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Immigration Issues Essay

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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,

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