Amigas de la Comunidad

Along with university -based faculty and students, Latina immigrant mothers comprise the Amigas de la Comunidad community advisory board (CAB), which is situated in northern Virginia. Since it's founding in 2014, the CAB’s leadership has enabled important research and action initiatives focused on family well-being, access to resources, and immigrant rights. 

 Community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) is an approach to conducting research by equitably partnering researchers and those directly affected by and knowledgeable of local circumstances. To inform research design, implementation, and dissemination, this approach challenges academic and community partners to invest in team building, share resources, and mutually exchange ideas and expertise. The goal is that community partners ultimately lead or guide all aspects of the work.

Specifically, CBPAR creates community-driven partnerships that build trusted relationships “from the community up” to:

• Redress history of scientific racism
• Generate community-owned data through rigorous research methods
• Take action steps to address community needs
• Inform policy decisions and practices

We celebrated the end of the year and holiday season by getting together and wrapping presents for our Annual Holiday Gift Giving!

We delivered Padres Ayudando a Padres: Construyendo Familias Fuertes [Parents Helping Parents:  Building Strong Families], a seven-session parenting group designed to with, by, and for immigrant parents to support (1) parenting skills, (2) resources/advocacy, and (3) parents’ mental health. 

Our work was featured in the media: 

• Mason Researchers Support Local School Communities through Decade-long Collaboration 
• Research Remix Podcast, Amigas de la Comunidad and Community-based Participatory Action Research 

Articles 

• Hernandez Dubon, R., Letiecq, B.L., Chaplin, T., Vesely, C.K., Goodman, R., & Marquez, M. (2024). Immigration-related stress, depression, and parental self-sacrifice among undocumented Central American immigrant mothers. Family Relations. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13106  
•  Vesely, C. K., Letiecq, B., Davis, E., Goodman, R., DeMulder, E., Marquez, M., & Amigas de la Comunidad. (2024). “The spirit of a fighter”: Mixed‐status Latine immigrant families' experiences during COVID. Family Relations, 73(3), 1483-1500.  

Presentations

• Tohara Nakamatsu, M., Goodman, R. D., & Amigas de la Comunidad. (2024, November 14-16). Developing parent support groups with and for Latine immigrant families: A participatory action research approach [Poster presentation]. Virginia Counselors Association Annual Convention, Hampton Roads, VA, United States. 
• Goodman, R. D., Tohara Nakamatsu, M., Vesely, C. V., Letiecq, B., & Amigas de la Comunidad. (2024,November 14-16). “We are strong fighters”: Understanding trauma and resilience during COVID-19among Latine immigrant mothers [Conference presentation]. Virginia Counselors Association Annual Convention, Hampton Roads, VA, United States. 
• Vesely, C.K., Letiecq, B.L., Goodman, R.D., Marquez, M. (2024, November 20-23). Working in partnership with Amigas de la Comunidad to conduct family-based health research: What does this mean to you? In D. Hernandez (chair) & C. Vesely (facilitator) Conducting Health Research with Immigrant and Indigenous Families: Ensuring Culturally Responsive Methods, Measures, and Meaning Making. National Council on Family Relations Annual Meeting. Bellevue: WA. 
•  Democratizing information: Using Community Coding in Qualitative Data Analysis. CEHD Symposium 2024. 
• Tohara Nakamatsu, M., & Goodman, R. (2024, March). Building a Support group for immigrant parents with immigrant parents. A CBPAR project. Poster presentation at ARIE National Conference. Fairfax, VA.  

We celebrated the end of the continued our Annual Holiday Gift Giving and present wrapping!

We received a grant to fund creation of parent support group:

• Goodman, R. D., Vesely, C.K, Stone, V., & Letiecq, B. (2022). Developing Community-Driven Support for Central American Immigrant Mothers during COVID-19 through the Lens of Intersectional Trauma and Resilience. Seed Grant, College of Education and Human Development, George Mason University.  

Presentations

•  Grodi, L.L., & Vesely, C.K. (2022, April). Teacher-family communication among Latinx communities during the pandemic. National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Virtual Meeting. 
• Goodman, R.D., Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., & Feliciano, V.Q. (2022). Intersectional trauma, resilience & support for Central American immigrant mothers. Paper presentation at the American Counseling Association meeting.  
• Dubon Hernández, R.E., Letiecq, B., Chaplin, T. M., Vesely, C. K., Goodman, R. D., & Marquez, M. (2022, May). Do symptoms of depression mediate the association between environmental/structural stress and parenting behaviors in undocumented Latina mothers? Poster presented at the 2022 special topic meeting: Constructing the other, Society for Research in Child Development, Rio Grande, PR. 

