Sanchez Family Case Files

Hector Sanchez

Man, Husband, Father, Immigrant, Latino

Client History

Hector is the family patriarch of the Sanchez family. He came to this country in 1979 as a young, undocumented agricultural worker. For years, Hector endured long separations from his wife, who was also alone in Mexico, struggling to raise their young children—none of whose births Hector was able to witness. In 1986, encouraged by the passage of law allowing for a federal amnesty program, Hector applied for and was given a green card, making him a legal, permanent resident. He then applied for the same status on behalf of his wife and the children they had at the time. After waiting additional years for the processing, Celia and the children reunited with Hector in the United States. Their subsequent children were born in the U.S. after Hector left agricultural work, in pursuit of more stable employment in construction. Hector has never become a citizen. Although that has been a lifelong goal of his, Hector has never felt that he could take the time off work to study for the test, nor that the increasing application fee was something his family could readily afford. Hector often works six days per week, particularly as the housing market has experienced construction labor shortages and rising demand. However, Hector’s health is not what it once was (he now has diabetes and high blood pressure), and his job is physically demanding, which may limit the number of years he can expect to work. Having suffered much discrimination and having been victimized by hate crimes in his early years in the United States—when he was often subject to ugly slurs and accusations—Mr. Sanchez is deeply proud that he has never asked for public assistance. To get by on the family’s limited income, Mr. Sanchez skips lunch regularly, a serious problem for someone with diabetes.

Client Concerns

• Hector is worried about what will happen to his family when he can no longer work at his physically demanding job, particularly because he has been working outside the Social Security system for much of his career.
• Even working full-time, Hector is unable to meet all his family’s needs in the way that he would like. Their house is small for the number of residents living there, and this adds to his stress.
• Roberto’s presence in the house, and his undocumented status, worries Hector. He is not sure what this could mean for his family, especially since the state in which the family lives has considered legislation that would empower local law enforcement, educators, social services, and other personnel to take on immigration enforcement duties.

Goals For Client

Keep these goals in mind throughout your analysis

Clearly review Hector’s strengths and talents and help him assess whether there is any employment available that might be less physically taxing for his health

Discuss with Celia his feelings about the crowded conditions of the house, with the goal of getting Celia to cooperate in finding a place where Roberto can safely stay

Assess the severity of his health concerns and discuss the importance of stress reduction and healthy nutrition

Begin the process of pursuing citizenship for Hector

Critical Questions to Consider

• How might the Sanchez family’s lives have been different if he had come to the U.S. just a few years later than he did? How have immigration policies shaped their family’s journey? You can learn more about the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986—the policy under which Hector obtained his green card—from the Migration Policy Institute https://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/legalization-historical.pdf.
• How have experiences with discrimination and bias-fueled harassment affected Hector? How might the recent increases in hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment affect Hector’s mental and physical well-being, in light of this history? How could you explore these dynamics with him?
• How do the eligibility rules for means-tested income supports in the U.S.—like SNAP—contribute to the stigma that people like Hector feel when contemplating receiving such assistance? What messages has Hector absorbed about this kind of help, and what does this say about stereotypes about low-income people in the U.S.? Try searching for “stigma and SNAP” to see how organizations that address hunger in the U.S. are trying to combat these perceptions.

Junior Sanchez

Son, Husband, Father, Latino

Client History

Junior is the oldest child, married to Lola, and the father of four children, aged two to ten. He lives close to his parents and works in the same job as his father. Junior was already in school when he, his mother, and his siblings reunited with their father in the U.S., and he took to school quickly, learning English and earning good grades. Encouraged by his successes, Junior and his parents expected he would be the first in his family to go to college. However, the tension between the need to bring honor to the family through his academic achievements and the reality that money was needed to support everyone prevented him from pursuing higher education. Although he is older now, and with responsibilities of his own, Jr. is still motivated to go to college and has been taking classes as he can at the local community college. When he graduates from there, he hopes to go to the university close by.

Client Concerns

• While Junior’s job is secure for now, given the hot construction market and the desirability of his bilingual skills and high school diploma, he does not want to stay in manual labor, particularly as he sees the strains this has put on his father’s health.
• Junior lacks a college education, but increasing college costs and reductions in available student aid combine to make his goals of obtaining a four-year degree difficult. Additionally, he finds it hard to make time for studies, on top of his other responsibilities, and the college’s shift to online instruction was not a good fit for his learning needs.

