Engaging undocumented Latinx parents in their children’s educational career through trauma-informed expressive arts

Undocumented Latinx parents in the United States may experience immigration-related stress, fear of detention or deportation, family separation, structural exclusion, linguistic barriers, and migration-related trauma that can shape their engagement in their children’s education. These experiences may extend across generations, while families also draw upon cultural, familial, and community strengths. This conceptual article proposes a trauma-informed expressive arts model for school social workers that integrates intergenerational trauma and resilience, SAMHSA’s six trauma-informed principles (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2014), and multimodal expressive arts. Structured workshops aim to strengthen family-school relationships, parent-child connection, and educational advocacy. Expressive arts are used as engagement strategies rather than psychotherapy or formal expressive arts therapy.