Chapter 5. “It Was Time to Take That Step”: Pursuing Legalization through Marriage

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Tables vii
4. Acknowledgments ix
5. Chapter 1. Forming Families in a Context of Illegality 1
6. Chapter 2. “It’s Because He Wants Papers”: Choosing a Romantic Partner 23
7. Chapter 3. “You Feel a Little Bit Less”: Gendered Illegality and Desirability When Dating 45
8. Chapter 4. “It Affects Us, Our Future”: Negotiating Illegality as a Mixed-Status Couple 69
9. Chapter 5. “It Was Time to Take That Step”: Pursuing Legalization through Marriage 90
10. Chapter 6. “It’s a Constant Struggle”: Becoming and Being Parents 115
11. Chapter 7. “I Can’t Offer Them What Other People Could”: Multigenerational Punishment of Citizen Children 135
12. Chapter 8. Immigration Policy and the Future of Latino Families 157
13. Appendix A. Reflections on Methods and Positionality 171
14. Appendix B. Demographic Characteristics of Study Participants 179
15. NOTES 189
16. References 201
17. INDEX 221