Goals For Client

Keep these goals in mind throughout your analysis

• Learn more about college programs available in the area for Junior and the loan and grant programs that might finance his education
• Explore employment options for Lola, Junior’s wife, including childcare resources if Lola wants to work outside the home and/or home-based business options, if she wants to continue to stay home.

Critical Questions to Consider

• How might Junior’s experiences with his family of origin influence his consideration of his future? How could you engage Lola in the helping process, as you support Junior?
• What types of policy changes would make college more affordable and, therefore, more within the reach of students like Junior? What ideas seem to have the most traction in today’s policy debates, and what would help Junior the most?
• What types of income supports might Junior’s family be eligible for—the Earned Income Tax Credit, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, expanded Child Tax Credits? What would you need to know about Junior’s family—income, state of residence, tax-filing status—in order to determine exactly what they could receive?

Emilia Sanchez

Daughter of Celia and Hector, Sister of Junior, Vicki, Gloria, Alejandro and Carmen

Client History

As the eldest daughter, Emilia spent a great deal of her childhood helping her mother take care of the siblings and helping with the housework. Until the age of 14, she was a quiet, compliant child. At that point, however, Emilia began to change. Her mother did not know why and was too overwhelmed by the care of the younger children and the difficulties of adjusting to a new country and new cultural context to pay close attention, and her father was working a great deal. However, this is the point at which Emilia began an involvement with drugs, which continues to the present. Emilia is the mother of Joey, described below. Following the birth of Joey, as she struggled with substance use disorder, Emilia became pregnant again. After much anguish, but with great resolve, Emilia had an abortion. This has resulted in an estrangement from her family: in particular, her parents believe that she has committed a mortal sin and do not want her around their home.

Client Concerns

• Emilia has been unable to complete treatment for addiction, despite an authentic desire to stop using drugs. It is often difficult for Emilia to secure a treatment spot quickly, when she is motivated to change, and the few treatment programs she has experienced have seldom been culturally-consistent with her identities or fully evidence-based.
• Because of her substance use history, Emilia lacks consistent work history. She did finish high school, but she has rarely worked since.
• As a Lawful Permanent Resident, Emilia’s drug problems could result in her judgment as a person of ‘poor moral character’, which, under U.S. immigration law, could result in denial of an application for U.S. citizenship, or even her deportation. While Hector and Celia do not understand these risks well, Emilia’s siblings, especially Junior and Alejandro, have a better sense of the potential repercussions if Emilia is arrested for drug offenses, but they do not know how to help their sister.
• Emilia is separated from her family due to their rejection of her following her abortion, leaving her with a limited social support system.

Goals For Client

Keep these goals in mind throughout your analysis

• Emilia needs to find a drug treatment program that will provide the guidance and supervision required to enable her to get and remain sober.
• Emilia wants to reestablish a relationship with her family.
• In the future, Emilia needs to secure training that would allow her to find a job that pays enough to support Joey and herself.
• Emilia needs ongoing therapeutic support to manage her recovery and effectively parent.

Critical Questions to Consider

• How have Emilia’s identities, as a woman, Latina, migrant, and mother, contributed to her unique experiences with substance use disorder and recovery? How might these dimensions be leveraged as strengths, to support Emilia’s pursuit of her goals?
• Substance use disorder treatment is expensive, and, unless an individual is court-ordered to attend, it is difficult to find affordable options. Since Emilia does not have health insurance coverage, how could she obtain the treatment she needs? What options are available, if Emilia was in your community? How might you use a case like Emilia’s to advocate for expansion of substance use disorder treatment options? What messages and arguments could convince policymakers of the importance of these investments?
• How have changing attitudes about drugs and drug use altered the landscape for someone like Emilia, who is struggling with substance use disorder? How might your work with Emilia be different today, compared to a few decades ago?
• Emilia has little contact with Joey’s father, who she runs into only sporadically. Is she entitled to child support to help meet Joey’s financial needs? As Joey’s guardians, are her parents entitled to such assistance? Who could you turn to for help navigating the court system?

