Engaging with Spirituality in Family Therapy by David Trimble

Author:David Trimble
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

The Life of Immigrants and Refugees

Most of my work has been with African immigrants . Although some immigrants come to the USA for economic and educational reasons, more have had to flee their homelands, often against their will and under horrific conditions. When they arrive, they find that the skills that assured them economic stability in their countries of origin are not valued here. Moreover, immigration laws and economic difficulties prevent family members from joining their relatives in the USA Families may have to shoulder the burden of bringing in others who, without appropriate immigration papers, fear deportation. Parents work long hours leaving them little time and energy to pass on to their children the cultural traditions, values, and rituals that have sustained them in their home context.

Most immigrants experience a deep sense of loss of their culture associated with loss of language, not only for themselves but also for their children. Parents lament their inability to communicate with their children as they could in their home countries, and feel a deep sense of regret when their Americanized children fail to learn their language. Prolonged separation of family members often creates gaps in shared family history. Family members become strangers to each other, leading to major strains and disappointments. For many, losing contact with loved ones can affect connections within families. Most frightening of all is the fear of deportation for those who have arrived with no proper documentation.

One young man from Uganda reported that he wished so much to pass on to his children his culture, spiritual, and religious beliefs and practices but lacked the structures he enjoyed in his home country. “My children will never be able to worship in the same way that my parents taught me,” he lamented. He also felt so alienated from his own cultural rites of passages that he could not provide in the same way to his children.

The relocation of immigrants typically awakens fear, depression, and insecurity along with excitement and hope. Immigrants must adjust both attitudinally and behaviorally to a new culture and environment. Immigrants often have difficulties locating housing and jobs. Poverty and unfamiliarity with the US social cues leave them vulnerable to crime and in some cases to exploitation by the host culture. Anti-immigrant sentiments have also exacerbated the life of many people as they seek refuge in the USA.

There are others for whom even escape from war in their home country to the USA does not offer any promise of safety. A 50-year-old man who escaped the killing fields of the Democratic Republic of Congo was plagued by nightmares in his sleep and was constantly reminded of the killing fields when he opened the daily newspaper. When he sought a church to find a community that he hoped would provide him some comfort and connectedness, he instead found huge divisions among his own country folks, reminders of the intense divisions back in his country of origin. Often these experiences are felt with a strong sense of betrayal.

My work

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.