"My Mother Went to Prison, but I Am Carrying the Sentence Too": The Experience of Parental Incarceration on Chicano Men

Abstract

This thesis explores the persistent effects- the emotional, social, and developmental impacts of parental incarceration on Chicano men that experienced parental incarceration during childhood. Drawing from my experience of having both parents incarcerated throughout childhood to adulthood, I mindfully use this lens to conduct this qualitative study that focuses on the voices of twenty Chicano men primarily from Southern California, half of which are formerly incarcerated, through in-depth, semi-structured interview/plática sessions. Using Intersectional Criminology, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Life Course Theory, and Secondary Prisonization as theoretical frameworks, this research examines how parental incarceration shaped participants' sense of identity, relationships, educational experiences, coping mechanisms, and fatherhood. These findings are organized into four central themes: Loss of Innocence, The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Adulthood, Family Reconciliation, and Resilience and Healing. Participants reflected on generational trauma, experiences with their own incarceration, and the multifaceted toll it had on them throughout their life course. This study can contribute to the literature on the detrimental immediate and long-term