The immigration of the adolescents and adults is a controversial issue on the minds of the American people given that the government has for long been trying to restrict the number of immigrants in the U.S. Majority of the people who migrate to the country is predominantly from Mexico and other Latin American nations (Hernandez, 2009; Hurley, 2013). In 2000, 15.5% of immigrants were from European countries while 52% came from Latin America. In the same year, there were 28 million immigrants in the country where 20% were children and adolescents. The immigration strategies used by families have not yet been understood or how the process affects the youths who move to the U.S. Majority of the immigrants move to the country in search of opportunities for beginning a new life. The nation has benefited from the diversity of the population, rich culture and the spirit from continued infusion and idealism which arises from the immigrants yet newcomers are viewed as a liability to the country. Similarly, they are exposed to stressors that affect their mental health as they try to acculturate to the new environment. Immigrant adolescents and adults might also face racial or ethnic prejudice, isolation, and conflicts in the cultural values. The purpose of the applied theory paper is to address immigration in adolescents and adults to the United States. The write-up will consider literature review, the ecological system analysis, and the attachment theory.
Literature review
Immigrants are often compelled to or voluntarily decide to move to another country in search of better opportunities. Several reasons contribute to the migration of people to other countries including political and economic instability, better life and education and increased opportunities for the migrants. The U.S. has legal immigration opportunities to people from all over the world, for example, the immigrant diversity lottery visa that offers permanent residence to the individuals from selected countries. Some individuals visit the country on a visiting visa and stay there illegally.
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Historically, there have been changes in the immigration policies and how the newcomers are received. Since 1965, the country has enhanced its efforts to restrict them having adopted the Immigration and Nationality Act that limits the number of visas issued to the newcomers. The immigration and reform control act criminalized the hiring of undocumented migrants and also increased the border patrol budgets. Following the September 11 attack, immigration control restrictions and deportation of undocumented migrants were enhanced as enforcement was raised to a new level.
Different states, for example, Arizona have sponsored anti-immigration bills that have extinguished the flow of undocumented newcomers while eliminating their access to social services like education and medical care. Legislations, as well as media attention on undocumented immigration, affects the perception of the immigrants held by the general public. Such attitudes contribute to the interactions that occur between the individuals and the unauthorized people in the country.
Mexico is estimated to contribute the highest number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. According to the Pew Hispanic Center there are 11 million such newcomers in the country with Mexico adding six million (Hernande, 2009). According to Hurley (2013), Mexicans are perceived to hold low status in the political and socioeconomic structure in the society. Immigrants from the country and Central America have lower occupational attainment in different metropolitan areas compared to the South Americans. According to the author, the country of origin determines the economic success of an individual.
Legislation and the attention that the media gives undocumented immigrants also impact the perception that individuals have against the newcomers. Such attitudes contribute to the interactions that exist between the citizens and the unauthorized individuals in the country. The undocumented newcomers must establish a way to negotiate their new way of life amidst increased efforts to restrict them from entering into the country. Additionally, there is increased legislation that is intended to control their lives once they are in the country. The immigrants have to overcome the low occupational attainment as well as the negative stereotyping that the citizens have developed against them (Adewunmi, 2015; Hurley, 2013).
According to Adewunmi (2015), immigrants experience social and psychological challenges. They encounter stressful situations in their efforts to acculturate to the culture of the host country. Such issues arise from the changes in the social status given that they have to integrate their culture with that of the dominant group leading to acculturation stress. According to the author, cultural differences shape the coping strategies of an individual. The way an immigrant copes with the new situation is determined by the way they appraise the situation, the resources available for them to cope, the resources availed by the culture and reactions from others. Factors like acculturation, experiences of discrimination, ethnic identity and acculturative stress affect immigrants (Hernandez, 2009).
According to Lopez (2009), immigrants experience trauma, mood instability, and increased chances of suicide and anxiety related issues. The factors that motivate the migration which includes the family resources, and the perception that the citizen of the host country affects the immigrants psychologically. According to the author, social factors contributed to the increased risks of the development of schizophrenia in the newcomers. Those who are socially and economically disadvantaged had more chances of developing the condition.
There are many reasons for migration for example financial motivation, fleeing from war, child shifting, sacrificing for the family, search for new opportunities and immigrants avoiding compulsory military training in some countries. Adults who migrate for economic reasons according to studies are overwhelmed by the unexpected socioeconomic status that occurs following their migration. Such a scenario leads to psychological distress. Immigrants are exposed to the loss of family. Similarly, the physical environment and community increase their chances of developing stress. Social isolation, especially in women, relates to the mental health of the newcomers. Through migration, the family and social network for women which is necessary for their survival is significantly reduced. Social isolation in addition to other adjustment stressors caused by immigration experiences leads to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders (Hernandez, 2009).
