Trauma and Racial Minority Immigrants

For racial minority immigrants in the United States, trauma can have both historical and ongoing sources. Today's immigrants face a dangerous mix of rising nationalism and xenophobia, alarming rates of displacement within and across nations, war, trafficking, terrorism, and deportation. Multiple traumas stem from these experiences and can be exacerbated by interpersonal violence and other forms of marginalization within communities. This book examines the lasting impact of trauma for racial minority immigrants and subsequent generations. Each chapter explores both the stress and resilience of immigrant groups in the United States, as well as clinical or community-based efforts to address the multiple traumas that affect immigrants and their children. While considering the socioecological contexts of immigrants, the chapters reflect a diversity of theoretical perspectives needed to expand existing treatments for trauma, such as multicultural, feminist, womanist, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic theories. In the nuanced pages of this book, you will deepen your understanding of the immigrant experience and develop professional skills to help heal traumatic stress faced by racial minority immigrants.