Publications

•  Letiecq, B., Vesely, C.K., & Goodman, R. (2022). Participatory action research with, by, and for families. In K. Adamson, A Few-Demo, C. Proulx and K. Roy (Eds.), Sourcebook of Family Theories and Methodologies. Springer.  
•  Letiecq, B.L., Davis, E., Vesely, C.K., Goodman, R.D., Zeledon, D., & Marquez, M. (2022). Central American immigrant mothers’ narratives of intersecting oppressions: A resistant knowledge project. Journal of Marriage and Family, https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12854.  

We documented experiences of families during COVID-19 and advocating for supports needed in the community. This resulted in meaningful changes to how food was distributed by the local school district. 

We worked with out school partners to help facilitate Family Chats to support parents in the community during COVID. The workshops helped parents with strategies to bolster their children's socio-emotional wellbeing during stressful times.

We began our Annual Holiday Gift Giving for families in the community who would have difficulty getting presents for their children during the holiday season. 

Presentations

• Davis, E., Letiecq, B., Vesely, C.K., Goodman, R., Leyva, K., & Marquez, M. (2020, April). Community-University Partnerships to Improve Service Delivery to Undocumented Communities. UNDOCU 2.0 Conference: Centering Voices, Innovating Partnerships, and Enacting Resistance in Precarious Times. Cal State University Long Beach. 
•  Goodman, R. D., Letiecq, B.L, Vesely, C.K., & Davis, E. (2020, August). Addressing health disparities among low income undocumented Central American immigrants from a community-based perspective. In R. Talleyrand (Chair), Undocumented Latinx immigrant populations: Current research, practice and social justice implications. Paper symposium conducted at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, Washington, DC. 
•  Letiecq, B.L, Goodman, R., Davis, E., Zeledon, D., Vesely, C.K, & Marques, M. (November 2020). “If you don’t have papers, you don’t have rights”: Critical consciousness among Central American immigrant mothers in an anti-immigrant era. Submitted to the National Council on Family Relations, November. St. Louis, Missouri. (Virtual Format due to COVID) 
•  Vesely, C.K., Marquez, M., DeMulder, E.K., & Letiecq, B.L., & Goodman, R.D. (December 2020). What does this mean to you? Co-constructing meaning of early care and education experiences through community qualitative data analysis. In J. Barnes Najor, Engaging community partners in analyzing early education and care data. Paper symposium at National Research Conference on Early Childhood biennial meeting. Washington, DC. (virtual format due to COVID) 

Publication

•  Letiecq, B.L., Leyva, K., Marquez, M., Vesely, C.K, & Goodman, R. (2020). Shifting the burden of resilience: Working in partnership with Latinx immigrant families for systems change. NCFR Report. National Council on Family Relations: Minneapolis, MN.  

Grant

• Melchior, S., & Goodman, R. D.(2020).Experiences of high school students from immigrant families during the coronavirus crisis. Virginia Counseling Association Foundation (VCAF) 

We held legal workshops to support immigrant rights. We hosted wonderful volunteers and community partners in the community to provide supports to community members. 

 Publications 

• Vesely, C. K., Letiecq, B. L., Goodman, R. D., Marquez, M., Alves, L., Lazo, W. E., & Martinez, R. C. (2018). What does this mean to you? Partnering with Amigas de la Comunidad to analyze the housing conditions of undocumented Latina immigrants. In How Qualitative Data Analysis Happens (pp. 112-127). Routledge. 

Grant 

• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., DeMulder, E., & Goodman, R.D. (2018). Collaborative data analyses and data dissemination in partnership with two Alexandria communities. Bruhn Morris Family Foundation, $56,388. Role: Co-PI 

