The United States has long served as a refuge for people who seek to escape hunger, poverty, torture, and the oppression of the human spirit in their own countries. However, the issue of immigration in the United States has become a political flashpoint since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The sacralization of the tragedy has served to paint all immigrants with the same fear-ladened brush, and has marginalized and stereotyped an already vulnerable population. Today, more than ever, immigrants in the United States face increasing stressors as they try to assimilate in a politically charged post 9/11 world. To be an effective social worker, immigration issues and multicultural awareness is critical. Mary and Mario, a couple who …show more content…
The journey of many immigrants is characterized by trauma prior to, during, and following migration. They may be escaping hunger, war, poverty, or torture in their native country. The decision to migrate to host country is not an easy one for most immigrants. People leave behind family members, and often risk their lives to cross borders in order to live a life of freedom and opportunity. Immigrants must endure intolerance and suspicion, while navigating the complexities of assimilating to a language and a culture foreign to their own. If the person enters the country without proper documents, they live in constant fear of being detained and deported. Undocumented immigrants may have to accept jobs far below their skill level, and endure blatant discrimination. If Mario is an immigrant, his volatile behavior may be a result of acculturative stress or immigration trauma
Immigration trauma has different phases, but generally begins years before the individual leaves the country. The person is usually leaving conditions deemed intolerable; poverty, unemployment, and violence, and fear for one's safety are common. The immigrant then has to endure acculturative stress, the loss of social support, and displacement. A recent study asserts that 11% of all immigrant Latinos reported political violence exposure and 76% described additional lifetime traumas (Foster, 2001). Armed with this knowledge, the clinician assessing Mario and Mary would want to screen Mario for trauma,
The topic of immigrants has been debated for centuries, and has been an even larger topic for discussion since the attack on the two towers in 2001. Many people contemplate whether immigrants are a reason to be scared, not; and if so, then why? If one finds themselves asking this conflicting question, Jeremy Adam Smith’s article, Our Fear of Immigrants, provides an answer. Relying on research from psychologists and sociologists, Smith gives sufficient evidence for why immigrants bring such intense feelings of both hatred and compassion, and recommends a way to increase empathy toward them.
In “Our fear of Immigrants” by Jeremy Adam smith, the author recalls a story about a young elementary student that got deported during Christmas break. Immigration has always been a controversial topic in this country. Many have different views on why deportation is beneficial and why it is not. In this instance Rodrigo Guzman’s classmates were saddened and confused about why their classmate and dear friend had gotten sent to another country for no apparent reason. It was something these students didn’t understand since it was a subject they knew nothing about, however, the students knew it was not fair to their friend. Smith wanted to dig deeper on what emotions immigrants bring up in people and why was it
Of those children in the welfare system research shows that 36% of Latino children have at least one immigrant parent (Dettlaff, Earner, & Phillips, 2009). Many studies have shown the need for mental health services among children in the child welfare systems with children of immigrants being particularly vulnerable due added pressures of acculturation. Children in the system usually come to the system due to neglect, abuse, violence, abandonment or parental substance abuse and so usually are in more need of mental health services. Children in foster care were found to be more likely to have one lifetime diagnosed emotional or behavioral problem (63.3%) than children in the general population (45.9%) (Pecura, Jensen, Romanelli, Jackson, & Ortiz, A.,
Immigrants face many struggles, such as working jobs that other people do not want for low wages, being unable to expand their knowledge because of the language barrier. Being in a new country which language you don’t understand is very difficult because it is needed for everything, whether it’s trying to communicate in a public place, work or school. The most horrifying thing an immigrant goes through is being aware that any day or any time they can be deported, knowing that you might not be able to see a loved one again is something no one would want to wish upon anyone. Most Latino immigrants have already started a family here in the US which benefits the child because it means he or she will have more opportunities, but this also means that the parent can possibly be deported and the child left behind because of the child’s birth place. There are many problems that affect immigrant which can lead to major behavioral problems such as sadness, aggression, social withdrawals and psychosocial stressors. Constant discrimination can lead to increased risk of anxiety and depression, therefore; it can make people find a way to cope, reduce or tolerate with the stress in a healthy or
Although most immigrants are Hispanic, at least 11% of the newcomers are from India, Vietnam and China. Immigrants from all over the world come for the same three things: economic, religious, and political freedom. The countries the people have escaped from are riddled with thousands of obstacles ranging from political unrest, religious persecution to poverty and oppression. Hoping for a better life for themselves and their loved ones, immigrants experience multiple trials and unthinkable horrors on their journey towards
Following the 2016 presidential election, the undocumented immigrant communities were anxious about their future in America. A multitude felt distressed, afraid that they would be separated from and would no longer be able to support their family. The level of insecurity within these communities across the country reached its apex. Simply, this phenomenon occurred because people had listened to months of anti-immigrant rhetoric that then-candidate Donald Trump had been spewing. Mass deportation and separation from family and friends were on the minds of many.
