Date of Award

Spring 2026

Language

English

Embargo Period

5-9-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Africana, Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies

Program

Spanish - Latin American, Caribbean, and Latina/o Studies

First Advisor

Jennifer Burrell

Second Advisor

Pedro Cabán

Committee Members

Miguel Trujillo

Keywords

Central New York, Western New York, work, education, healthcare, mental health, community, hope, care, borderlands, transnationality, invisibility

Subject Categories

Arts and Humanities | Latin American Languages and Societies

Abstract

We have yet to fully understand what Latino migrant worker parents -a population invisible in many ways to much of society- have undergone since the onset and as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis. As such, grounded in the experiences and words of eleven migrants, this dissertation demonstrates (1) the shifting parameters of migrant parenthood during and after the pandemic, (2) how migrant working parents navigated such unprecedented times, and (3) their reflections as they looked back upon such experiences. These experiences include more than merely what happened to them; they encompass their thoughts, their emotions, their memories, their actions and consequences, and their hopes. Furthermore, this research project offers vital experiences that will greatly inform discussions concerning public policy and health, academic theory, education and, at the local community level, mutual understanding and relatability.

The major methodology I utilized in this study is hermeneutic phenomenology, a process of defining a given phenomenon (in this case, being a migrant parent throughout and after COVID-19) via text that represents the experiences of the participants involved (that is, substantiated transcriptions of spoken interviews). Through this method, I uncovered themes (i.e., experiences in common) in order to define what these migrant mothers and fathers personally endured. My research was also influenced by ethnography as I considered the wider context in support of the deeper meaning, additionally incorporating the experiences of two non-parent migrants. This mixed method included interviewing and recording participant experiences in their own words and in Spanish, our language in common; four of them were native speakers of indigenous languages.

Chapter 1 explores my participants’ lived experiences with work and education. Chapter 2 scrutinizes their experiences concerning health and security. Chapter 3 looks at the support and separation they dealt with within their systems of community. Chapter 4 introduces how my interviewees coped through the tumultuousness of the pandemic. Chapter 5 delves into the aftermath – the long-term corollary of side effects and reflections. This is a dissertation that portrays the human experience; it has taken an old story of parenthood struggle and perseverance, observing it through the lens of a worldwide health crisis.

License

This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.

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