Presentations 

• Vesely, C.K., Letiecq., B.L., Goodman, R.D., Marquez, M., Cabrera, M., & Amigas de la Comunidad. (2018, February). What does this mean to you? Collaborative data analysis in partnership with Amigas de la Comunidad. In S. Barrueco & M. Lopez, Culturally grounded methods to advance an equity lens in early childhood care and education research. Paper symposium at the Child Care and Early Education Policy and Research Consortium annual meeting. Washington, DC. 
• Vesely, C.K., Letiecq, B.L., & Goodman, R.D. (2018, March). Community-based participatory research with refugee and immigrant women Trauma, stress, and resilience. Presentation for the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning focused on Equity, Inclusion, Culturally, and Linguistically Responsive Practices workgroup. 
• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., & Goodman, R.D. (2018, March). Latina immigrant and African American families living in Alexandria. George Washington Middle School. Alexandria, VA.
• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., Goodman, R.D., & DeMulder. (2018, April). Community-engaged research to action in Alexandria: Updates on Amigas de la Comunidad & the African American families project. Alexandria Early Childhood Education Working Group. 
• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K, Goodman, R., & DeMulder, E., (2018, May). CBPR with immigrant and refugee families: Ecosystemic trauma, stress, and resilience. Child and Family Network Center, Alexandria, VA. 
• Vesely, C.K., DeMulder, E., Letiecq, B.L., Marquez, M., Davis, E., Sansbury, A., Goodman, R.D., & Amigas de la Comunidad. (2018, November). Entrusting care of the margins: Undocumented Latinas’ search for child care. Poster presentation at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA. 
• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., & Goodman, R.D. (2018, November). The problem of illegality: “Doing” family under deportation threat. Paper presentation at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA.  
• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., & Goodman, R.D. (2018, November). Addressing the mental health of undocumented Latina immigrants from Central America: A community-based, ecosystemic approach. Paper presentation at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA.  

 We held a donation drive to provide needed clothing items and toys for families in the community. We worked with out school-based partners to facilitate  a Community Registration Day in the community to ensure it was accessible. Families were able to register their children for school, receive physicals and vaccines required to enroll in school, and receive to health and educational supports. 

 Grant 

• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., & Goodman, R.D. (2016). Amigas de la Comunidad: Promoting the health and well-being of Alexandria’s immigrant families. Bruhn Morris Family Foundation.

Presentations 

• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., Goodman, R.D., & DeMulder, E. (2016). Latina immigrants in Alexandria: Vulnerabilities and promise. Presentation to the Office of Youth Services, City of Alexandria, Alexandria, VA. 
• Goodman, R.D., Letiecq, B.L., & Vesely, C.K. (2016, January). Latino immigrants in Alexandria: Experiences, needs, and ecosystemic resilience. Presentation to Best Practices Court of Alexandria. Alexandria. Virginia. 
• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., Goodman, R.D., & DeMulder, E. (2016, March). Latina immigrants in Alexandria: Vulnerabilities and promise. Presentation to Alexandria Early Childhood Education Working Group. Alexandria, Virginia.  
• Goodman, R. D., Letiecq, B. L., & Vesely, C. K. (2016, March). Using CBPR with refugee and immigrant women: Trauma, stress and resilience. Paper presented at the American Counseling Association Annual Meeting. Montréal, Canada. 
• Goodman, R. D., Vesely, C. K., & Letiecq, B. (2016, March). Critical resistance and resilience among refugee and immigrant women: Buffering institutional betrayal trauma. Poster presented at the American Counseling Association Annual Meeting. Montréal, Canada. 
• Moron, L., Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., & Goodman, R. (2016, May). Undocumented and vulnerable: Central American immigrant mothers’ well-being. Poster presented at CEHD Student Research Symposium, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. [Received Outstanding Presentation Award from CEHD] 
• Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., Goodman, R., & Demulder, E. (2016, August). Latina immigrants in Alexandria: Building connections for better outcomes. Alexandria City Public Schools, Child Find and Early Childhood Special Education Services. Alexandria, VA.  
• Letiecq, B.L., & Vesely, C.K. (2016, October). Immigrant families in Alexandria. IMPACT early Care and Education Forum. Alexandria, VA.  
• Vesely, C.K., Letiecq, B.L., Goodman, R.D., Marquez, M., & Leyva, K. (2016, November). Partnering with undocumented immigrant families for health and justice. Paper presented at NCFR Annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
• Moron, L., Letiecq, B., Vesely, C.K., & Goodman, R. (2016, November). Undocumented and vulnerable: Central American immigrant mothers’ well-being. Poster presented at NCFR Annual meeting, Minneapolis, MN. 

Working with community partners, our university-based research team begam meeting with community members and identified a group of individuals who were committed to working for the wellbeing of their community. Amigas de la Comunidad was born, and our partnership began!

We were delighted to receive grant funding from the Bruhn Morris Family Foundation! This grant enabled us to build the community advisory board and begin our partnership, with an initial focus on supporting families with young children. 

•  Letiecq, B.L., Vesely, C.K., DeMulder, E., Stribling, S., & Ginsberg, M.R. (2014). Early childhood care and education for vulnerable families in Alexandria: Building strategic partnerships through community-engaged research. Bruhn Morris Family Foundation.