Marriage and Family Concerns for Immigrants

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Marriage and Family Concerns for Immigrants
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Jennifer L. Baker, Psy.D. Anne B. Summers, Ph.D.
Debbi Steinmann, M.A. Training Instructor /
MentorsMelissa A. Gibson, M.S. Kim Rozell, M.A.
Graduate AssistantsBrent Anderson, M.S.
Matthew Biller, M.A. Cate Brandon, M.A Dawn
Clinard, M.A.Jessie Clinton, M.S. Tabitha
Carlson, M.S.Anup Jonathan Tony Larson, B.A.
Nicole Mannis, M.A.Robert Mindrup,
M.S.S.W.Colleen Quinn, Ph.D. Amber Schafer,
M.A. Amanda Schroeder, B.S.

• The Training for the Healthy Marriage and Family
  Formation curriculum was created through the
  cooperative efforts of

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Ethnicity is defined as

• Part of a persons self-concept and social
  identity
• that comes from membership in a social group and
  the value attached to that membership.
• It includes the following components
• Cultural values, attitudes, and behaviors.
• A sense of group membership.
• Experiences resulting from minority status.

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Racial/Cultural Identity Development

• Consists of five stages
• Conformity stage
• Dissonance stage
• Resistance and immersion stage
• Introspection stage
• Integrative awareness stage

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Racial/Cultural Identity Development

• Consists of five stages
• Conformity stage
• Dissonance stage
• Resistance and immersion stage
• Introspection stage
• Integrative awareness stage

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Definition Acculturative Stress

• Considered to be a normal part of the immigration
  experience.
• Consists of three phases
• Contact phase
• Conflict phase
• Adaptation phase

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Acculturative Stress

• Increases as the number of competing values
  between the two cultures increase.
• Can be life-long, pervasive, and intense.
• May result in depression, anxiety,
• substance use, or marital conflict.

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Competing Values Between Country of Origin and
New Country

• The importance of
• Family
• Achievement
• Time (such as being on time or planning ahead)
• Gender roles
• Values surrounding education and work
• Family structure

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Acculturative Stress

• Many families are unprepared for the challenges
  and conflict that accompany immigration.
• Successful resolution of acculturative stress
  involves a bicultural identity and the
  integration of values, customs and behaviors of
  both the home country and the new country.

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Acculturative Stress

• Other possible outcomes
• include
• Marginalization
• Separation
• Assimilation
• Integration

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Grief

• Symptoms may include
• Numbness, shock, disbelief.
• Pain, despair, disorganization.
• Anger, misdirected at others or internalized.
• Loss is vague, pervasive.
• New relationships are experienced as betrayal.

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Loss

• Loss of social support often impacts couple and
  family relationships.
• Both family and interpersonal relationships may
  be left behind.
• This can create a feeling that one does not
  belong.
• It can also result in identity confusion and
  feelings of worthlessness.

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Marital Distress

• Women often acculturate more rapidly.
• Men may rigidly adhere to traditional gender
  roles as a defense against acculturative stress.
• This may create an imbalance in the traditional
  structure of the Hispanic family.

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Marital Distress

• Risk factors for abuse include
• Environmental stress
• Immigration-related stressors
• Alcohol abuse
• These risk factors can be mediated by positive
  relational variables.

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Common Transitional Problems

• Changes in family and generational boundaries
• Lessening of parental authority
• Fear of losing children to the new culture
• Extended family enmeshment-
• disengagement problems
• Children often assuming adult roles

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Intergenerational Differences

• Families must cope with normal developmental
  transitions in addition to the stress of
  acculturation and adaptation.
• Family members are frequently unaware that their
  acculturation level is contributing to the
  conflict.
• Family members tend to attribute each others
  behaviors to negative internal characteristics.

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Stepwise Migration

• Definition
• A common practice characterized by the parents
  moving to a new country first, and then the
  children following later.

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Stepwise MigrationConcerns

• Bond may be weakened between parent and child.
• Children face multiple separation experiences.
• Parenting is disrupted, making it more difficult
  for parents to adapt to developmental
  transitions.
• Mother-oldest daughter may have power struggle.

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Stepwise Migration With Hispanic Immigrants
Problems Related to Separation

• Children, especially girls, report depressive
  symptoms.
• Married couples often become distant or tense.
• Longer separations increase relationship
  disruption.

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Suggestions for Working With Immigrant Families

• Three areas
• Be aware of ones own culture and biases.
• Know the world view of the clients culture.
• Use culturally appropriate interventions.

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Suggestions for Working With Immigrant Families

• Family therapy has been supported as the
  treatment of choice for many cultures.
• Be aware of typical dynamics and patterns of
  immigrant families, but recognize the uniqueness
  of each family.
• Normalize the difficulty of the transition and
  offer hope that the family will eventually
  overcome this challenging stage.

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Assessment of Immigrant Families

• Ask about the circumstances surrounding the
  immigration and the length of time that has
  passed since the family immigrated.
• Determine level of acculturation.
• Interview subsystems separately.
• Assess the degree of family cohesion.

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Education for Immigrant Families

• Increase awareness of various levels of change in
  the family and environment.
• Parents Differences in discipline, school
  structures and peer pressure.
• Children Cultural differences, coping with
  teasing and communicating with family.

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Suggestions for Working With Immigrant Families

• Cultural Brokering Reframe family conflicts as
  different rates of acculturation and attempts to
  adjust to the new culture.
• Normalize familys experience and struggles.
• Encourage each family member to tell his/her own
  story.
• Help families negotiate which values will be
  retained or relinquished.

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Suggestions for Working With Immigrant Families

• Help clients expand their social support network.
• Ask about extended family.
• Ask about religion/spirituality.
• Facilitate coordination with other systems.
• Become familiar with immigration law.

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Suggestions for Working With Immigrant Families

• Provide concrete, authoritative suggestions.
• Empower the family by asking about their culture
  with an attitude of not knowing.

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• Alianzas (in affiliation with the University of
  Missouri)
• http//www.alianzas.us/main
• Ozarks Marriage Matters
• http//www.ozarksmarriagematters.org
• Immigration Online
• http//www.immigrationline.org
• National Alliance for Hispanic Health
• http//www.hispanichealth.org
• The National Council of La Raza
• http//www.nclr.org

• Websites

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Questions