An immigrant undergoes four stages where there are high chances of developing trauma. The initial is the pre-immigration which is the stage where difficult issues are experienced before migrating that lead to the decision to move. The second step is the transit from the country of origin to the intended destination. The third stage involves continuous exposure to the stressors as the individual seek asylum and settles in the host country. The last is the substandard living condition due to unemployment, poverty, insufficient social support, and discrimination. According to studies, an immigrant is likely to experience trauma at any or all stages that might lead to mental distress. Similarly, elongated exposure to uncontrollable and volatile events increases the risk for psychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression or even post-traumatic disorder (Lopez, 2009).
According to LaFleur (2010), immigrants offer diversity in the workplace by bringing in new styles of working and helping to meet the needs of a diverse population. The majority of migrant students, for instance, find well-paying jobs that improve their living standards and that of their family members in addition to supporting other relatives in their countries of origin. Such students help to fill the employment gaps thus contributing to the growth of the economy. According to the author, the success of international students in professional nursing has contributed to a decrease in the disparity and increased retention and better health care in the U.S. The author points out that lack of culturally diverse nurse call for efforts to retain and train more graduate minorities in the program.
Ecological System Analysis
The understanding of an individual needs to consider the environment in which they interact with. We need to be aware of the physical, spiritual, familial, social, political and societal issues. It is, therefore, necessary to consider the immigrants and the different aspects of their environment to be able to assess, plan and develop interventions that can be used to address some of the identified issues. The person-in-environment gave birth to the ecological system approach which is a significant and coherent perspective for studying social work. It originated from ecology and the general systems theory. The ecosystem perspective recognizes the constant interaction of the environment and people where they adapt to each other in an interconnected transactional network. Social workers, therefore, take the environment and individual as synonymous while paying attention to the various interacting elements present in the surrounding.
People shape the environment in which they live in yet the same environment develops their behavior. The immigrants are affected by their environment in that it forms their behavior and also they change it to adapt to the newcomers. Natives have to change their lifestyle to accommodate the newcomers who introduce a new way of life. Similarly, the immigrants have to acculturate to fit into the culture of the host country. Their ability to adapt to the new way of life reduces the level of stress while eliminating any stressors that affect their possibility to adjust to the new environment.
The ecological system theory is an essential tool in human development that is based on the general system theory that all living things can be explored and understood through continuous and complex interaction with their different elements. It was formulated by Urie Bronfenbrenner in 1979 about human development. According to him, all humans can be perceived to be embedded in a nested system and development is the outcome of complex interactions between individuals and other systemic factors that influence each other. Urie proposed five systems that human progress depends on their complex interaction. According to this framework, development is the process of evolving the concept of the ecological environment and how they relate to it. Therefore, he emphasized the changes and the objective understanding as well as interpretation of the systems. The fives systems and their explanation according to Urie are;
Microsystem
It is the immediate context that an individual participates and the people in the settings and who are in direct contact with the person. It includes family, caregivers or peers. An immigrant, for example, may be at home or work. The relationship in this form of a system is bidirectional in that the reaction to the people in the order affects the way they treat an individual. It is one of the most influential stages of the ecological system theory. Immigrant s are likely to be disconnected from the microsystem and therefore they will have to establish new networks in the form of peers. Migration, therefore, breaks the current setting which affects them and those left behind,
Meso-systems
They are the influences that exist between parties to micro for example school and family relationship. The first level cannot function independently at this stage but are interconnected and influence each other. An immigrant, for example, is influenced by new linstitu8tions for example schools in the host country or the organizations where they are employed.
Exo-system
It is an external influence on the individual from systems that are not directly related to or that are external to a microsystem, for instance, legislation and policy. It is a setting that involves an individual as an inactive participant yet they still affect them. Such decisions have a bearing on an individual again they do not influence the process of making them. An example is an immigrant who is affected by a policy issue or legislation passed by the host country restricting movement, employment or ownership of property.
Macrosystems
They are broader cultural as well as social influences that can still affect an immigrant. Include the cultural patterns, values and dominant beliefs, ideas, political and economic systems. The migrants are affected by a myriad of macro system issues in the host country and at the home country.
Chrono- systems
They are the changes that affect the entire operations and their members with time which shows the influence of change and constancy in the immigrants' environment. It may include issues like changes in the family structure, employment, relocation, and economic cycles among others.