The economic stress is also experienced by the children, where they began to pick up more responsibility in the household which can interfere with their school activities. Family relationships also become strained with the deportation of a parent. Derby (2012) also found that “the threat of deportability affected them profoundly”, causing the children stress and worry. This was applicable to U.S citizens as well as undocumented children. This caused children to worry about what to share about their private lives with the fear of people finding out about their parents undocumented status. This also caused conflicts with the child’s self of identity given that some stated to be “proud that either they or their parents were from Mexico, [but] few felt proud that they or their parents were immigrants”(Derby, 2012). It was interesting that parents believed their children didn’t understand legality, which the interviews with children “suggested that young children are aware that there are social differences based on legal status at very young ages even if this was difficult for them to articulate” (Derby,
Latinos represent the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States (Ceballos & Bratton, 2010). According to the U.S. Census (2000) immigrant children under the age of 18 years old make up about 23% of the U.S. population of children. The U.S Census (2000) also reports that immigrant families typically settle in urban areas like New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, California and Illinois. One national survey found that Latino youth were more likely to report feeling sad or hopeless, to consider suicide, and/or to attempt suicide than white and African American youth (Potochnick & Perreira, 2011). Hovey and King (1996) examined rates of acculturative stress,
One grave issue produced from illegal immigration can be family crisis. The statistics express that most families that contains one or more illegal immigrants often have their family separated. Furthermore, many infants are left behind by their parents when attempting to cross the borders. As a result, these innocent children may eventually demonstrate wrenched characteristics in the lack of paternal or maternal love. Enrique is on among such victims, once indulgent in alcohol and drugs as a teenager. Enrique’s experience also suggests that the fissure between the family members may be eternal, as his relationship with his mother never
Over the last quarter of a decade, illegal immigration and enforcement have dominated mainstream policy making (Meisnner, Kerwin, Chishti & Bergeron, 2013). There has been a lot of public debate too, on whether or not the successive governments of the US have been able to effectively address illegal immigration and its enforcement thereof. However, as Meisnner et al. (2013) state, in the wake of the terror attacks of 2001, a paradigm shift appears to have been established, with the enforcement of illegal immigration taking a de facto stance. As such, as Dreby (2012) intimates, the number of immigrants who have been deported or removed from the US since 2001 has risen from 190, 000 to close to 400, 000. Considering the fact that there are more than 11 million illegal immigrants living in America, deportation on such a large scale without a doubt will result in a continuous chain reaction. One such consequence, as The New York University School of Law (2012) states, is that families are inherently broken apart by the removal of a family member. Additionally, there are other psychological and psychosocial impacts on families that are far-reaching. Because of these and many other compelling factors, this paper argues that the US should work to prevent deportations, rather than enforce them.
Living a good life as an immigrant in America is a big challenge. In fact, getting a reasonable life is not easy in many countries around the world, but as an immigrant in the United States that involves huge determinations. Thus, anyone who decides to move to another place or community should expect to face many challenges. Most of the time, an immigrant’s reason(s) for leaving their country is based on a hard life for some without figuring out that life in the USA might be harder as well as a better life for others who may have a good life in their motherland. Generally, they are all disappointed by what they encounter. Denis Hunt, a director of Multi-cultural Human Services, a Falls Church, Virginia-based organization that helps immigrants adjust to life in the United States, said “the issues immigrants face can be even more daunting. Most immigrant parents who arrive in new communities are faced with immediate challenges to their survival, including securing a job, finding a place to live, buying food, and enrolling their children in school" (“US immigrants face new challenges”). Despite this situation, it is conceivable for immigrants regardless their origin, to live a good life in America. However, it cannot happen merely by snapping their fingers; massive efforts are required, including working hard, learning English, resolving transportation issues, understanding of the culture, and getting
The United States, the country formed on immigrants is having a humanitarian crisis, with many kids from north, south and central america coming alone into the United States seeking for a better life. People leave their homeland and move to another countries for various reasons. Some just to avoid starvation and others wish to escape unbearable family situations. Still many desire to be reunited with loved ones. They sacrifice their lives to come here, where people don’t want them. They come to get away from the violence in their native countries. Many come here for better employment opportunities to feed their family.These people go through many obstacles on their way here just to make sure their family’s life is better, and finally when
The 2016 presidential election and the now 2017 president, has struck fear in many Americans, especially immigrants; both legal and illegal. Immigration has been one of the top headlines throughout President Donald Trump’s presidency. Many immigrants feared for their lives. They did not know what to expect if Trump were to become president, but now, the fear of being kicked out of America or even being restricted from coming back to America with a green card, has increased. While we still have other issues surrounding us, immigration plays a key factor in causing mayhem in our society.
Part 1 of this paper debunked the notion that immigrants are inherently more criminal or of lesser intelligence than native residents, and since then, I have spent time working with immigrants at Siloam Family Health Center. Siloam patients are a diverse bunch, and they vary in their country of origin, first language, legal status according to the U.S. government, reason for coming to America, and experience once arriving here. The biggest thing I am leaving my time at Siloam with is that “immigrants” cannot simply be lumped into one enormous category, and individuals who come to America each hold their own story. Working at Siloam has been a transformative experience, and spending time weekly with immigrants has brought me a higher understanding of the specific strengths and challenges that new residents face.
Immigration is the act of coming to live in a place permanently in a foreign country. Many people all over the world go through thick and thin to try to get into the United States. People risk losing their homes, possessions, and sometimes have to leave their families in order for them to be safe. Two articles have put immigration to many people’s attention. These articles are “The Heartache of an Immigrant Family” by Sonia Nazario and “Central Americans Flow Into Mexico, Bound for the U.S.” by Randal C. Archibold. These articles hold two similar purposes and one different purpose. The two similar purposes they hold are showing the objects immigrants have to give up and the dangers they face during the process of immigration. The difference