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Standing and Responding in Solidarity with Disenfranchised Immigrant Families in the United States: An Ongoing Call for Action
Author(s) -
Wieling Elizabeth,
Trejo Andrea N.,
Ellen Patterson Jo,
Weingarten Kaethe,
Falicov Celia,
Hernández Ana V.,
Cook Heffron Laurie,
Faulkner Monica,
Rubén ParraCardona José
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/jmft.12460
Subject(s) - solidarity , immigration , call to action , action (physics) , psychology , sociology , social psychology , political science , law , business , marketing , politics , physics , quantum mechanics
The status of immigrant families resettled to the United States in the past decade has been fraught with upsurges of governmental policies that have systematically increasing the levels of oppression, violence, and abuses of human rights. The socio‐political‐economic toll of xenophobic practices on specifically targeted immigrant populations is magnified by the psychological and relational impact they have on individuals, families, and communities. This manuscript is conceptualized as an ongoing call for social action and specific mobilization by mental health professionals in response to the increasing threats to civility and dignity faced by various immigrant communities. The paper is organized in three sections: (a) an overview of the effects of immigration policy on immigrant family experiences; (b) the impact of mental and relational health on immigrant populations; and (c) elaborations of three exemplar community projects designed to support immigrant families. The manuscript concludes with a discussion exploring avenues for promoting a stronger base for solidarity and social action.