Sudhinaraset May, Woofter Rebecca, Huang Priscilla
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences, USA.
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences, USA.
Soc Sci Med. 2025 Oct;382:118334. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118334. Epub 2025 Jun 21.
In recent years, immigrants in the U.S. have experienced shifting immigration policies, creating an environment of uncertainty. These policies often exacerbate social and economic vulnerabilities among the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US. Stratified reproduction occurs when society or institutions deem certain individuals "undeserving" of reproduction. Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. experience a number of threats to their reproductive health. Yet, there is little empirical data on how immigration status may influence their decision-making to have children or not have children. This study explores the complex factors that influence fertility decisions among undocumented individuals in the U.S. Drawing on 30 life history interviews with 14 Asian and 16 Latinx undocumented immigrants conducted between February and July 2022, results highlight how societal, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized factors shape reproductive choices. Societal influences include the impact of their status on financial resources, immigration enforcement, fear of family separation, and experiences of racism and discrimination. Institutional factors include high costs for healthcare. Interpersonal factors such as pressures of gender and cultural norms within families further complicate these decisions. Additionally, many undocumented individuals described internalized struggles, including feelings of an "unfinished childhood". However, the study also reveals how these challenges can lead to resilience, with some participants expressing a desire to become parents as a source of hope. This research provides important insights into how undocumented status impacts reproductive decisions and highlights the need to address the unique challenges faced by undocumented immigrants.
近年来，美国的移民经历了不断变化的移民政策，营造了一种不确定的环境。这些政策往往加剧了美国1100万无证移民的社会和经济脆弱性。当社会或机构认为某些人“不值得”生育时，就会出现分层生育现象。美国的无证移民在生殖健康方面面临诸多威胁。然而，关于移民身份如何影响他们生育或不生育的决策，实证数据却很少。本研究探讨了影响美国无证移民生育决策的复杂因素。通过对2022年2月至7月期间对14名亚洲和16名拉丁裔无证移民进行的30次生活史访谈，结果凸显了社会、制度、人际和内化因素如何塑造生殖选择。社会影响包括他们的身份对财政资源的影响、移民执法、对家庭分离的恐惧以及种族主义和歧视经历。制度因素包括医疗保健成本高昂。家庭内部性别压力和文化规范等人际因素使这些决策更加复杂。此外，许多无证移民描述了内心的挣扎，包括“未完成的童年”之感。然而，该研究还揭示了这些挑战如何能够带来复原力，一些参与者表示希望成为父母，将其作为希望的源泉。这项研究为无证身份如何影响生育决策提供了重要见解，并凸显了应对无证移民所面临独特挑战的必要性。