Vicki Sanchez

Daughter, Sister, Latina, Person with a Disability

Client History

When Vicki was 11, social workers from Child Protective Services visited the Sanchez house. Their identified client was actually Emilia; her problems had been brought to their attention by the school. But during that visit, they noted that Vicki’s behavior, which included repetitive motions and a failure to respond to her environment, warranted further assessment. They spoke with Vicki’s school and discovered that Vicki had, in fact, been attending special classes for students with disabilities. However, Vicki had not received therapeutic or developmental intervention—in or outside of school—to support her optimal functioning. Mrs. Sanchez, while aware of a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, seemed unaware of its ramifications. Speaking through Jr. at the time, she told the social workers that Vicki had been “touched,” but that she was still able to go to school and that “the other children help her.” As Vicki aged out of the school system, Celia directed her attention to Vicki’s care management, focusing on making her comfortable and keeping her content. This often means long hours in front of the television, although Vicki can also help with some household tasks and particularly enjoys working in her mother’s garden.

Client Concerns

• Uncertainty about where Vicki will live when her parents are no longer able to take care of her
• Conflict between Vicki's parents over her ability to work (and little insight into Vicki’s preferences for how she spends her days)
• Lack of information about continuing educational or training services for Vicki as an adult
• Lack of companions outside her immediate family

Goals For Client

Keep these goals in mind throughout your analysis

• Develop a plan that will outline Vicki’s future and prepare for the time when her parents are no longer able to care for her.
• Move Vicki toward greater independence as she is able, involving Vicki as much as possible in these decisions.
• Find appropriate outside resources for Vicki, such as group homes, activity centers, and supported employment, to help her navigate adulthood and build strong relationships beyond her immediate family.

Critical Questions to Consider

• Even if Mrs. Sanchez becomes convinced that Vicki could thrive in a group residential placement, these services for people who are developmentally disabled often have waiting lists. Since Mrs. Sanchez is unlikely to agree to group home placement for Vicki if there is uncertainty about whether the resources will be there to continue this going forward, investigate the status in your state. Is there a waiting list for these services?
• Early intervention is critical in supporting maximal functioning for those with autism, but, in Vicki’s case, services were delayed for a few years after initial diagnosis, because, as a non-citizen, Vicki was not eligible for Medicaid for her first five years as a Lawful Permanent Resident. This Medicaid change dates to 1996 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. What were the arguments for this legislation at the time? How might you respond, in a case like Vicki’s? How are similar arguments playing out today, about immigrants’ eligibility for essential services?
• What legislative changes have been made in recent years to provide greater support for individuals with autism and their families? See the Department of Health and Human Services’ resources regarding the Combating Autism Act (https://www.hhs.gov/autism/factsheet_autism_support.html) for more information.

Gloria Sanchez

Daughter, Sister, Wife, Latina, Survivor

Client History

Gloria lives near her parents, with her husband, Leo. Leo and Gloria have been together for so long that everyone thinks of him as part of the family. Gloria’s sister, Carmen (see below), visits Gloria often at her house. For some time, Carmen has been concerned because Leo hits Gloria, often in her presence. When this happens, Gloria will send Carmen home. When Carmen returns the next day, she often finds Gloria bruised and cut, and Leo in the house, as if nothing has happened. Since these episodes began, Gloria has come to her parents’ house less and less and has many excuses for not coming over. Carmen has confronted Gloria about the need to get help, but Gloria responds that her relationship with Leo will get better when she stops making him mad.

She has considered divorce, but believes that the Church would not allow it, and she knows that it would be hard on her parents if she defied the Church’s teachings. She is also afraid to call the police, even when Leo becomes violent, because Leo is undocumented. In their community, local law enforcement often collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security, especially in domestic violence cases. As a result, Gloria is afraid that, if she called the police, Leo could end up in deportation proceedings. She wants the violence to stop, but she does not want her husband permanently removed from the United States.

Alejandro Sanchez

Son, Brother, Student, Latino

Client History

Alejandro recently graduated high school and lives at home, where he goes to technical school and works weekends and evenings selling cars. In high school, he was quite popular but something of a loner, primarily excelling in art. Alejandro makes money purely on commissions at his job and works very hard. He is fully bilingual in English and Spanish and is known as a resource for those in the immigrant community looking to purchase a car. He feels deeply obligated to help his parents, who have worked so hard for all of them. Alejandro has always been able to “disappear” into the family because the others were always so focused on more acute problems requiring immediate attention. However, Alejandro has a sense of unhappiness that he has decided to talk about to one of the social workers at the Center that he really likes.

