Relational maintenance among separated Latina/o/x/e immigrant families: exploring the lived experiences of parents and children.

This article examines relational maintenance strategies used by low-income Latina/o/x/e immigrant parents and children before, during, and after migration-related family separation. Using semi-structured interviews with 20 parent–child dyads living in separate countries, the study highlights how cultural values (e.g., familismo, respeto, marianismo, machismo) and structural barriers (e.g., poverty, limited technology access, legal constraints) shape communication patterns and relational continuity. Key findings include parents’ frequent use of intrapersonal strategies to manage emotional distress, fathers often leaving without advance notice to children, children relying on extended family for emotional support, and the complex role of technology in maintaining connection. The study contributes to relational maintenance theory by incorporating marginalized immigrant family perspectives and emphasizing the interplay of cultural norms and structural challenges in sustaining family bonds across distance.