Immigration Issues Essay -- Immigration, Psychiatry

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 is seeking marital therapy, will serve to illustrate the immigration issues a clinician should consider when assessing a client system in therapy. Mary, a 32-year-old Caucasian woman and her husband, Mario, a 40-year-old Latino man have been married for three years. They have both been married in the past but have no children. They report that since Mary returned to school there have been frequent arguments. Recently the fights have increased in frequency and have become violent. Mary complains that Mario is too possessive and is jealous of all her male friends. She feels physically threatened and wants to leave him. Mario feels that Mary never spends time at home anymore, and is no longer interested in him. While it is imperative not to make assumptions about a client because of their race, it is important to ask questions about their cultural identity, and if they have emigrated from another country. This ipsychosocial detail is significant because a growing body of research attests to neg... ...t, chances are that Mary and Mario will come to honor each other's diverse experiences, and will be able to fully embrace the ethos that is the American dream together. â€Æ' Works Cited Foster, R. P. (2001). When immigration is trauma: Guidelines for the individual and family clinician. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 71(2), 153-170. Kaltman, S., De Mendoza,, A. H., Gonzales, F. A., Serrano, A., & Guarnaccia, P. (2011). Contextualizing the trauma experience of women immigrants from Central America, South America, and Mexico. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 24(6), 635-642. Moreno, C. L., & Guido, M. (2005). Social work practice with Latino Americans. In D. Lum (Ed.), Cultural competence, practice stages, and client systems (pp. 88-106). Belmont, CA: Brooks Cole. Sue, D. W. (2006). Multicultural social work practice. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. â€Æ'