Client Concerns

• Even prior to the pandemic and its effects on his stress and isolation, Alejandro struggled with decreased energy and increased irritability.
• While he makes a good income, Alejandro dislikes his job in car sales and wants to pursue a different career.
• Alejandro has relatively few friends and has never had a romantic relationship. He has questions about his sexuality but did not feel that he fit in on the few occasions he tried out a gay club a few towns away from home.

Goals For Client

Keep these goals in mind throughout your analysis

• Get a full physical, drawing on the insurance coverage he has through his place of business, to determine if there is any physical explanation for how he feels emotionally.
• Explore the possibility of pursuing his artistic interests professionally, including through the completion of additional training and/or preparation of portfolios that could be leveraged into employment.

Critical Questions to Consider

• If Alejandro needs mental health treatment to address his emotional well-being, laws requiring insurance parity for physical and mental health treatment will be instrumental in governing the kind of coverage he has available. What are the federal regulations that require parity? What do parity requirements look like in your state?
• Alejandro is particularly worried about his parents’ economic situation, particularly as he sees his father struggle physically at his job. He knows a fair amount about the U.S. economy and social policy systems from his classes in high school and college, and he wonders if his parents will be eligible for Social Security and Medicare when they reach retirement age. What factors determine if Hector and Celia will receive these social insurance benefits?
• While increasing attention to intersectionality has contributed to more resources for people of color and immigrants who are LGBTQ+, it can be difficult for people to find strong supports at these intersections. In your community, what organizations are working on queer rights within immigrant communities, and vice versa? How might you help Alejandro connect to allies as he navigates his own sexuality?

Carmen Sanchez

Daughter, Sister, Latina, Deaf Person

Client History

As a result of rubella contracted by Celia when she was pregnant, Carmen has a profound hearing impairment. Diagnosed early on when a heavy pan clattered to the floor and she did not respond, social workers were able to assist the family in finding resources to support Carmen’s development. However, the School that Carmen attended taught her American Sign Language (ASL), which her parents do not understand much at all, and which few of her siblings know fluently. Nevertheless, Carmen is very close to her family. Carmen’s school prepared her well for a college curriculum, and Carmen’s teachers are unanimous that she is bright and well-equipped to succeed in higher education. After a great deal of anguish about leaving, Carmen has decided to go to college some distance away. She will be the first child to leave the family’s home community. Carmen is excited about the opportunities in her future and anxious about the changes and how she’ll manage them alone.

Client Concerns

• There is still some uncertainty about the finances of Carmen’s higher education. She does not know the full financial aid package she’ll receive, and she does not know how she’ll afford to travel to and from the school she has chosen (largely for its success in working with and cultivating community around deaf students).
• While she has decided on a university, Carmen is uncertain about her career options. She has few role models of deaf professionals outside educators, and she wants to explore more possibilities.
• Carmen’s close connections to her family members are strained by her impending departure, particularly as they deal with their own anxieties about the distance and uncertainty.

Goals For Client

Keep these goals in mind throughout your analysis

• Help Carmen continue to develop her self-advocacy skills and connect with mentors who can guide her decision-making.
• Support Carmen’s investigation of career options, using your assessment skills to determine areas of strong interest, talent, and skills.

Critical Questions to Consider

• Because Carmen’s parents are not citizens, is she eligible for federal financial aid? What are the rules regarding financial aid eligibility for immigrant students?
• What supports does your higher educational institution provide to first-generation college students like Carmen? For students with disabilities? What kinds of modifications and assistance could Carmen expect to receive if she enrolled at your college? How might these influence the likelihood of her college success?
• How could you engage with Carmen separately, Celia and Hector as her parents, and with the entire family unit, as they face this large change in their lives?

Joey Sanchez

Child, Son, Grandson, Nephew

Client History

Joey Sanchez, age 4, is a happy, healthy child who loves Lego and stories about the Incredible Hulk. He loves it when his Uncle Alejandro (whom he calls Ayo) reads to him from the latest adventures of the Hulk and can often be found in front of the television, watching old reruns of the adventures of the Hulk. When Joey was born , he displayed signs of drug exposure. This prompted the social worker at the hospital to take Joey into custody. Until his first court hearing when he was three months old, Joey was in foster care. During this time, his mother, Emilia, was remanded to drug treatment, which she only partially completed. His father was nowhere to be found. Thus, Joey was placed in kinship care with his grandparents, where he remains. His grandparents are in the process of adopting Joey since, under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1998, there must be some disposition of Joey’s case. Joey’s mother (Emilia) understands that her life is too unstable for her to be a responsible parent, but she would still like to work towards regaining a parental role in Joey’s life. She has continued to seek regular visitations with Joey during the intervening months, and she is committed to continuing her recovery process so that she can reunite with Joey permanently.

