What Sacrifice Looks Like: Stories from Mixed-Status Latine Families in NYC

What Sacrifice Looks Like explores the lived realities of mixed-status Latine families in New York City, shedding light on how immigration policies, legal precarity, and cultural expectations shape their everyday experiences. Drawing on survey responses and in-depth interviews with individuals from these families, this study examines the emotional, psychological, and material sacrifices made in the face of systemic exclusion. Themes of family separation, generational responsibility, and the pressure to embody the “quintessential immigrant” emerge as central to understanding how (i)legality affects identity, family dynamics, and aspirations. Grounded in a human development lens and informed by scholarship on immigrant justice, this project aims to honor the resilience of Latino communities while advocating for more inclusive and compassionate immigration policies.