Immigrant Mothers of Color,Pastoral Theology,and the Law

The idealization of motherhood is based on a white, heterosexual, middle-class, and married woman. This has caused problems for most women, especially for women of color. I examine these problems and how the law should address the expectations that are associated with the status of motherhood. I also introduce the current conversation on caretaking among feminist legal theorists. I focus on Martha Fineman’s arguments on the public nature of caretaking work, which includes public assistance to women who care for children as well as dismantling the institution of marriage. I argue that a feminist pastoral and legal theoretical analysis also needs to engage in a patri-kyriarchal analysis that examines issues of citizenship for immigrant women of color.