Attachment theory
The attachment theory was postulated by John Bowlby a British Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst to describe emotional connection that exists in healthy human development. Bowlby perceived attachment as an implicit understanding of the way the significant other regarding dependability and sensitivity. The link is established even before a conversation and dominates the psyche as well as personality yet it is still flexible and open to change throughout one's lifespan. According to the theory, first proverbial interactions in the child and caregiver lead to a detailed understanding of the reliability, responsiveness and understanding the caregiver. The model is still applicable to studying behavior and is most active when one experiences separation or a threat of losing the significant other. Similar occurrences reappear when there are frustrations, stress or anger where such experiences activate the attachment system resulting in attachment behavior.
Attachment is established in the early stages of life and is a universal psychobiological process that is activated by stress hormones. There are four categories of adult attachments. They are secure or autonomous, insecure also known as dismissing, preoccupied and unresolved. The state of an adult's mind is stable when they are sure that the attachment figure is available no matter what happens. However, it can turn unsecured if there are doubts over the presence of the character in times of need. Insecurity can take two forms; dismissing or preoccupied implying that an individual uses mental rules to handle the activation of the system when they sense that there is a danger, threat or loss. Dismissing attachment means that an individual will seek other forms of safety if there is a danger rather than personal closeness.
Preoccupied attachment creates a state of mind that focuses on the attachment figure or even the significant other. Unresolved attachment involves confusion on what to do in case there is a danger or in times of need. Similar complications are also observable in preoccupied status. An individual with unresolved attachment is unable to deal with the opposing impulses of confusion. An equal state of mind is also visible when an individual has experienced loss or trauma. There are no clear approaches on how to resolve activation of the attachment process and regain the feeling of being organized, safe and able to meet personal needs.
According to Van Ecke (2007), attachment theory is activated as an individual perceives the existence of danger, threat or a loss to the relationship. The level of attachment can be determined using assessments like adult attachment interview or projective. Organize attachment have rules for coping where the goal is physical or mental proximity. Immigrants have high rates of unresolved attachment than the locals whereby they can be viewed as a disruption as well as a threat from separation from an attachment relationship. Departure from the attachment figure leads to personality and mental disorder. Migrants are exposed to the challenges of geographical or physical separation from the attachment figures. Such disconnection is a risk factor for regulation and attachment distress. The newcomer perceives danger due to the immigration which is a form of disruption. The matter is worsened by existing prohibitions that restricts one from seeing attachment figures when they are still alive.
Unresolved attachment is pathological than resolved attachment. People with unresolved attachment seemed to perceived additional dangers and are unable to address such risks than the natives. The world, in this case, is perceived to be more dangerous by those with unresolved attachments than those who have settled. Having unresolved attachment diminishes one's ability to solve additional attachment related dangers. There are differences in being undecided for loss and abuse. The former is not a clinical factor yet the latter is. Since immigrants’ unresolved status indicates links to images of separation and isolation, they are not at a higher risk for any clinical symptoms.
Migrants move to new places for different reasons ranging from political, economic, and social-cultural and education. Such movements affect the host and the home country both positively and negatively. Migrants face many challenges in the host country including acculturation, stress and mental problems which can be attributed to the migration. A thorough understanding of the ecological system micro-system, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem can be useful for understanding the interaction of the migrants with the environment. The attachment theory gives an insight of the mental association in healthy beings. An understanding of the attachment theory can be useful to the social worker as it enables them to know how attachment affects the way immigrants explore, form new relationships and handle any conflicts. Similarly, it can be useful to the understanding of the mental health issues that can affect the immigrants and how they can be assisted to cope with the new reality. The different concepts are essential to the social worker as they will be able to develop strategies and plans that can be used to address some of the issues affecting the migrants.
References
Adewunmi, O. (2015). Acculturation Stress and the Coping Strategies of Nigerian Immigrant Women in the United States. Dissertation Submitted In Partial Fulfillment .
Ahmed, S., Amer, M., & Killawi, A. (2017). The ecosystems perspective in social work: Implications for culturally competent practice with American Muslims. Journal Of Religion & Spirituality In Social Work: Social Thought , 36 (1-2), 48-72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2017.1311245
Hernandez, M. (2009). An exploratory narrative study of the migration patterns, Parent-child relationships, and the adaptation of immigrant Central American and Mexican adolescents. A Dissertation Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirement For The Degree Of Doctor of Philosophy. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hurley, E. (2013). Mexican immigrant social identity and stigma. Northern Illinois University .
Lopez P., (2009). Immigration experience and subsequent mental health issue in immigrant children from China, Russia, and the Dominican Republic: Implications for the use of cross-cultural comparison. Pace University, New York
Van Ecke, Y. (2007). Unresolved Attachment Among Immigrants: An Analysis Using the Adult Attachment Projective. The Journal Of Genetic Psychology , 167 (4), 433-442. http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/gntp.167.4.433-442
