Abstract
It is estimated that the number of Latina/o immigrants who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) is nearly one million, with a quarter of them living as undocumented in the US (Center for American Progress, 2013). However, no statistic currently exists on the exact number of LGBTQ Latina/o immigrants residing in the US, which may be related to a lack of sexual orientation and gender identity questions on the US. Census as well as the fear many LGBTQ individuals face with “outing” themselves in a formal manner. While representation and consideration of LGBTQ Latina/o needs remains a serious issue, there is even less known about transgender Latina/os, especially those who are migrants to the US. The severe paucity of scholarship and theory in the mental health field on this community is especially troublesome when you consider the severe marginalization many members of this community face, including death for their gender expression (Anderson, 2010; Chávez 2010 ; Seuffert, 2009) and the types and amount of mental health resources needed to provide adequate emotional support and advocacy. As a direct response to this lack of focus in the mental health field, this chapter provides an ecologically based case study analysis of one woman’s life experiences as a transgender immigrant Latina, which involves her migration to the US from Honduras as a means to access resources and community support related to her transgender identity.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Counseling Association. (2010). Competencies for counseling with transgender clients. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 4, pp. 135–139.
American Psychological Association (2011). Guidelines for psychological practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Anderson, L. (2010). Punishing the innocent: How the classification of male-to-femaletransgender individuals in immigration detention constitutes illegal punishment under the fifth amendment. Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice, 25 (1), pp. 1–31.
Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in Counseling (2009). Competencies for Counseling with Transgender Clients . Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Bronfenbrenner U. (1979). The ecology of human development . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Cantú, L. (2009). The sexuality of migration: Border crossings and Mexican immigrant men . New York: New York University Press.
Center for American Progress (2013). Retrieved from http://www.ameri-canprogress.org/issues/immigration/report/2013/04/03/59040/the-facts-on-immigration-today-3/#population (July 14, 2013).
Center for Disease Control (2008). HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 2006, 2008 . Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5640a4. htm?s_cid=mm5640a4_e (July 14, 2013).
Cerezo, A., O’Neil, M.E. & McWhirter, B.T. (2009). Counseling Latina/o students from an ecological perspective: Working with Peter. Journal of College Counseling, 12, pp. 170–181.
Chávez, K. R. (2010). Border (in) securities: Normative and differential belonging in LGBTQ and immigrant rights discourse. Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, 7(2), pp. 136–155.
Conyne, R.K. & Cook, E.P. (2004). Ecological counseling an innovative approach to conceptualizing person-environment interaction. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Cook, E.P., O’Brien, K.M. & Heppner, M.J. (2004). Career counseling from an ecological perspective. In R.K. Conyne & E.P. Cook (Eds.), Ecological counseling an innovative approach to conceptualizing person-environment interaction (pp. 219–241). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Chronister, K.M., McWhirter, B.T. & Kerewsky, S.D. (2004). Counseling and ecological prevention practice. In R.K. Conyne & E.P. Cook (Eds.), Ecological counseling: An innovative approach to conceptualizing person-environment interaction, (pp. 315–338). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Crowther, J.R. (Ed.) (1995). ELISA: theory and practice, 42 . Springer.
Espín, O.M. (1997). Crossing borders and boundaries: The lives of narratives of immigrant lesbians. In B. Greene (Ed.), Ethnic and cultural diversity among lesbians and gay men (pp. 191–215). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Espín, O.M. (1999). Women Crossing Boundaries a psychology of immigration and transformations of sexuality. New York: Routledge.
Gainor, K.A. (2000). Including transgender issues in lesbian, gay and bisexual psychology. Education, research, and practice in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-gendered psychology: A resource manual, 5, pp. 131–160.
Greene, B. (1994). Lesbian women of color: Triple jeopardy. In L. Comas-Diaz & B. Greene (Eds.), Women of Color: Integrating ethnic and gender identities in psychotherapy (pp. 389–427). New York: Guildford Press.
Huffington Post (2012). Joe Biden: Transgender discrimination is ‘The Civil Rights Issue Of Our Time.’
Immigration Equality Inc. (2012). Retrieved from http://immigrationequality.org/issues/transgender/ (August 31, 2013).
Morales, A., Corbin-Gutierrez, E.E. & Wang, S.C. (2013). Latino, immigrant, and gay: A qualitative study of their adaptation and transition. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 7, pp. 125–142.
Morales, E. (2013). Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender immigrants in the United States. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 7, pp. 172–184.
O’Neil, M.E., McWhirter, E.H. & Cerezo, A. (2008). Transgender Identities and Gender Variance in Vocational Psychology Recommendations for Practice, Social Advocacy, and Research. Journal of Career Development, 34, pp. 286–308.
Pew Hispanic Center (2012). Retrieved from http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/12/06/unauthorized-immigrants-11–1-million-in-2011/ (July 14, 2013).
Reynolds, V., Falger, V. & Vine, I. (1987). The Sociobiology of ethnocentrism: evolutionary dimensions of xenophobia, discrimination, racism, and nationalism. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.
Ritter, K.Y. & Terndrup, A.I. (2002). Handbook of affirmative psychotherapy with lesbians and gay men. New York: Guildford Press.
Sangganjanavanich, V.F. & Cavazos JR, J. (2010). Workplace aggression: Toward social justice and advocacy in counseling for transgender individuals. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 4, pp. 187–201.
Santiago-Rivera, A.L., Arredondo, P. & Gallardo-Cooper, M. (2002). Counseling Latinos and la familia . Sherman Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Seuffert, N. (2009). Reflections on transgender immigration. Griffith Law Review18 (3), 428–452.
Sausa, L.A., Keatley, J. & Operario, D. (2007). Perceived risks and benefits of sex work among transgender women of color in San Francisco. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36, pp. 768–777.
Suarez-Orozco, C. & Suarez-Orozco, M.M. (2001). Children of immigration . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Suarez-Orozco, C., Suarez-Orozco, M. M. & Tordova, I. (2008). Learning in a new land: Immigrant students in American society . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (2011). Injustice at every turn . Washington, DC: Author.
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (2012). Retrieved from http://www.avp.org/storage/documents/ncavp_2012_hvreport_final.pdf (August 31, 2013).
Transgender Europe (2009). Trans murder monitoring project. Retrieved from http://www.transrespect-transphobia.org/en/tvt-project/tmm-results/liminalis-2009.htm (July 14, 2013).
Yakushko, O.F., Watson, M. & Thompson, S. (2008). Stress and Coping in the lives of recent immigrants and refugees: Consideration for counseling. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 30, pp. 167–178.
Yakushko, O.F., Backhaus, A., Watson, M., Ngaruiya, K. & Gonzales, J. (2008). Career development concerns of recent immigrants and refugees. Journal of Career Development, 34, pp. 362–396.
Yakushko, O.F. & Chronister, K.M. (2005). Immigrant women and counseling: The invisible others. Journal of Counseling and Development, 83, pp. 292–298.
U.S. Census Bureau (2011). Educational attainment of the population by 25 years and over by sex and Hispanic origin type: 2009. Current population survey, annual social and economic supplement, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/popula-tion/www/socdemo/hispanic/cps2009.html (July 14, 2013).
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2015 Danielle Quintero , Alison Cerezo, Alejandro Morales and Stephanie Rothman
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Quintero, D., Cerezo, A., Morales, A., Rothman, S. (2015). Supporting Transgender Immigrant Latinas: The Case of Erika. In: Espín, O.M., Dottolo, A.L. (eds) Gendered Journeys: Women, Migration and Feminist Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137521477_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137521477_9
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-70550-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-52147-7
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social Sciences CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)