Parents and infants in changing cultural context: Immigration, trauma, and risk

“Entre les bibliothèques et les bébés en détresse, il y a un grand fossé” (S. Fraiberg). “Between library and at‐risk infants themselves lies a great gulf” (Fraiberg, 1999, p. 416). Whether they are African or Asian, children of immigrant families live in at‐risk situations where they may be exposed to serious trauma. Immigrant families often live in extreme conditions. Although research describes these conditions, the field of intervention remains weak. How many times have I heard that work among these families does not address treatment, but only basic needs, noting that the families are preoccupied with survival—where to find food, where to sleep, where to bury their dead. Yet, the psychological care of immigrant children and families has much to teach us. In this article I will describe work that attempts to bridge the gulf that Fraiberg referred to by sharing what I have learned regarding immigrant families with infants. ©2003 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.