Client Concerns

• While still too young to understand all the dynamics, Joey is a bright, curious, loving child. He is happy at his grandparents’ house and thrives with Celia’s love, but he also feels a bond to Emilia, whose affection for him is authentic and evident.
• Joey will start school in the next several months, and he is anxious about being away from Celia during the school day.

Goals For Client

Keep these goals in mind throughout your analysis

• Joey’s grandparents have every intention of adopting him, while his mother would like to regain custody. These diverging aims create conflict in the Sanchez family.
• All the adults in Joey’s life want to see him have a strong start to his education.

Critical Questions to Consider

• What considerations should the child welfare system take in deciding to whom to award custody of Joey? Does the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1998 provide the child welfare system with guidelines for resolving these kinds of cases?
• What special services might Joey need in school, as he copes with his attachment instabilities and lack of formal pre-kindergarten preparation? How can Celia and Hector best navigate the school resources to advocate for Joey?
• What types of income and social supports would Hector and Celia be eligible for, if they take full custody of Joey? What resources are available to help them as custodial grandparents?

Roberto Salazar

Son, Cousin, Nephew, Immigrant, Latino

Client History

Roberto is a cousin to the Sanchez children and a nephew to Celia. He came to the United States across the border in Texas and is undocumented. As a young boy, he learned enough English from conversing with English-speaking tourists that he has been able, with his uncle’s help, to find day work. Injured during the traumatic border crossing and without adequate medical care in childhood or today, Roberto is plagued by a host of medical problems, including debilitating back pain and poor eyesight. Recently, he fell off a roof he was working on. Had he been in the country legally, he would have certainly received worker’s compensation, but, as it was, he was not even paid for the day’s work he had put in, and he was afraid to say anything to the boss, who was paying him in cash. He worries now that these medical concerns will make it harder for him to secure and keep employment. The Sanchez family is worried too. They are harboring an undocumented worker and do not know what will happen if the immigration authorities find out. Their landlord is very strict about non-family living in the house and tells the family he can charge extra rent if he finds such persons in residence. He insists that this is in the rental contract, but Mrs. Sanchez does not read English, and the contract language is not comprehensible to Mr. Sanchez. At the same time, the Sanchez family cannot imagine putting Roberto out of their house.

Client Concerns

• Roberto’s health makes it difficult for him to work regularly, but he is not eligible for income supports. Even when Roberto’s employers refuse to pay him for work that he has completed, which happens fairly frequently, he is afraid to complain, because he thinks that his employers know that he is in the country illegally and may report him.
• Roberto is unable to receive medical care except in the event of true life-threatening emergencies, due to his status as an undocumented worker.
• Roberto knows that he is increasing the crowding in the Sanchez household and he wants to take the pressure off them by finding his own place to live, but he does not know how he can afford this, or whether he can even sign a contract as an undocumented immigrant.
• Roberto would like to legalize his status in the U.S. He does not know if this is even possible, and he does not know how to start this process.

Goals For Client

Keep these goals in mind throughout your analysis

• Find a job that produces as little strain on his health as possible.
• Explore any options to pursue legal immigration status.
• Find some help for his medical problems, through a medical service that will not ask him questions about his immigration status.
• Stay out of the way of the landlord, who is unaware of his presence in the home, or, ideally, find alternative housing.

Critical Questions to Consider

• What legal remedies does Roberto have when his employers fail to pay him? Does he have a right to be paid, since he does not have work authorization in the U.S.? What about his workplace injury; are undocumented workers entitled to the same health and safety protections as citizen workers? To workers’ compensation? What organizations might be able to help Roberto in these situations?
• What health care resources are available to immigrants, without regard to their immigration status? How have recent changes--including those catalyzed by the pandemic—affected immigrants’ eligibility for and experiences with health care services in the United States?
• How might someone like Roberto be affected by the passage of federal immigration reform? What types of policy changes would be most beneficial to someone in his situation?