous journey, the hard work and isolation experienced once in the United States, and the years spent away from their children—point to a good deal of suffering on the part of these mothers, but also to their remarkable courage, perseverance, and determination” (Nicholson, 2006).
Works Cited
Lugo-Lugo, Carmen and Bloodsworth-Lugo, Mary. “‘Anchor/Terror Babies’ and Latina Bodies: Immigration Rhetoric in the 21st Century and the Feminization of Terrorism.” Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Through, vol. 8, no.8, 2014, pp. 1-21. https://digitalcommons.salve.edu/jift/vol8/iss1/1.
Nicholson, Melanie. “Without Their Children: Rethinking Motherhood Among Transnational Migrant Women.” Social Text, vol. 24, no. 3, 2006, pp. 13-33. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1215/01642472-2006-002.
Padilla-Rodrigues, Ivon. “The U.S Separated Families Decades Ago, Too. With 545 Migrant Children Missing Their Parents, That Moments Holds a Key Lesson.” Time, 2 November 2020.
Raff, Jeremy. “How Trump’s Family Separation Traumatized Children.” The Atlantic, 7 September 2018.
Sternberg, Rosa Maria and Barry, Charlotte. “Transnational Mothers Crossing the Border and Bringing their Health Care Needs.” Journal of Nursing Scholarship, vol. 43, no. 1, 2011, pp. 64-71. ProQuest, doi: 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2010.01383.x.
“2019: A Deadly Year for Migrants Crossing the Americas.” United Nations News, 28 January 2020.
